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All 30 MLB teams are in action Tuesday evening, giving DraftKings daily fantasy players a wide variety of pitching options to choose from.  Chris Sale is the biggest name on the board, but there are also several quality bargains available at much more affordable prices.

Here are five pitchers who should provide the best bang for your buck on June 30.

Chris Sale ($12,800) at St. Louis Cardinals

Chris Sale’s salary is $2,100 higher than any other starter going, but his resume of late makes him well worth it.  In his last time out, Sale surrendered five earned runs in 6.2 innings while taking a loss against the Minnesota Twins.  But he still recorded 19 fantasy points, in large part because he struck out 10 batters.

Sale struck out at least 10 in each of his last seven starts, one shy of tying the major league record dating back to 1914.  He has a total of 85 strikeouts during the seven-game streak.  Before his minor slip-up in Minnesota, Sale recorded 30 or more fantasy points in five consecutive outings, including over 40 in four of the five.

For the season, Sale has 129 strikeouts, the fourth-most in baseball, in just 95.1 innings pitched.  His 0.98 WHIP also ranks eighth in the majors.

Dallas Keuchel ($9,800) vs. Kansas City Royals

Dallas Keuchel’s 23.6 fantasy points per game is the second-highest scoring average of any pitching on the mound Tuesday, yet he comes cheaper than Sonny Gray, Cole Hamels and Lance Lynn.

Keuchel is a workhorse, leading MLB with 116.1 innings pitched.  He’s also tied for the top spot in both complete games and shutouts:

The lefty ranks eighth in baseball with a 2.17 ERA, while his 0.96 WHIP is sixth and his .194 batting average against is third.  Keuchel also has the added bonus of matching up against Royals starter Danny Duffy, who boasts a 5.44 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP. 

Shelby Miller ($7,900) vs. Washington Nationals

Like Keuchel, Shelby Miller is tied for the major league lead with two shutouts.  At just $7,900, Miller can provide an ace-like performance at a significantly lower cost. 

As noted by Fox Sports South, in his last start against the Washington Nationals, Miller faced the minimum number of hitters through six innings:

He finished the game with a no-decision after yielding three hits, a walk and one earned run in seven innings.

Miller has never given up more than four runs in a single outing this season and allowed two or fewer earned runs in 13 of his 15 starts.  Both his 1.94 ERA and .200 batting average against rank among the top five in the majors.

Mike Montgomery ($6,800) at San Diego Padres

Through five major league starts, Mike Montgomery is averaging an impressive 19.8 fantasy points per game.  That stat is skewed, however, by the 45.7 points he registered the last time he took the hill.

MLB.com’s Paul Casella noted Montgomery’s rare accomplishment:

Even without Montgomery’s one spectacular showing, his overall numbers are quite consistent to this point.  He surrendered two or fewer runs in four of his five appearances, giving up four in the other.  Montgomery also lasted at least six innings in all five of his starts.

On Tuesday, he faces a San Diego Padres team with a .244 team batting average, the fourth-worst in the National League.

Marco Estrada ($6,300) vs. Boston Red Sox

After allowing a total of three hits in 15.2 innings over his past two games, Marco Estrada is as hot as any starter in baseball.

Via MLB.com:

Estrada became the first pitcher since Dave Stieb in 1988 to take a no-hitter into the eighth inning in back-to-back starts. In his last outing, Estrada was perfect through seven until he allowed an infield single with one out in the eighth.

It’s an extremely small sample size, but if you’re going to spend below $6,500 on a pitcher, you might as well ride the hot hand.

Estrada’s season stats are also perfectly respectable—a 3.45 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP and 63 strikeouts in 73 innings.  And with baseball’s highest-scoring offense behind him, the Toronto Blue Jays righty is a decent play for the money.

All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is an MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.

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Without many great options at pitcher, Monday’s daily fantasy baseball contests could be a chance to really load up on the top hitters around the league. The key will be to find the right players at each spot to give you a chance to win money.

Not only are there only nine games to choose from, none of the pitchers are valued more than $9,000 on DraftKings. This could create some interesting lineups throughout the different contests available.

Pitchers

Nathan Karns, Tampa Bay Rays ($7,100)

C.J. Wilson has been wildly inconsistent lately, while Clay Buchholz and Lance McCullers have difficult matchups this week. As a result, there are few expensive options worth taking a chance on at this point.

