Following the loss against the Astros in the series opener, the Rangers will have Merrill Kelly on the mound, while the Astros seem to be gearing up for a bullpen game, with AJ Blubaugh as the starting pitcher.
Here is who to target from the Rangers in daily fantasy for Tuesday's slate:
Starting Pitcher Merrill Kelly ($8,700):
Throughout his career, Kelly has held Astros batters to a .188 batting average, giving up just one home-run, and four runs batted in, while giving up 13 hits and striking out 13 as well. Earlier in September, Kelly pitched seven innings against the Astros, allowing just one earned run on five hits, while striking out seven. He should continue his success against the Astros on Tuesday.
Outfielder Wyatt Langford ($4,500):
Langford is 0-for-2 against against Blubaugh; however, he is batting second and will have a number of opportunities to produce on Tuesday. He seems to be starting to get back into form, allocating 4 hits, one run batted in, and one run in the past three games. That momentum should carry over to Tuesday's bout against the Astros.
Shortstop Josh Smith ($3,800):
In a game such as Tuesday's where the opposing team is going to have a bullpen type of game, targeting the leadoff batter could be key. Smith, who is a left-handed batter, is averaging .271 against right-handed pitchers. He's been able to garner eight walks in the past 11 games, while adding 10 hits and six runs.
First Baseman Jake Burger ($3,500):
Based on his price tag, we are going to ride the hot hand. In the past 13 games, Burger has 15 hits, four home-runs, and 11 runs batted in. He is batting third on Tuesday and should see several opportunities to get a hit and run batted in against the Astros bullpen.
Outfielder Joc Pederson ($2,700):
Joc Pederson is a value pick on Tuesday. Having the starting pitcher be right-handed gives Pederson the edge. Pederson has faced Blubaugh just once and was able to draw a walk. Batting fourth on Tuesday will allow Pederson to face the relief pitcher at least once.
It's difficult to predict how an offense will do when the opposing team trots out their bullpen, but the players listed above seem to give daily fantasy players the best chance to build a winning lineup, specifically because the four batters listed above will get the first opportunity against Blubaugh, who has an earned run average of three, at home.