A deep list of top pitching options gives daily fantasy baseball competitors plenty of choices for Tuesday’s contests. If you don’t want to spend all of your budget on the true superstars on the mound, you can find worthwhile replacements on the next tier.
You can succeed with a variety of strategies in a full slate of action for June 2.
Pitchers to Draft
Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays ($8,900)
There are reasons to doubt the top pitching options available Tuesday, whether it is due to difficult matchups (Max Scherzer vs. Toronto Blue Jays), tough locations (Zack Greinke at Coors Field) or uncertainty following an injury (Johnny Cueto).
However, Chris Archer has provided some of the best individual performances of the year with one run or fewer allowed in seven of his 11 starts. He has at least eight strikeouts in four of his last five games, which should give fantasy players faith in another big day.
Shelby Miller, Atlanta Braves ($8,300)
A lack of strikeouts over the past couple of starts has limited Shelby Miller’s impact, and the Arizona Diamondbacks possess a dangerous lineup. That said, this is great value for a pitcher who is currently tied for the major league lead with a 1.48 ERA and is second with a 0.88 WHIP.
Miller hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in a single start and already has two complete-game shutouts. Don’t overthink it.
Chris Heston, San Francisco Giants ($5,300)
Despite his inconsistency this year, Chris Heston has been much more successful at AT&T Park, which, according to ESPN.com, ranks as the most pitcher-friendly stadium in the majors in 2015.
After pitching 7.1 scoreless innings in his most recent home start, Heston has shown he can provide a lot of fantasy value for a low cost.
Pitcher to Avoid
Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals ($12,000)
It’s hard to bet against one of the top pitchers in baseball, but for this price you better be certain a great game is coming. You simply cannot do that against the Blue Jays, which have the No. 1 scoring offense in the majors this season.
Scherzer still can come through with a strong effort, although it is not worth risking almost one-quarter of your budget.
Hitters to Draft
Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels ($4,800)
Although he’s usually an obvious name, Mike Trout has rare value with his price dropping from its usual level of well over $5,000. Even in a slump, he’s still one of the most feared hitters in baseball and is always a threat for a truly extraordinary performance.
While Archer remains a quality option on the mound, it’s hard to pass up this opportunity to get Trout for relatively cheap.
Josh Donaldson, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays ($4,300)
Even a matchup against Scherzer shouldn’t deter you from drafting the hottest hitter in baseball. Josh Donaldson has been unstoppable over the past week, hitting home runs against starters, closers, righties and lefties.
The value and upside are simply too great to ignore regardless of the opposing pitcher.
Addison Russell, 2B, Chicago Cubs ($3,900)
While he still lacks the consistency the Chicago Cubs are looking for, Addison Russell has shown flashes of greatness at the plate with a lot of extra-base power. A matchup against southpaw Brad Hand—who will make just his second start of the season for the Miami Marlins—could set the stage for more big-time hitting.
Hitter to Avoid
Todd Frazier, 3B, Cincinnati Reds ($5,100)
A red-hot hitter against a pitcher with a 1-4 record and 4.81 ERA seems like a slam dunk bet. However, Sean O’Sullivan’s struggles this year have stemmed from his inability to get lefties out (.372 batting average, 1.300 OPS) as opposed to righties (.225 batting average, .600 OPS).
The right-handed Todd Frazier isn’t necessarily going to take advantage of the seemingly weak matchup.
Team to Stack
Cleveland Indians
It’s hard to imagine Kansas City Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie being as bad as he was in his last start when he allowed 11 runs and got just three outs, but his 4.75 ERA going into that game proved he wasn’t pitching well anyway.
With Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley leading a Cleveland Indians lineup heavy on lefties and switch-hitters, things could get even worse for the right-handed Guthrie.
Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
DraftKings is hosting one-day MLB contests! Claim your free entry by clicking on the link and making a first-time deposit!
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for daily fantasy advice and nonstop sports.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com