However, Nathan Karns represents a relatively safe option thanks to his recent play. Over the last three starts, the Rays starter has allowed just two earned runs in 17.1 innings. With the Cleveland Indians struggling to score (just three total runs while being swept by the Baltimore Orioles this weekend), Karns could have another strong showing.

Jimmy Nelson, Milwaukee Brewers ($6,600)

The consistency isn’t there, but Jimmy Nelson has provided some gems so far this year. Three different times the right-hander has allowed just one run in eight innings, including his most recent start against the New York Mets.

Going up against one of the worst offenses in baseball in the Philadelphia Phillies provides another chance for a big effort from Nelson.

There is certainly risk involved in drafting a pitcher who has allowed at least six earned runs in two different starts this month, but Nelson represents a high-upside choice in tournament play.

Joe Blanton, Kansas City Royals ($4,800)

It was hard to expect much from Joe Blanton this season, who last had a 6.04 ERA in 2013. However, he has been lights-out for the Royals this year with a 1.73 ERA in nine appearances (two starts). Since moving into the rotation, he has allowed just two runs in 11 innings while totaling 11 strikeouts and no walks.

While you can expect him to come back to Earth at some point, Blanton can still have more success against a Houston Astros lineup that lead the majors in strikeouts. At the very least, there could be some good value here.

Hitters

Todd Frazier, 3B, Cincinnati Reds ($5,600)

While the cost is high, so is the potential output for the red-hot third baseman. In his last 21 games, Todd Frazier has an impressive nine home runs and 21 RBI. During this stretch, he has four three-hit games and only two games where we went without a hit.

Even better, Frazier gets to return home this series, where he is hitting .354 on the year with 15 of his 25 home runs. This is a good investment regardless of the price.

Prince Fielder, 1B, Texas Rangers ($4,800)

This matchup could be good for a bunch of Texas Rangers hitters, as they face Bud Norris, a pitcher who has struggled to a 6.70 ERA this season. It would have been worse if the five runs allowed in his last start weren’t all unearned.

Playing in a home run haven like Camden Yards should lead to a high-scoring battle.

Of course, Prince Fielder is still the one you really want after five straight multi-hit games going into Monday.

Jimmy Rollins, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers ($3,600)

Although his first year with the Dodgers hasn’t been great, Jimmy Rollins is finally coming alive lately. In his last eight games, he is 10-for-31 (.323 batting average) with two extra-base hits.

With Allen Webster still struggling to get outs at this level, managing just a 6.28 career ERA in 22 appearances, Rollins could provide some value for cheap.

Team to Stack

Baltimore Orioles

Wandy Rodriguez is coming off his worst start of the season, where he allowed eight earned runs and 11 hits in four innings. Even if he isn’t quite as bad Monday, the Orioles should still do damage. Not only do players like Adam Jones and Manny Machado excel against lefties, but the entire team is much better at home (25-13 compared to 16-21 on the road).

We could see a lot of home runs from the Orioles in this one.

Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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It’s a full slate today. Judging by the average pitcher cost on draftkings.com, there should be a fair amount of runs scored today. Between the daytime and nighttime slates, I counted six pitchers that are priced below $5,000.

You could theoretically throw out several different starting lineups where the average position player costs more than the average pitcher. I’m not suggesting this, I’m just saying it’s a possibility.

Because of the high number of inexpensive pitchers, I broke this article down into three categories: pricey but effective, mid-level hurlers and cheap gambles.

Enjoy!

Pricey but Effective

Clayton Kershaw ($12,300) at Miami

According to ESPN.com’s batter vs. pitching data, the Marlins have reached base just 25 percent of the time against the reigning Cy Young Award winner. He’s also struck out 23 men in just 103 plate appearances.

Despite his lofty 3.33 ERA and brutal 5-5 record, Kershaw is still in the conversation for best pitcher in the world. Per draftkings.com, Kershaw hasn’t dropped below 23 fantasy points per game in his past six starts.

Tonight, the league leader in strikeouts takes his talents to South Beach. Thus far this season, per ESPN’s “park factor” data, Marlins Park is the seventh-most pitcher-friendly park in the league.

With so many inexpensive options, I’ll be filling out one pitcher spot with the most reliable ace from the past five seasons.

