Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings lineup advice for Tuesday s MLB games

Walker Buehler stymies the Reds with 6 dominant innings in the streaking Dodgers 4-0 victory

Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

Note: This file will be updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.

Don't be afraid

Sometimes looks can be deceiving. Patrick Sandoval (2% rostered in ESPN leagues) may sport an ugly 5.91 ERA and 1.69 WHIP for the Los Angeles Angels, but those numbers don't paint a complete picture. Looking deeper, there are plenty of reasons to look past the surface-level stats and employ the southpaw as a streamer Tuesday versus the Pittsburgh Pirates.

First off, Sandoval's 3.82 xERA suggests he deserves much better in the ERA department. His 3.18 FIP and 3.67 xFIP tell a similar story. While a seven-run blowup against the Cincinnati Reds in mid-April may be the outing that most fantasy managers recall, the lefty has actually been relatively consistent, limiting opposing teams to three or fewer earned runs in five of his last six starts. Sandoval also offers nice strikeout upside, as he's fanning 10.7 batters per nine innings, fueled by a 10-strikeout performance versus the Philadelphia Phillies his last time out.

Then there's the fact that Sandoval has been one of baseball's unluckiest pitchers this year. His .396 BABIP is the second-highest mark in baseball among pitchers with 30 or more innings, while his 57.5% LOB% is second-lowest. Both should begin to normalize in the coming weeks and month, which will positively affect his fantasy ratios.

Against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, Sandoval should continue trending in the right direction. The Pirates' lineup has done next to nothing against lefties this season, stumbling to a 65 wRC+. They're also whiffing at a 27.5% K% clip against southpaws, ranking them third-worst in baseball. In short, Sandoval shouldn't have much trouble getting it done in this matchup, so stream away.

Everything else you need to know for Tuesday Another hurler with an ERA north of 5.00, Logan Allen (8% rostered) also belongs in the streamer conversation. He has been the victim of a tough schedule, facing the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees in three of his last four turns. Fortunately, the schedule softens up Tuesday when the Detroit Tigers come to town. The Tigers rank 24th in baseball with a 91 wRC+, and their bottom-10 strikeout rate comes in at 24%. That's enough to take a shot on Allen, who will also get the benefit of pitching at Progressive Field, a venue that significantly suppresses power. It might surprise you to learn that Seth Lugo (61%) has been a top-10 fantasy starter this season, according to the ESPN Player Rater. Through seven starts, the 34-year-old owns a 5-1 record with a 1.60 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across 45 frames. He has allowed more than two earned runs in a start just once in 2024. As a low-strikeout hurler without great stuff (Eno Sarris' stuff+ model grades him as roughly average), Lugo is unlikely to continue this level of success. Even so, he has logged three consecutive seasons of ERAs in the 3.50-3.60 range, so he can still provide value. Regression is on the horizon, though, and it may start Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, whose 117 wRC+ is second-best in baseball, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers. After being forced to leave his last start on April 26 with a hamstring injury, Zac Gallen is lined up to take the mound against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. Although Great American Ballpark is one of the game's most hitter-friendly venues, the Reds have been one of the worst teams in baseball against right-handed pitching, sporting a 69 wRC+ that ranks 29th in MLB. Go ahead and get Gallen back into your starting lineups. Joe Musgrove was scheduled to start for the San Diego Padres on Tuesday but has since landed on the injured list with right triceps tendinitis. Initial reports suggest he may miss only a couple of starts, but for now the Padres will turn to Randy Vazquez to step into the rotation and start against the Chicago Cubs. Vazquez isn't an arm we want to target for fantasy purposes, but we do want to target Cubs bats against him. The righty has surrendered a .373 wOBA to left-handed batters in his brief big-league career, creating favorable spots for Ian Happ (71%), Michael Busch (45%), Mike Tauchman (10%) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (6%) as streaming/DFS options.

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Starting pitcher rankings for Tuesday Reliever report

To get the latest information on each team's bullpen hierarchy, as well as which pitchers might be facing a bit of fatigue and who might be the most likely suspects to vulture a save or pick up a surprise hold in their stead, check out the latest Closer Chart, which will be updated every morning. 

Best Sub-50% rostered hitters for Tuesday

Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing, and lots more. 

Joc Pederson (ARI, LF -- 4%) at Frankie Montas Matt Chapman (SF, 3B -- 44%) at Dakota Hudson Ryan O'Hearn (BAL, 1B -- 20%) at Trevor Williams Max Kepler (MIN, RF -- 7%) vs. Emerson Hancock Michael Conforto (SF, RF -- 47%) at Hudson Brendan Donovan (STL, 2B -- 19%) vs. Jose Butto Lars Nootbaar (STL, CF -- 21%) vs. Butto Ryan Mountcastle (BAL, 1B -- 32%) at Williams Rhys Hoskins (MIL, 1B -- 37%) at Seth Lugo Sal Frelick (MIL, RF -- 9%) at Lugo Worst Over-50% rostered hitters for Tuesday Jonah Heim (TEX, C -- 53%) at Ross Stripling Michael Busch (CHC, 3B -- 65%) vs. Musgrove Jazz Chisholm Jr. (MIA, CF -- 62%) at Yoshinobu Yamamoto Cal Raleigh (SEA, C -- 72%) at Bailey Ober Oneil Cruz (PIT, SS -- 56%) vs. Patrick Sandoval Evan Carter (TEX, LF -- 79%) at Stripling Wyatt Langford (TEX, LF -- 54%) at Stripling Ryan McMahon (COL, 3B -- 52%) vs. Kyle Harrison Nick Castellanos (PHI, RF -- 61%) vs. Jose Berrios Keibert Ruiz (WSH, C -- 54%) vs. Corbin Burnes