This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
While we've still got a couple of contests throughout the day thanks to varying start times, the main slate is slightly larger than I've had to digest to date. Nine games are coming Tuesday evening, the first of which starts at the traditional 7:05 EDT. Fifteen of 18 starting pitchers seem set, with Atlanta, the Orioles and the Rangers still unannounced as I write this. The first of those is intriguing, as you'll see below!
Pitching
The three teams striking out the most against righties in the early going are either not on this slate, or face a lefty. As such, I'm not immediately targeting the slate's top three pitchers by salary. That leads us to Patrick Sandoval ($8,400). His 9.72 K/9 last year should play way up in a matchup against a Miami team fanning a whopping 43.2 percent of the time against lefties in 37 plate appearances through three games. They also present a paltry .180 wOBA, 23 wRC+ and .057 ISO.
Milwaukee's Eric Lauer ($7,200) presents nearly identically at a slight discount. He fanned only 8.9 per nine a year ago, but faces a Baltimore lineup whiffing 45.5 percent of time against lefties while bringing a .274 wOBA, 74 wRC+ and .075 ISO. Slightly more risk, slightly less upside.
There doesn't appear to be a clear pay-down option, but if forced to choose, perhaps I can build a case for Patrick Corbin ($6,700). He managed four Ks in 4.2 innings in his first start, and the Braves have been pretty bad in their lineup from spots 5-9, highlighted by Dansby Swanson striking out in nine of 14 at-bats as of submission.
Finally, as noted above, keep an eye on what Atlanta does. If sticking with a normal five-man rotation, ace Max Fried would be up in an appealing matchup against a weak Nats' lineup, one he struck out 33 in 28.2 innings against last year. Atlanta has also used plenty of their bullpen over the last two games, including Tucker Davidson, who was the likely sixth starter before Monday's relief appearance. Fried would be in line for a major workload if he starts. If he doesn't, they'll likely be calling someone up from Triple-A Gwinnett who would come at a minimal price in that plus matchup. [EDITOR NOTE: Top prospect Bryce Elder is getting called up to make the start.]
Top Targets
It's difficult to fade Nolan Arenado ($4,400) and his hot start, but teammate Paul Goldschmidt ($4,100) could go overlooked and is likely due a little bit of a power bump. Royals' starter Daniel Lynch has splits that work for both guys (.381 wOBA against righties, .196 wOBA against lefties in 2021), but it's Goldschmidt that has posted a .447 wOBA, 186 wRC+ and .298 ISO since the start of last year, while Arenado went .401/156/.319. Both are terrific, but we likely can't afford the duo, so I'll side with the cheaper players with the lower roster rate in Goldy.
Equally hot is Byron Buxton ($3,900). As of submission, he's 5-for-11 with three HR, two doubles, four RBI, five runs scored and a steal in the Twins' last three games. He's faired better against lefties over his career, and Dodgers' starter Andrew Heaney has been hit harder by righties.
Also consider Ozzie Albies ($3,900), who will always be featured here against a lefty. Shohei Ohtani ($4,000) is ice cold but had great LvL splits last year, and surely won't be on many rosters.
Value Bats
I like the Twins-Dodgers game to potentially blow up, so I could see stacks on both sides being used relatively frequently, especially with lots of sub-$4K salaries. Pairing Buxton with L.A.'s Will Smith ($3,300) gives us shares on both teams with an opportunity to differentiate. He had a team-best .257 ISO against righties last year, adding a .383 wOBA, and he gets to face the untrustworthy Chris Archer.
Cardinals' pitcher Dakota Hudson has thrown only 47.2 innings over the last two years, so I'm not sure what he's done to carry a salary as high as $9,500. He allowed a reasonable .347 wOBA to lefties in 2019 as opposed to .285 to righties. As such, a surging Andrew Benintendi ($2,900), who is 7-for-15 to start the year, is the preference over Adalberto Mondesi at $2,900 or righty Bobby Witt at $2,500.
Corey Seager ($3,200) is arguably my favorite play of the day. He's yet to find his power stroke, but he's hit safely in all four games to date with seven hits in total, en route to a .429 wOBA. This game has the highest total on the slate and no bat priced north of $3,500, creating ample bargain and stacking opportunities alike. Just keep an eye on the weather here.
Stacks to Consider
Yankees vs. Blue Jays (Yusei Kikuchi): Aaron Judge ($3,800), Giancarlo Stanton ($3,800), Gleyber Torres ($2,500)
I'm simply not a Kikuchi guy. He's too inconsistent, as evidenced by his two starts against the Yankees last year -- in one he threw five shutout innings and fanned six, and in the other he allowed five runs and eight hits in five frames. Judge and Stanton are known to have massive splits, the former placing a .412 wOBA, 166 wRC+ and .296 ISO against lefties last season, and the latter going .380/144/.228. Torres comes at a discount and offers some middle-infield position flexibility, and he's 5-for-11 off Kikuchi in his career. It's not a huge sample, but it's enough to feel good about him rounding out this stack. Torres isn't nearly as appealing as a solo play.
Astros vs. Diamondbacks (Madison Bumgarner): Alex Bregman ($3,800), Jose Altuve ($3,700), Jeremy Pena ($2,300): This stack offers a bit of everything. Bregman is surging and showing he may be back to his 2019 MVP form, having multiple hits and RBI in three of four games. Altuve has been feast or famine to open the season, but he's 9-for-26 against Bumgarner in his career, homering three times en route to a 1.038 OPS. Pena doesn't make for a traditional stack given his likely spot at the bottom of the order, but he's collected three hits in two of his first four games, providing rare upside at this salary.