Mid-Level Hurlers

Chris Young ($5,300) at Oakland

Young is really cheap for someone with, per DraftKings, a 2.83 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. It might have something to do with his disastrous last start (4.2 innings pitched, seven earned runs.) 

Part of the reason Young’s season ERA is so low is that he’s backed by a speedy Kansas City defense. They should travel well to O.co Coliseum in Oakland. It’s a big, relatively pitcher-friendly yard with a ton of foul territory.

Cheap Gambles

Speed round!

Adam Morgan ($4,600) vs. Washington

Morgan dazzled in his first start. The kid tossed 5.2 innings of one-run ball. He struck out six and scored 22 fantasy points.

Matt Andriese ($4,400) vs. Boston

Andriese has never pitched against the BoSox. Hopefully it takes them at least one time through the order to adapt to his stuff.

Chris Rusin ($4,300) at San Francisco

Until the past few games, the Giants had been struggling mightily to put up runs at home. They’re without Hunter Pence and Nori Aoki. Rusin is dirt-cheap and is moving from the worst pitcher’s park to the best. If you’re ever going to gamble on a Colorado starter, this is the time.

Kyle Ryan ($4,100) vs. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox can’t hit, and the Tigers can. If Ryan lasts five innings, he should be a lock for that four-point win bonus.

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Outside of a few marquee aces—it’s Clayton Kershaw and Matt Harvey day—several bottom-shelf pitchers will dazzle on Saturday, creating an array of noteworthy hitter picks.

Whether playing an afternoon or night slate, daily fantasy gamers should have little trouble locating enticing position players. The crowd of mediocre pitchers, however, also means DraftKings contestants should pay up for two high-level options.

Heck, Kershaw and/or Harvey aren’t even essential with Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Wacha playing the strikeout-prone Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs, respectively. Either way, all four of those options cost more than $10,000, so the hitter recommendations won’t highlight Miguel Cabrera, Paul Goldschmidt, Jason Kipnis and other A-list studs.

Danny Espinosa, 2B, Washington Nationals ($3,700) at Philadelphia

Over his erratic career, Danny Espinosa has rarely faltered against left-handed pitchers. The Washington Nationals middle infielder sports a career .277/.348/.466 slash line and 124 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) versus southpaws.

Those skills have come to light this year, during which he’s hitting .333/.415/.521 against his favored opposition. Washington faces lefty Adam Morgan, making his first career start after recording a 4.74 ERA and 1.22 strikeout-to-walk ratio in Triple-A. The untested 25-year-old is ripe for the picking, and Espinosa‘s recent success has awarded him the No. 2 spot in Washington’s lineup.

Still not sold? Look at this mustache. Also, he’s not too expensive at $3,700.

SS Brandon Crawford ($3,900) and Angel Pagan ($3,600), San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado

Facing Chris Rusin’s 5.03 ERA and .296 opposing batting average, a pair of San Francisco Giants stand out as advisable plays.

Brandon Crawford has decimated lefties this season, sporting a 1.028 OPS through 60 plate appearances. While nobody expected this season’s full-scale breakout, he hit .320/.395/.484 off of lefties in 2014, so that facet of his emergence is no fluke.

With Nori Aoki sidelined, Angel Pagan has vaulted to San Francisco’s leadoff spot. Take notice, as he’s a career .282 hitter posting a .410 on-base percentage against southpaws this season. They won’t have the benefit of teeing off the Colorado Rockies hurler at Coors Field, but Crawford and Pagan are cheap enough to target at AT&T Park.

1B David Ortiz ($3,900) and Pablo Sandoval ($3,400), Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay

Rookie Matt Andriese has struggled mightily against left-handed hitters to start his career. They’re crushing him for a .333/.373/.557 slash line and four homers through 76 batters faced. His 3.79 ERA looks better due to a bullpen stint; he has a 4.98 ERA through five starts.

Neither David Ortiz nor Pablo Sandoval have lived up to expectations this year. Both, however, can thank atrocious numbers against lefties. Ortiz has a .284 OPS against them, while the switch-hitting Sandoval carries a horrendous .333 OPS. 

Those failures have drained their price, and it’ll matter if Andriese receives a quick hook. Yet with both under $4,000, see if they inflict damage given at least a couple of plate appearances against the unassuming neophyte.

