The rest of the choices for Tuesday are at best “interesting” and at worst “uninspiring”. You can make a case for several guys in DFS, but there really aren’t too many that stand out as must-haves. Chances are, you’re going to mine values, thus making your decision-making process not unlike those in season-long leagues looking for streamers. Trent Thornton (vs. Giants), Ivan Nova (@ Orioles), and Luke Weaver (@ Pirates) have good matchups, but only the latter is actually pitching in a favorable environment. Zach Davies (@ Cardinals) has great standard numbers this year, but his advanced numbers are ugly and the matchup is just as brutal. Trusting him seems like a mistake, though facing off against a rookie might give him a better shot at a win.
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Kenta Maeda (@Cubs) seems like a smart fade. The matchup isn’t great, and his advanced numbers this year offer no encouragement. Also worth noting is that he’s always been much better in Dodger Stadium, producing an ERA over a full run better at home than on the road in his career.
Overall, there’s going to be a lot of guesswork involved in picking pitchers, especially on DraftKings, where you need two. Consider this a tournament night and hope for the best.
MORE: Tuesday’s DraftKings lineup | Tuesday’s MLB DFS picks
Today’s Starting Pitcher Rankings: Tuesday, April 23
(O) = Opener
wRC+ is defined by Fangraphs as “[measuring] how a player’s wRC compares with league average after controlling for park effects. League average for position players is 100, and every point above 100 is a percentage point above league average. For example, a 125 wRC+ means a player created 25% more runs than a league average hitter would have in the same number of plate appearances. Similarly, every point below 100 is a percentage point below league average, so a 80 wRC+ means a player created 20% fewer runs than league average.” For more on the stat, click here.
