Today's slate thins out extremely quickly when it comes to pitching, but hitting has plenty of options. We have three games over 90 degrees and five pitchers with a context-neutral ERA over 5.00, according to THE BAT.
If you haven't yet read my primer on how weather can give you a MASSIVE edge in fantasy baseball, be sure to check that out now, as it will help provide context for my player evaluations each week.
Here are Tuesday's choices to bolster your fantasy squad, with everyone available in at least half of all ESPN leagues.
Pitching
Shane McClanahan (L), rostered in 26% of ESPN leagues, Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees: The matchup isn't awesome against a good Yankees offense, but today is a particularly weak day for pitching options. McClanahan is one of the most talented pitchers on the slate, and the Yankees take a big park hit going into Tropicana. And because of the nation-wide heat this time of year, the closed-roof confines will make this the second-best "weather" spot of the day as well.
Jordan Montgomery (L), 52%, New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays: Montgomery matches up well on the other side of this matchup. Not quite as good as McClanahan in terms of pure talent but plenty good in his own right, he gets that big park upgrade and favorable weather. Plus, he faces a Rays offense that can be above-average for strikeouts.
Tyler Anderson (L), 14%, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers: We're starting to stretch here, but there really is very little to like on the pitch side today. The Brewers take a park downgrade going into PNC, and Anderson will hold the platoon advantage against several of their best hitters (notably Christian Yelich and Kolten Wong).
Austin Gomber (L), 35%, Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Angels: Gomber goes into the American League where he'll have to face a DH, but at least he won't have to do it in Coors, and so this is ultimately a favorable shift in context. Gomber is underrated due to Coors inflating his numbers, and the Angels are a well-below average offense with more strikeouts in their lineup these days than they had earlier in the year.
Bullpen
Like in Tampa, the roof in Arlington is almost certain to be closed today. The Rangers square off against a well below-average Diamondbacks offense, making this the best pitching spot of the day. And because starter Dane Dunning is generally restricted to 75 or so pitches, we could see some extra bullpen action here. If you need saves, you could take a shot on closer Ian Kennedy (55% rostered), but he's the weakest arm in this bullpen in terms of ERA, so if you're shooting for ratios, I'd look towards Joely Rodriguez or Joe Barlow. Both are rostered in less than 1% of leagues and both offer strong ratio potential.
For the latest team-by-team closer situations, please consult our Closer Chart.
Hitting
Catcher -- Mitch Garver (R), 28%, Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers (LHP Tyler Alexander): Alexander is a bottom-five pitcher, talent-wise, on this slate, and he has a wide platoon split; Garver will hold a big advantage in that regard. It's also the hottest game on the slate at 92 degrees. Miguel Sano is a great stream here as well.
First Base -- Patrick Wisdom (R), 24%, Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds (RHP Vladimir Gutierrez): With Joc Pederson traded, Wisdom is essentially an everyday player now. Gutierrez is the second-most exploitable pitcher on this slate, and he's easy to steal on as well. Wisdom doesn't have great speed, but he can swipe the occasional bag, and the power potential is big.
Second Base -- Enrique Hernandez (R), 37%, Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays (LHP Robbie Ray): Ray takes a big park hit going into Fenway today, and the matchup sets up really well for Boston's leadoff hitter. Ray has a wide platoon split and can really struggle with power to righties.
Third Base -- Brian Anderson (R), 20%, Miami Marlins at Baltimore Orioles (RHP Spenser Watkins): Anderson just came off the IL, and his ownership hasn't caught up with his talent yet. Watkins is far and away the weakest pitcher on this slate, so while the Marlins aren't a top-tier offense, you can definitely stream some of their better players.
Shortstop -- Paul DeJong (R), 37%, St. Louis Cardinals at Cleveland Indians (RHP Cal Quantrill): Shortstop is pretty shallow today, and you may be best served going back to the Miami well with Miguel Rojas, especially if Willy Adames (60%) and Didi Gregorius (57%) aren't available in your league. Otherwise, DeJong is a perfectly fine option in a favorable matchup. He gets a big park upgrade, his team adds a DH, and it's a plus matchup in terms of pitching.
Corner Infield -- Ryan Zimmerman (R), 2%, Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies (LHP Matt Moore): Zimmerman is likely to be in the lineup and hitting cleanup against a lefties, and this is a good one to have the opportunity to be facing. He'll hold the platoon advantage going into a big-time power park and is available virtually everywhere.
Middle Infield -- Garrett Hampson (R), 46%, Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Angels (LHP Jose Suarez): Hampson has been hitting mostly first or second these days, and today he'll hold the platoon advantage against a mediocre pitcher. It's not Coors, but it's a plus park for power at least.
Outfield -- Adam Duvall (R), 51%, Miami Marlins at Baltimore Orioles (RHP Spenser Watkins): I try to avoid doubling up on teammate mentions, but the spot today for Miami is so good Duvall really needs to be mentioned also as the clear best stream on the slate. The Marlins not only face Watkins, but they add a DH moving into the American League and they get a huge park upgrade into the number-two park in MLB for home runs. And it's 90 degrees.
Outfield -- Aristides Aquino (R), 1%, Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs (RHP Adbert Alzolay): With Nick Castellanos on the IL, Aquino is playing almost every day. The matchup isn't anything special, but Aquino's talent dictates he should be far more rostered than this. He has big-time power and this is a solid spot for speed as well.
Outfield -- Akil Baddoo (L), 31%, Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins (RHP Kenta Maeda): Picking on Maeda wouldn't normally be advised, but he's struggled enough this year where Baddoo projects well, particularly given the ancillary factors-most notably, the weather. It's 92 degrees with the lowest air density of the day, and Baddoo will hold the platoon advantage.