Alejandro De Aza is also a worthwhile flier at $3,100.

OF Chris Young, New York Yankees ($3,300) at Houston

With the New York Yankees facing lefty Brett Oberholzer, expect Chris Young to get the starting nod. The 31-year-old is hitting .379/.438/.682 against southpaws this season, making him a platoon player to ride whenever he gets the call.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Miami Marlins (RHP Tom Koehler)

The Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball’s best offense against righties, are all suspiciously cheap against Tom Koehler, who enters Saturday with a 4.66 fielding independent pitching (FIP).

Bargains are available across the board, with even Adrian Gonzalez ($4,000) and Joc Pederson ($4,200) costing less than usual. For $3,400, gamers can get Yasmani Grandal’s .902 OPS against righties at catcher after resting on Friday night.

What in the world does Justin Turner need to do to get some attention? If Robinson Cano had Turner’s numbers (.316/.390/.569 and 10 homers), he’d easily cost above $5,000. Yet Turner remains an affordable $3,900 despite often batting third and holding eligibility at second and third base.

He’s also red-hot this month, as noted by the team’s Twitter page before Friday night:

Keep playing Turner until the price reflects his sizzling performance. As usual, Andre Ethier ($3,100) also warrants consideration as a thrifty outfielder. 

SS Jhonny Peralta, St. Louis Cardinals ($3,800) vs. Cubs

Donn Roach will start for the Chicago Cubs tomorrow. Who’s Donn Roach? Good question. Hang on a second…

The 25-year-old righty worked 30.1 innings, almost exclusively out of the bullpen, for the San Diego Padres last season. During that time, he notched a 4.75 ERA, 17 strikeouts and 15 walks, but he’s carrying a lighter 2.29 ERA in Triple-A this year.

He also, however, submitted 33 strikeouts during 82.2 innings. Despite his heavy ground-ball tendencies, the St. Louis Cardinals can rough him up. Among St. Louis hitters, Jhonny Peralta represents the best value at $3,800.

Even in a neutral matchup, a shortstop hitting .300/.358/.485 with 11 homers is a nice play. 

OF A.J. Pollock, Arizona Diamondbacks ($3,800) at San Diego 

Is this a trap? Does DraftKings know something we don’t about A.J. Pollock, who’s hitting .304/.348/.468 with nine homers and 15 steals this year? While a more well-rounded batter against lefties, he generates his power against righties. 

Is it a Petco Park penalty? The stadium hasn’t suppressed offense much this year, and Goldschmidt didn’t receive a similar price gouge. He’s not marred in a slump, and it certainly shouldn’t be a sign of respect for Andrew Cashner, who has allowed 29 runs (22 earned) in June.

Note: Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs.

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While Saturday usually features plenty of contest options for daily fantasy baseball players, you might want to make sure to get in early on June 27.

With only four major league games starting after 7 p.m. ET and few quality options on the mound among those games, fantasy players will be better off playing either morning or all-day contests. With that in mind, here is a look at the best pitching options available throughout the day.

Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers ($12,300)

This is a high price, especially for someone who hasn’t looked like his dominant self lately. Clayton Kershaw has allowed three earned runs in each of his last two starts, and his 3.33 ERA is much higher than what we have come to expect from the MVP.

However, his strikeout numbers are what you need to focus on, with 131 total in 100 innings this year. Kershaw has at least seven punch-outs in eight straight starts, including a combined 41 over his last four. 

Add this to a quality matchup against the Miami Marlins, who struggle scoring runs in a park that is extremely difficult to hit home runs, and Kershaw should have a dominant showing to warrant the cost.

Masahiro Tanaka, New York Yankees ($10,600)

The last start was a bad one, as Masahiro Tanaka allowed seven runs (five earned) against the Detroit Tigers. This was a combination of regression to the mean after three impressive starts as well as simply not having his best stuff.

“I was missing spots and I was missing them by a far margin so I wasn’t really sharp today,” the pitcher explained through a translator, via Howie Rumberg of the Associated Press.

Tanaka should be back to his usual self Saturday against the Houston Astros, who strike out more than anyone else in the majors. The Japanese star should put up numbers that more resemble his previous three games, where he allowed just four earned runs in 21 innings to go with 21 strikeouts and no walks.

Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves ($8,300)

This year has not been great for Julio Teheran, who came into his last start with a 5.07 ERA. However, he seemed to finally click against the New York Mets, pitching seven scoreless innings on just 78 pitches while allowing only one hit.

Although it will be difficult to trust this one start to become a trend, the Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t been great offensively over the past month, either. There is a big risk but also plenty of upside.

Jeremy Hellickson, Arizona Diamondbacks ($6,700)

Jeremy Hellickson is probably the best option in an otherwise bleak evening session. (Michael Wacha and Andrew Cashner have struggled lately, while Garrett Richards no longer strikes people out.) Hellickson has had his rough patches this season as well but has gone exactly six innings with two runs allowed in four of his last five starts.

As a fly-ball pitcher in the spacious Petco Park, Hellickson should provide more solid value in daily fantasy leagues.

Michael Lorenzen, Cincinnati Reds ($4,500)

The Mets are fading fast with the lineup struggling to get on the board each night. This represents a good chance for Michael Lorenzen to continue his recent hot streak.

In his last two starts, the 23-year-old rookie has gone 13 innings while allowing just three earned runs. The young starter is beginning to get comfortable at this level and can provide fantasy competitors with some serious value at this price.

Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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Can’t wait for the weekend to get your daily fantasy baseball on? Yeah, neither can we. After all, it’s the best way to build up that bank account before spending it all out on the town.

That’s why we scoured for premium players at a reasonable salary to fill out DraftKings lineups. While it won’t fill out your lineup completely, here’s a look at some of the best options at multiple positions with our strategy and primer for June 26.

Pitcher: Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs ($9,800)

For those who want to pony up the dollars for Max Scherzer, be our guest. But for those who are looking to shell out less than $10,000 for a premium starter, Jake Arrieta is the best option on Friday.

Arrieta is coming off one of his best starts of the season against the Minnesota Twins. After compiling seven strikeouts and just four hits allowed in the complete-game shutout, Arrieta has a good matchup on Friday night.

His last game against the St. Louis Cardinals didn’t go as planned, but he shut them out for seven innings earlier in the season. With the hurler holding the Cards to a combined .211 average with no home runs, Arrieta offers solid value as a No. 1 pitcher.

Catcher: Brian McCann, New York Yankees ($4,300)

Sticking with the theme of having a great matchup, Brian McCann has the best out of any catcher. Averaging over eight fantasy points in his last 10 games, the Yankees backstop will now face a young Houston Astros pitcher who has struggled in his last two starts.

Vincent Velasquez was erratic in his last outing despite allowing just two hits in 3.1 innings. With McCann hitting .288/.355/.525 against righties with nine home runs, expect huge numbers from the 10th-year player in Houston.

First Baseman: Stephen Vogt, Oakland Athletics ($4,200)

Whether he’s slotted as a catcher or first baseman, Stephen Vogt needs to be in every lineup. The Oakland Athletics utility player has been raking recently and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

His six hits over the last two games continued a seven-game hitting streak and marked the third time he’s had a trio of hits in the last four starts. That all equates to an average of over 12 fantasy points per game during that stretch.

Vogt doesn’t have an easy matchup with Edinson Volquez making the start for the Kansas City Royals. But with 12 of his 13 homers and a .578 slugging percentage against right-handed pitching, Vogt will continue streaking for DraftKings owners on Friday.

Second Baseman: Justin Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers ($4,000)

Justin Turner is currently more on fire than his red hair. In the last eight games that he’s started, the Dodgers infielder has five homers, 11 RBI, two doubles and a triple. That, my friends, is what we call torching hot.

Turner should have no issues remaining productive.

Outfielder: Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies ($4,400)

At this point, is there anything Charlie Blackmon can’t do? The 28-year-old slugger is crushing home runs and cruising to doubles with relative ease. Compiling five multihit games over the last seven starts, the production certainly warrants plugging him in as a No. 2 outfielder.

Coming at a price of just $4,400, Blackmon is a steal for owners against Tim Hudson. Holding an 8-for-24 clip with a .429 OBP against the Giants veteran, the surging outfielder is a no-brainer to slot into every lineup.

