MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Tuesday (9/5)

It’s a 10-game MLB DFS main slate tonight, starting at 7:05 pm ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. The suggested picks for today’s slate are reduced to three starting pitchers, two stacks, three studs and three values/punts.

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Tuesday's Starting Pitcher Strategy
An underpriced hurler is atop the pitcher rankings again today. He's a slam-dunk selection with a cupcake matchup. The second-ranked pitcher also has a cap-friendly salary, and he's catching his opponent at the ideal time. The final pitcher might be slightly overlooked in tournaments because of his salary and the presence of appealing cheaper options.

Cash Game Recommendations:

Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) vs. COL
Pfaadt had a rough start to his career but has flashed his potential since. The rookie righty has yielded three runs or fewer in six of his previous eight starts. He's also struck out at least five batters in six of those eight turns. In addition, per FanGraphs, Pfaadt has had a 102 Stuff+, 105 Location+ and 106 Pitching+ in his five previous starts.

Pfaadt's pitch modeling is sweet, but his matchup is sweeter. The Rockies are tied for 28th in wRC+ (82) and have a 24.8 K% versus righties in 2023. Colorado is 30th in wRC+ (69) and has a 28.1 K% in the previous 30 days. They're also tied for 29th in wRC+ (77) and have a 27.4 K% on the road this year. Finally, per Betting Pros, the Diamondbacks are -205, and the game's total is 9.0 runs.

Dean Kremer (BAL) at LAA
Kremer has pitched well lately. In his previous four starts spanning 25.0 innings, he's had a 2.16 ERA, 3.94 xFIP, 1.04 WHIP, 4.0 BB%, 19.0 K%, 100 Stuff+, 103 Location+ and 101 Pitching+. The righty has also pitched well on the road. In 62.0 innings on the road this season, Kremer has had a 3.77 ERA, 4.25 xFIP, 1.31 WHIP, 6.2 BB% and 23.1 K%.

While he's overperformed his ERA estimators, he can avoid regression tonight in a cushy matchup. The Angels are tied for 28th in wRC+ (77) and have a 25.1 K% in the previous 30 days. They're also 17th in wRC+ (102) and have a 25.7 K% at home this season. Furthermore, the Angels will likely be worse going forward with their underwhelming current roster. They also might be without Shohei Ohtani tonight after he was scratched from yesterday's lineup with oblique tightness. The Orioles are -145, and the game's total is 9.0 runs, cementing Kremer's standing as the second-ranked pitcher tonight.

GPP Recommendation:

Chris Bassitt (TOR) at OAK
Bassitt has substantial home and road splits that favor pitching at home. Nonetheless, he pitched well in Oakland previously when he was a member of the Athletics. And, of course, the A's are lousy.

Oakland is tied for 23rd in wRC+ (89) and has a 24.9 K% versus righties this year. They're also tied for 25th in RC+ (89) and have a 25.4 K% at home this year. Thus, the Blue Jays are -198, and the game's total is 8.5 runs. Gamers won't entirely sleep on Bassitt, but he might be underutilized in GPPs tonight, making him a compelling selection.

Top Lineup Stacks

• Home (Truist Park)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: Unlisted

The Braves are an unstoppable force. They're first in wRC+ (120) and ISO (.219) versus righties in 2023. Atlanta is third in wRC+ (130) and second in ISO (.210) in the previous 30 days. The Braves are also first in wRC+ (128) and ISO (.235) at home this season.

They can light up the scoreboard against any pitcher, and Miles Mikolas is a below-average starting pitcher and in a funk to boot. Mikolas has had a 6.30 ERA and 5.01 xFIP in his previous five starts. He also doesn't miss bats, and the Braves are built to punish pitch-to-contact pitchers.

• Road (Nationals Park)
• Value: High
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: GPP
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9.0 Runs/NYM -140

Patrick Corbin was lucky lately. In his previous four starts, he had a ho-hum 4.09 ERA. However, the veteran lefty also had a 5.27 xFIP, 5.08 SIERA, 1.50 WHIP and 11.6 BB%. Will the other shoe drop tonight? Maybe. The Mets can also benefit from facing Washington's lousy bullpen. Their relievers have the fourth-highest ERA this season.

• Matt Olson has 22 homers, a .403 OBP, .382 ISO and 179 wRC+ in 236 plate appearances versus righties at home this season.
• In 194 plate appearances against righties at home this year, Marcell Ozuna has 13 homers, .345 OBP, .273 ISO and 135 wRC+. In his previous 120 plate appearances, he has nine homers, a .458 OBP, .358 ISO and 220 wRC+.
• According to Baseball-Reference, in 146 plate appearances against lefties in the majors and minors this year, Davis Schneider has nine homers, a .363 OBP and .280 ISO.

• Gabriel Moreno has a .370 OBP and 135 wRC+ in 119 plate appearances against lefties since reaching the majors last year.
• In 115 plate appearances since August 1, Anthony Volpe has seven homers, three stolen bases, a .330 OBP, .277 ISO and 133 wRC+.
• Jasson Dominguez had 15 homers, 40 stolen bases, a .377 OBP and 121 wRC+ in 544 plate appearances in the upper minors this year. The rookie has also mashed two taters since reaching the majors this month.

Tuesday's Hitter Strategy
The Braves are the best stack in all game types tonight. Fortunately, the salaries are affordable for the top hurlers, making squeezing the Braves into DFS squads easy. Finally, the Mets are also an exciting stack in GPPs.

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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.