Top Tier
Zack Wheeler, SP PHI - Things have been rocky for Wheeler of late but the strikeout totals are still impressive and now he draws a Rays team going into an National League park which will cost them the use of their DH. The Rays have one of the highest strikeout rates as a team in baseball this season which makes Wheeler a great GPP option.
Walker Buehler, SP LAD - This is my Cash Game play of the night right here if spending up. Buehler continues to spin beauties on the mound, allowing just 11 runs over his last 10 starts while striking out 76 over 65.2 innings for a 1.51 ERA. Against the Padres this season he has been very good, striking out 13 over 13 innings with a 2.77 ERA.
Luis Castillo, SP CIN - Another pitcher with high strikeout upside that has figured it out in the second half. Castillo has a 3.26 ERA over his last 10 games with 65 strikeouts over 60.2 innings. Against the Brewers this season, whom he has faced FIVE TIMES, he has a 2.79 ERA while striking out 33 over 29 innings.
Mid-Tier
Shohei Ohtani, SP LAA - Feels like an easy play at this price tag, and truthfully I like him as much as the guys above as well. Ohtani is coming off an impressive outing which he allowed just one run over eight innings while striking out eight. The O's are not a great hitting team, with really only Cedric Mullins as the consistent threat. There is a lot of strikeout upside in this matchup for Ohtani and he figures to be popular.
Nick Pivetta, SP BOS - Far from a sexy choice here but prior to his loss to the Yankees we saw Pivetta allow just one run over 12 innings while striking out 13. He is a streaky starter that has a favorable matchup here tonight. The Red Sox bats woke up and it was their bullpen that gave up a lot of the damage to the Twins last night. Let us see if Pivetta can keep the Twins bats at bay here again tonight.
Josiah Gray, SP WAS - The Marlins are not a good team right now. Heck, Erick Fedde had double-digit strikeouts against them last night. Gray has pitched very well of late, with the home run ball really doing the only damage against him. He even had a 10 strikeout game mixed in against the Braves three starts back. Good price, great matchup.
Value Tier
Blake Snell, SP SD - Complete wild card play here but we are running with the home/road splits. At home this season Snell is 4-2 with a 2.68 ERA while having struck out 78 over 53.2 innings. On the road he is 2-3 with a 7.01 ERA while having struck out 61 over 52.2 innings. Snell is home tonight and facing a Dodgers team that he has really pitched well against, posting a 2.35 ERA over three starts while striking out 19 over 15.1 innings.
Edward Cabrera, SP MIA - Making his major league debut, Cabrera had a 3.68 ERA while having struck out 48 over 29.1 innings across six Triple-A starts for the Marlins organization. That type of strikeout upside in this matchup against a weaker Nationals lineup, aside from Juan Soto of course, is very appealing as a value play.