This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Baseball prepares to enter the All-Star break with 15 games on the schedule Sunday, 11 of which will make up the main slate on DraftKings. Let's try to go into the break with a little extra money in your pocket. Here are some players to consider based on their favorable matchups.
Pitching Overview
All in all, it's been a disappointing first half for Trevor Bauer ($10,000), who enters his start against the Reds with a 4.20 FIP. His strikeout rate has also dropped from 30.8 percent last year to 26.5 percent this season. The good news is that Bauer pitched well against the Reds in their previous meeting this season, allowing one run and recording six strikeouts over 7.2 innings. That game was in Cleveland, so this matchup should be even more favorable for him in Cincinnati with no DH. While Bauer's inconsistency makes him risky at this price, he could still finish with an excellent stat line.
As far as favorable matchups go, it doesn't get much better for David Price ($9,800) than a meeting with the Tigers. Their lineup has been awful, hitting the second-fewest home runs at 76 and scoring the fewest runs in baseball with 308. Price has allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of his last nine outings, so look for him to keep things rolling in this contest.
The Yankees brought in James Paxton ($8,800) with the hope he could form a dynamic duo at the top of their rotation with Luis Severino (lat). Unfortunately for them, Severino has yet to take the mound this season and Paxton has also battled injury. Even when healthy, he's endured his ups and downs, leaving him with a 4.09 ERA and an uncharacteristically-high 1.45 WHIP. The good news is he's allowed two runs or fewer in three of his last four starts and will be facing a Rays' team that only has managed a 94 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. Since he's not overly expensive, Paxton could be worth a look in tournament play.
Key Values/Chalk
The Orioles don't possess much talent to speak of in their lineup, but they are still in a position to thrive against Trent Thornton and the Blue Jays. The Red Sox destroyed him for seven runs over 2.2 innings in his last start, leaving him with a bloated 5.18 ERA - and his 1.55 WHIP certainly isn't helping his cause. Trey Mancini ($4,300) provides a viable target, while Jonathan Villar ($4,500) and Chance Sisco ($4,200) are also worth considering. Sisco has thrived with a 166 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers.
Speaking of awful lineups, the Blue Jays haven't exactly been knocking the cover off the ball either. Still, it's hard not to like them against Asher Wojciechowski, who allowed four runs across 5.1 innings in his only other start with the Orioles this season. He also posted a 5.81 FIP across 15 starts at Triple-A. This could be a prime opportunity to deploy Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ($5,500) and Eric Sogard ($4,700), who is having the best season of his career with a .362 wOBA.
After having to face Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, stepping into the batter's box against Jose Urquidy should be a welcome site for the Angels. This season has brought not only his first taste of action in the majors, but also his first appearances at Triple-A before being recalled. His future looks bright, but this presents a tough matchup. Expect to see Mike Trout ($5,800) and Shohei Ohtani ($5,500) in plenty of entries.
Stacks
Cubs vs. Ivan Nova (White Sox)
Anthony Rizzo (1B - $4,800), Kyle Schwarber (OF - $4,300), Jason Heyward (OF- $4,800)
Nova's first season with the White Sox has been a disaster with him posting a 5.43 FIP and a 1.56 WHIP. He's also allowed a whopping 19 home runs over 94.1 innings. Add in a .386 wOBA allowed to left-handed hitters and this trio could do plenty of damage. Heyward has been especially hot of late, hitting 16-for-43 with four home runs and three doubles over his last 12 games.
Twins vs. Jose Leclerc (Rangers)
Nelson Cruz (OF - $4,800), Miguel Sano (3B - $4,500), Byron Buxton (OF - $3,900)
Leclerc is set to open this game while Joe Palumbo will follow him and pitch the bulk of the innings. That could make the Twins DFS gold considering Palumbo has allowed 11 runs across six innings in the big leagues this year. This trio crushes left-handed pitching, with Buxton and his .369 wOBA against southpaws being especially appealing at such a cheap price.
Nationals vs. Jakob Junis (Royals)
Juan Soto (OF - $5,200), Anthony Rendon (3B - $5,400), Trea Turner (SS - $5,400)
If you decide to roll with this expensive trio, you'll likely need to take some chances with cheaper starting pitchers. That might be worth it considering the potential that they carry against Junis, who has struggled with a 4.98 FIP and a 1.48 WHIP. Soto has really been doing a lot of damage lately, posting a 1.253 OPS over his last 14 games.
