Even though Tuesday night's MLB schedule features a full slate of 15 games, there's a distinct lack of big-name pitchers taking the mound. DraftKings daily fantasy players may want to employ a pair of second-tier arms instead of a traditional ace.
At the plate, two Seattle sluggers have very favorable matchups, while a Cubs rookie comes in swinging a red-hot bat.
Here are five ideal lineup choices for August 25.
SP Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals ($10,000) vs. San Diego Padres
For much of 2015, Stephen Strasburg has not lived up to his lofty expectations. However, in three appearances since returning from a recent stint on the disabled list, Strasburg has once again looked like his old self.
Over his last three starts, Strasburg has surrendered a total of three earned runs while striking out 25 batters in 20 innings. He's averaging 29.6 fantasy points per game in that time. The above video contains highlights of Strasburg's most recent outing, in which he allowed only three baserunners and no earned runs in seven strong innings at hitter-friendly Coors Field.
On Tuesday, Strasburg has the added bonus of facing a Padres team that ranks last in baseball with a .300 on-base percentage.
SP Jaime Garcia, St. Louis Cardinals ($9,500) at Arizona Diamondbacks
Jaime Garcia doesn't qualify among the league leaders because he's only made 12 starts this year. But as Birds on the Bat recently pointed out before Garcia last took the mound, his stats rival some of the best in the game:
In all 12 of his outings, Garcia has lasted at least five innings and yielded no more than three earned runs. He's also gone six or more innings 11 times and has given up one run or fewer on seven occasions.
On the road this season, Garcia boasts a 1.32 ERA and is holding opposing hitters to a .196 batting average. The Cardinals lefty is putting up All-Star numbers at a very affordable salary.
OF Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners ($5,200) vs. Oakland A's
It never hurts to have the major league home run leader in your lineup, but Nelson Cruz is a particularly good play because of what he's done in the past against A's pitcher Jesse Chavez. In 11 career at-bats, Cruz has five hits and two home runs off Chavez:
Cruz had an eight-game hitting streak snapped on Monday, although he still managed to score a run for the ninth time in nine contests. So far in August, Cruz is batting .338 with 10 home runs and 15 RBI.
The 35-year-old is also hitting .344 in night games this season, as opposed to just .273 during the day.
3B Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs ($4,300) at San Francisco Giants
On Monday, Kris Bryant launched the second walk-off home run of his young career, something Ace of MLB Stats noted puts him among very exclusive company as a Cubs rookie:
It was the third homer in two games for Bryant, who now has four long balls and nine RBI over his last six contests, during which he's 10-for-23. After hitting just .168 in July, Bryant is batting .338 with a .437 on-base percentage in August. He's also reached base in 19 of 21 games this month.
Bryant faced Giants starter Matt Cain for the first time on August 8, going 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI.
2B Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners ($3,700) vs. Oakland A's
Like his teammate Cruz, Robinson Cano has an excellent track record versus Chavez—seven hits and a walk in 16 at-bats, good for a .438 average.
In addition, Cano is rebounding quite well after a slow start to the 2015 season. Through June, he was hitting .238 with four homers, 24 RBI and a .277 OBP. When the calendar turned to July, Cano became a completely different player:
The veteran is also 8-for-19 during a current five-game hitting streak. There are nine second basemen with higher price tags than Cano, which makes him a steal at just $3,700.
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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