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The latest results aren’t always the most meaningful ones, yet they’re fresh in everyone’s mind and thus more heavily weighed than the others. Fantasy owners can utilize this recency bias to their advantage on the trade market.

At the end of May and beginning of June, Chris Sale allowed 13 earned runs through two starts. Anyone who ran away from the ace missed a truly dominant stretch when he surrendered nine runs through eight outings with 13.57 strikeouts per nine innings.

And anyone who sold him after he gave up five runs on Wednesday? Buckle up for a long summer.

When a player catches fire, don’t assume that streak represents the new norm. On the flip side, a rough patch isn’t the end of the world. Everyone experiences ups and downs, so a savvy manager will capitalize on unsustainable good times and take calculated risks on those in a slump.

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Baseball is a game of peaks and valleys, which means it’s important in daily fantasy baseball to take advantage of those currently on a hot streak. While a quality game can always come out of nowhere, it’s usually better to trust those performing well at the moment.

Here is a look at a few of those players, along with the best and worst picks for June 23.

Pitchers to Draft

Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers ($10,500)

After more than a decade in the league, Zack Greinke is on pace for his best career season. He currently has a 1.81 ERA to go with a 0.94 WHIP while not showing any signs of slowing down.

In his last nine starts, the veteran has allowed one run or fewer eight times. Another game featured eight innings with two runs allowed. With the exception of one poor start in hitter-friendly Coors Field, Greinke has been unstoppable over the past two months.

With the Chicago Cubs leading the National League in strikeouts, this could lead to another huge game for Greinke.

Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals ($8,300)

There have been some rough starts, but Carlos Martinez has been outstanding lately. The 23-year-old starter has allowed just four earned runs in 40.1 innings across his last six games.

While Martinez has been a bit wild at times, he’s still done enough to contribute 26.2 fantasy points per game on DraftKings during this recent stretch. Pitching against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park, where it is extremely difficult to hit a home run, Martinez should put up more big numbers.

Chi Chi Gonzalez, Texas Rangers ($6,800)

When a baseball player gets off to a surprisingly good start to his career, you can either expect a fall to earth or simply ride the wave. With Chi Chi Gonzalez, you might as well keep him on your fantasy team until he slows down.

Through four starts, he has a 0.90 ERA that includes a complete-game shutout. His worst start statistically came when he allowed two runs in the ninth inning to break up his second attempt at a shutout.

He has pitched too well for you to stay away at this price.

Pitcher to Avoid

Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays ($9,800)

The Toronto Blue Jays have the best offense in baseball, and it isn’t even close at this point. This could be a problem for Chris Archer, who has allowed three earned runs in each of his last two starts after faring better in each of his previous six appearances.

Add in the fact his strikeouts are down in his last two games, and this might be a time to avoid the high-priced pitcher.

Hitters to Draft

Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox ($4,800)

The cost is going up for this talented young hitter, but Mookie Betts remains worth the price. He has reached double-digit fantasy points in seven of his last eight games, earning high honors in the process:

Baltimore Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez has had a bit of a bounce-back season, but he isn’t much of a threat to slow down the red-hot Betts.

Justin Turner, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers ($3,900)

Last year’s fluke season where Justin Turner batted .340 is turning out to not be a fluke at all. He is once again well over .300 while even showing more power, especially in the past week.

As long as pitchers continue to challenge him, Turner remains a good value bet for your fantasy team.

Hitter to Avoid

Charlie Blackmon, OF, Colorado Rockies ($5,100)

There is obvious appeal to a player who has nine hits and eight RBI through the first five games of a homestand. The problem is he is still just a .275 hitter who only has two home runs this month.

Meanwhile, Chase Anderson has the talent to limit the outfielder while trying to improve his 1.45 June ERA.

Team to Stack

Arizona Diamondbacks

There’s nothing quite like a trip to Colorado to ignite an offense, and the Arizona Diamondbacks will get that opportunity with a road series against the Rockies. Even better, they get to face Kyle Kendrick with his 2-9 record and 5.95 ERA.

Interestingly, Kendrick is even worse in night games (0-7 with a 7.54 ERA in nine starts). This bodes well for Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock and the rest of the underrated Diamondbacks offense.

Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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Tuesday’s MLB matchups feature several star pitchers, including Madison Bumgarner, Zack Greinke and David Price.  Which of these aces is the best bet in DraftKings daily fantasy?  Or, is it a wiser move to spend your money on less expensive starters who may outperform their cost?

