Daily fantasy baseball cheat sheet for Tuesday (2024)

FanDuel is celebrating the career of Bartolo Colon by pricing him at him at $44, the number of candles on his last birthday cake. The rest of the slate is straightforward with intriguing pitching and hitting distributed at all levels .. but the pricing of Colon is worth mentioning.

A trick this time of the season is focusing on teams with something on the line. Not only is this Colon's last regular season start, but the Twins could clinch the wild card with his 240th career victory. The Cubs can clinch the NL Central while the Red Sox can reduce their magic number to capture the AL East. The Indians and Astros are angling for the best record in the American League while the Indians and Dodgers are neck and neck for the best record overall.

Pitching

Aces

Chris Sale ($13,400 DK; $11,800 FD), Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays: Unless the Red Sox go into a real slide, this will be Sale's last full effort of the year, as he'll likely toss only a couple of inning over the weekend. Big picture, although it's secondary: This is also Sale's last chance to add on to his Cy Young résumé. The Blue Jays continue to play their regulars, so it won't be easy, but their lineup offers strikeout upside, rendering Sale the top option on the card and worth the extra few bucks.

Robbie Ray ($12,300 DK; $10,900 FD), Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Francisco Giants: I like Sale more than Ray for GPP play, but if you aren't happy with your bats supporting Sale, dropping a little to Ray could free up the cap space you need. Sale's potential is greater as the Giants don't strike out often, but Ray is safer facing a weaker offensive outlet.

Midtier pitcher

Kevin Gausman ($8,200 DK; $8,800 FD), Baltimore Orioles at Pittsburgh Pirates: After a horrific start to the season, Gausman has quietly spun a 2.33 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over the past two months. Facing one of the weakest offenses in the league with a righty on the hill in a pitcher's park, Gausman is in great shape to continue his surge.

Bargain pitchers

Anibal Sanchez ($6,000 DK; $6,200 FD), Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals: Sanchez has excelled in his past two starts, a pair of one-run, six-inning efforts with a total of 19 strikeouts. The Royals don't whiff much, but they aren't especially productive, either. At this price, you don't need much for Sanchez to be a worthy partner for Sale or Ray on DraftKings.

Bartolo Colon ($4,600 DK; $44 FD), Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians: The 44 dollar question: Is Colon a trap or must play? Truthfully, the answer is both. If you're a cash game grinder, don't take the bait; stick to the plan. If you're a riverboat gambler, why not, which is exactly what FanDuel wants you to do. On paper, it's a terrible setup, as the Indians still have something to play for, but so do the Twins. Having exposure is fine, but don't be silly. You've come this far; don't blow your bankroll the last week of the season.

Hitting

Stacking options

Whenever a pitching change is announced, always check whether the replacement starter throws from the opposite side as the original and whether they are of lesser quality. The idea is, often, hitters are priced for the initial starter, so they're very mispriced for the actual one. Such is the case with the Yankees swapping Jordan Montgomery in for Luis Severino. The right-handed Rays are all priced favorably for the rookie southpaw.

It's another Coors Field night, with both sides in play, though I prefer focusing on the right-handed sticks on the visiting Marlins. Using the notion of playing bats on teams playing for the playoffs, the Brewers at home against rookie Deck McGuire round out the options.

High-priced hitters

Paul Goldschmidt ($5,400 DK; $4,400 FD), 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Francisco Giants (Matt Moore): Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez make a nice combo, facing an inconsistent southpaw at hitter-friendly Chase Field.

Freddie Freeman ($5,200 DK; $4,000 FD), 1B/3B (DK); 1B (FD), Atlanta Braves at New York Mets (Rafael Montero): First base is a treasure trove this evening, especially at the top. Not only is Freeman facing a mediocre righty, hitting conditions are unseasonably favorable in the northeast.

Travis Shaw ($5,200 DK; $3,400 FD), 3B, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds (Deck McGuire): McGuire is making his first MLB start after four relief appearances the past couple of weeks. Shaw starts with the platoon edge but has hit lefties well enough not to be concerned if he faces a southpaw bullpen arm or two.

Also consider: Giancarlo Stanton, Charlie Blackmon, Gary Sanchez

Midtier hitters

Xander Bogaerts ($4,600 DK; $3,500 FD), SS, Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays (J.A. Happ): Bogaerts and double-play partner Dustin Pedroia are both in great spots for all formats, reasonably priced with the platoon edge against a good, but hittable, southpaw.

Eddie Rosario ($4,600 DK; $3,900 FD), OF, Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians (Josh Tomlin): Rosario is in a bit of a funk, but don't let a couple of games sway you from a great opportunity. Tomlin is generous with the long ball and Rosario has been hitting cleanup for the surprising Twins.

Steven Souza Jr. ($3,700 DK; $3,000 FD), OF, Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (Jordan Montgomery): Souza benefits the most from the switch in starters, as he's been struggling lately. He's been dropped in the order, hitting sixth, but that's still fine for GPP action.

Also consider: Carlos Correa J.T. Realmuto

Bargain hitters

Evan Longoria ($3,300 DK; $3,100 FD), 3B, Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees (Jordan Montgomery): Like Souza, Longoria benefits from not having to face Severino. Further, hitting higher in the order than Souza, Longoria profiles for cash games.

Stephen Vogt ($3,100 DK; $2,100 FD), C, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds (Deck McGuire): There are more catching options than normal tonight if you want to pay up. There's also some good pitching, so you'll need to save money somewhere. With the Brewers still in the wild-card picture, Vogt is a nice GPP punt.

Dominic Smith ($2,900 DK; $2,700 FD), 1B, New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves (R.A. Dickey): Smith isn't taking advantage of his chance to audition for a regular spot next season. His slump is reflected in the price. Facing a knuckleballer, Smith is an intriguing GPP punt, especially with so many top first basem*n in good spots. Smith's ownership will be quite light.

Also consider: Wilson Ramos, Luis Valbuena