Anytime Jacob deGrom takes the mound, you don't need anyone to tell you that it'd be good to get him into your fantasy lineups.
However, that's easier said than done these days, with his fantasy price rising to a level that leads many DFS players to look elsewhere for their starting pitchers. Regardless of which category you fall into, here's a breakdown of all of the pitching options at various price points for Tuesday's full slate of games:
TOP TIER
The options: Jacob deGrom (vs. Brewers), Carlos Rodón (vs. Twins), Aaron Nola (vs. Phillies), Chris Bassitt (vs. Astros), Framber Valdez (vs. Athletics)
The pick: Jacob deGrom, Mets
The reason: Is there really an explanation needed here? deGrom's price point is getting to the point where it's almost hard to justify deploying him in lineups, but if you're going to pay up for a starting pitcher, you may as well spend the extra little bit to get him. He has a ridiculous 136 strikeouts in just 85 innings this season, and even after allowing a season-high three runs -- yes, that's a season high -- his last time out, deGrom's ERA still sits at just 0.95.
Nola, who has 23 strikeouts over his last two starts, figures to rack up some more strikeouts against the free-swinging Cubs, but he also had a 6.00 ERA in six June starts. Rodón is also likely to pile up some strikeouts (he has 122 in 83 2/3 innings this season), but he's also facing the Twins for the second time in five days -- and they tagged him for four runs in five innings on Thursday.
FINDING VALUE
The options: Merrill Kelly (vs. Rockies), Nathan Eovaldi (vs. Angels), José Berríos (vs. White Sox), Ian Anderson (vs. Pirates), Luis Castillo (vs. Royals), Shohei Ohtani (vs. Red Sox), Adam Wainwright (vs. Giants), Jake Arrieta (vs. Phillies), Steven Matz (vs. Orioles), Pablo López (vs. Dodgers), Johnny Cueto (vs. Cardinals), Tony Gonsolin (vs. Marlins)
The pick: Ian Anderson, Braves
The reason: You could make a case for a bunch of the guys in this category, but almost all of them could also have a case made against them -- whether it be the matchup, the ballpark or the pitcher himself. With that in mind, the safest bet seems to be Anderson, who is not only pitching well of late, but gets a favorable matchup against the Pirates. Though the Bucs erupted for 11 runs in Monday's series opener against Max Fried and the Braves, they still rank last in the Majors in OPS and runs per game. That bodes well for Anderson, who has a 2.76 ERA over his last five starts -- and struck out six over six scoreless innings against Pittsburgh in a May 21 victory.
While Anderson ultimately got the nod here, it's hard to ignore Wainwright. The 39-year-old righty has been on a roll, putting up a 2.12 ERA over his last five starts while striking out 35 batters in 34 innings. He's also pitched at least six innings in six straight starts. Eovaldi, who has allowed just one run over 14 2/3 innings in his last two starts, is also worth a long look against a Mike Trout-less Angels team.
ROLL THE DICE
The options: Dane Dunning (vs. Tigers), Jon Gray (vs. D-backs), Jameson Taillon (vs. Mariners), Chad Kuhl (vs. Braves), Justus Sheffield (vs. Yankees), Ryan Weathers (vs. Nationals), Brett Anderson (vs. Mets), Dean Kremer (vs. Blue Jays), José Ureña (vs. Rangers)
The pick: Jameson Taillon, Yankees
The reason: Hey, if you're going to go contrarian and stay away from the high-priced arms like deGrom and Rodón, you may as well go all-in on the high-risk, high-reward approach and allow yourself to load up on big bats. Starting Taillon won't be for the faint of heart. He's just a few starts removed from recording exactly one out before being lifted in an ugly June 12 loss against the Phillies. He's also struggled on the road, going 0-3 with an 11.12 ERA in five starts (3-1, 3.59 ERA in 10 home starts), though much of that damage came in that abbreviated outing in Philadelphia. Either way, this play is all about the matchup. The Mariners rank dead last in the Majors in batting average, while also checking in among the bottom 5 in OPS. Seattle strikes out at the fourth-highest rate in MLB. That could be just enough to tip the scales in Taillon's favor.
Gray also received some consideration here, though it actually worked against him that the Rockies are playing the D-backs away from the hitter-friendly Coors Field. Pitching away from Coors hasn't gone too well for him this season, as Gray is 0-4 with a 5.32 ERA on the road, compared to 5-2 with a 3.22 ERA at home -- plus, the D-backs are a vastly better offensive team when playing in the comforts of Chase Field.