Here are five of the top pitcher choices for June 23.

Chris Archer ($9,800) vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Chris Archer was touched up for three earned runs in each of his past two starts.  He also faces a tough Blue Jays lineup that has scored far and away the most runs in baseball.  For these reasons, Archer has a relatively low price tag, significantly less than any of the three names mentioned above.

However, his 2.18 ERA is seventh in MLB and his .207 batting average against is eighth.  No pitcher available Tuesday has more strikeouts than Archer’s 116, the fifth-most in the majors.  With an average of 24.9 fantasy points per game, Archer is also easily the day’s top scorer.

Dating back to May 7, the 26-year-old is 5-0 over his past eight starts.

Jason Hammel ($8,500) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

The table below shows two pitchers’ stats to this point in 2015.  The names may come as a bit of a surprise.

Player A is Jason Hammel, who’s putting together a terrific season for the Chicago Cubs.  Player B is Greinke, the Dodgers’ former Cy Young Award winner.  The two oppose each other Tuesday, which is a good reason to stay away from both.

But if you’re considering spending $10,500 on Greinke, why not grab Hammel instead for $2,000 less?  Greinke is averaging 22.0 fantasy points per contest, only slightly better than Hammel‘s 21.2.  In addition, the Cubs righty has yielded two or fewer earned runs in seven of his last eight outings.

Carlos Martinez ($8,300) at Miami Marlins

Carlos Martinez has lasted into the seventh inning in each of his last six starts.  In that time, he’s given up a total of just four earned runs.

The St. Louis Cardinals are 11-3 in the 14 games that Martinez has taken the mound this year.  Martinez and the Cardinals also have a very favorable matchup against Jose Urena and the Marlins.

Urena is averaging 6.5 fantasy points per game, the lowest of any pitcher throwing on Tuesday.  The 23-year-old rookie is 1-3 with a 4.18 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP and a .275 batting average against.

Ubaldo Jimenez ($6,900) at Boston Red Sox

Considering he’s scoring 17.1 fantasy points per contest, Ubaldo Jimenez is a decent bargain at under $7,000—there are seven pitchers with higher salaries than him who are posting lower averages.  Jimenez hasn’t lost since May 16 and has 27 strikeouts over his last 22.2 innings.

There’s nothing particularly exciting about Jimenez’s overall numbers for the Baltimore Orioles this year, but the odds are in his favor against Boston.  The Red Sox pounded out a season-high 13 runs in their last game, while also slugging 13 extra-base hits.  It stands to reason there will be a regression to the mean for their offense on Tuesday.

The Orioles are 7-3 against Boston this year, including a three-game sweep in Baltimore two weeks ago.  Jimenez made one appearance against the Red Sox on April 17, getting ejected after 3.2 scoreless innings for throwing at Pablo Sandoval.  Boston did not yet have a hit at the time.

Chi Chi Gonzalez ($6,800) vs. Oakland A’s

Chi Chi Gonzalez makes just his fifth major league start.  However, through his first four he’s allowed only three earned runs.  In fact, after eight scoreless innings in his previous outing, Gonzalez was on the verge of his second complete-game shutout.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News took note of the impressive accomplishment:

Gonzalez lost the shutout when he surrendered a two-run homer in the ninth inning, but his numbers to this point are still extremely impressive.  In four games, he owns a 0.90 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP, while holding opposing hitters to a .173 average over 30 innings.

At a price of $6,800, Gonzalez is a steal.  Daily fantasy players should use him in their lineups until he proves otherwise.

All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is an MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.

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Fifteen MLB games scattered throughout Saturday create separate slates for daily players to tackle on DraftKings.

To keep things simple, let’s analyze them through the early and night slates. Although the afternoon’s six games can also be split apart into two distinct contests, all bouts starting before 7 p.m. ET will lie under the day umbrella. That leaves nine matchups for the latecomers.

Both tilts are driven by an ace, with Max Scherzer taking the hill early and Corey Kluber pitching later. If Bryce Harper is out again, Francisco Liriano becomes just as intriguing as his Cy Young-caliber opponent. After that, users can free up money on offense with affordable No. 2 starters such as Trevor May, Jesse Hahn, John Lackey and Taijuan Walker. 

The pitching choices are fairly clear-cut, so let’s break down hitters all across Saturday to target.

Day

OF Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles ($4,700) at Toronto

Since last year, Adam Jones is hitting .354/.404/.616 with 12 homers against left-handed pitchers. He’ll test that dominance against Mark Buehrle, who is sullied with a .479 opposing slugging percentages at the Rogers Centre this season.

Inside a great hitters’ park, the aggressive Jones gets a soft-tossing lefty who pitches to contact. Everything is lined up for a big day, with Delmon Young also serving as a cheaper platoon play.

SS Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers ($3,800) at White Sox

In a week where they’ve already seen baseball’s two toughest lefties in Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale, the Texas Rangers receive a much more manageable adversary in Carlos Rodon. Typically not the ideal daily choice, Elvis Andrus boasts a career .351 on-base percentage against lefties.

The rookie hurler has already issued 25 walks through 44.1 innings, so Andrus should at least reach base while batting atop Texas’ otherwise lefty-loaded lineup. Inflation wiped out any Coors Field advantage for Jean Segura, so Andrus represents the best alternative to Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop.

Stack: Colorado Rockies vs. Milwaukee (RHP Kyle Lohse)

The chalk play is too good to ignore here. Kyle Lohse will step into Coors Field carrying a 6.44 ERA, the highest mark among all qualified starters. Although expensive, none of the Colorado Rockies cost $5,000 or more.

Managing a full Colorado stack will prove difficult, especially for those employing Scherzer. Catching fire with six homers this month, Carlos Gonzalez is back to an elite choice at home. Then again, Nolan Arenado has collected 15 of his 16 deep balls against righties this season, and Tulowitzki is the obvious top choice at shortstop. 

If forced to choose, rank them in that order. As long as they’re in the lineup, Nick Hundley and Ben Paulsen make cheap complements to one or two Rockies studs.

Night

C Derek Norris ($3,800), San Diego Padres at Arizona

Although he has yet to take a lefty deep this season, Derek Norris is hitting .341/.396/.477 against them. Over his career, he sports a 144 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) off southpaws.

While Robbie Ray has registered a 1.09 ERA through four starts, it comes with 5.84 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9), a .229 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and a 4.48 skill interactive ERA (SIERA). A change in venue to Chase Field also helps Norris’ cause for finally clearing the fence.  

1B Mark Teixeira ($4,700) and 3B Alex Rodriguez ($4,400), New York Yankees vs. Detroit

Can Alfredo Simon continue to perform above his peripherals? Not when he’s forced to pitch at Yankee Stadium. While generating a stellar .555 OPS versus righties, lefties have done better at .705, producing four homers.

Still pretty solid, but the 34-year-old must combat the short porch in right field against Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez, who both pulverize righties at home. Teixeira is particularly appetizing given Simon’s splits, but Mr. 3,000 is good enough to bet against Simon’s success against righties.

OF Anthony Gose ($3,500), Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees

There’s just as much to like on the other side of the Yankees-Tigers matchups. Opponents are teeing off against Nathan Eovaldi to a tune of .329/.371/.464. Lefties fare even better, hitting an outrageous .400/.453/.556.

Nobody is saying to fade Miguel Cabrera, and J.D. Martinez is a particularly attractive value at Yankee Stadium for $4,200. Yet Anthony Gose is a lefty hitting .301 against righties while leading off for the dangerous Detroit Tigers. A .385 BABIP has certainly helped, but he has a great chance of reaching base for the ninth consecutive game.

He should put the ball in play and cross home plate once or twice, but don’t count on any stolen bases. Eovaldi hasn’t allowed a steal all year, the one negative in an otherwise great matchup given Gose‘s $3,500 cost.

2B/3B Justin Turner ($3,700) and OF Andre Ethier ($3,500), Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco

Sick of hearing about Justin Turner and Andre Ethier? Too bad. As long as they’re cheap and starting against righties, they’re worth tossing into all lineups. 

Brandishing a 4.68 ERA and 4.54 K/9, Tim Hudson hardly imposes any fear into the opposition these days. Employing one or both of these overlooked Los Angeles Dodgers sluggers saves cap space for Cabrera, Giancarlo Stanton or an expensive Yankees or Tigers stack.

Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs.

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