Squad Up Daily MLB Early Fantasy Dose: Astros need a stakeout at the plate

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily MLB fantasy picture for the eight-game slate beginning at 6:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 25:

Hitter Stacks

• Houston Astros at Cleveland Indians (RHP Josh Tomlin): Tomlin has been walking batters above his career rate, and he's still allowing nearly one-and-a-half home runs per nine innings, albeit below his career average. He also has just eight strikeouts through 12 1/3 innings this season. The Astros rank fifth in team wOBA and fourth in strikeout rate against righties.

3-player stack: OF Josh Reddick (55K), 2B Jose Altuve (63K), C Brian McCann (52K)

• Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles (LHP Wade Miley): The Rays rank sixth in wOBA and eighth in both slugging percentage and OPS against left-handed pitching. They do strike out in 28.8 percent of team plate appearances, but only six teams walk at a higher rate. Miley has walked eight batters through his first 19 innings of the season.

3-player stack: 3B Evan Longoria (54K), OF Steven Souza Jr. (50K), SS Tim Beckham (41K)

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Pitcher Breakdown

• TARGET - RHP Scott Feldman (55K), Reds (at Brewers): Feldman's flattering 2.38 ERA through four starts of the season is paired with a 4.01 XFIP. His BB/9 and HR/9 are above his career averages, but he is also striking out an extra two batters per nine and stranding a spectacular 92.1 percent of base runners. The Brewers, for all their power, have the league's worst strikeout rate against righties.

• BARGAIN - RHP Robert Gsellman (49K), Mets (vs. Braves): Gsellman has allowed no fewer than three earned runs in each of his first three starts of the season. He completed seven innings in his most recent start against the Philadelphia Phillies, striking out seven and walking just one. The Braves strike out in nearly 22 percent of plate appearances against righties, propping up Gsellman's expected K total.

• CONTRARIAN - LHP Wei-Yin Chen (73K), Marlins (at Phillies): There are a lot of cheap pitching options on Tuesday's early slate, making the need to spend up for Chen or any of those priced higher unnecessary. But Chen has held opposing batters to just 27.5 percent hard contact thus far, lower than his career rate. He isn't inducing as many ground balls as he has in the past, but he has allowed just two home runs.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

Bargain Plays

• SS Orlando Arcia (38K), Brewers (vs. Reds): Arcia doesn't have the elite power or speed of several of his teammates, but he is affordably priced and has six hits in his past seven games. His lone home run of the season came against a lefty pitcher, but he does have a triple and a double against righties, still offering up some power potential.

• OF Jason Heyward (40K), Cubs (at Pirates): Heyward remains extremely affordable, even following Monday's grand slam in Pittsburgh. He is on a four-game hitting streak, with totals of five hits and three home runs. He is hitting .321/.377/.518 against right-handers this season.

• C Yan Gomes (30K), Indians (vs. Astros): It's Gomes' defensive play keeping him in the lineup while he struggles with the bat. He is hitting just .171/.261/.268 through 14 games and 47 plate appearances. His lone home run this year has come against a left-handed pitcher, and he is a career .284/.324/.466 hitter against lefties. He's the lone member of Cleveland's offense to target against Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Top Fades

• OF Mark Trumbo (53K), Orioles (vs. Rays): Trumbo has just nine hits and three walks in 48 plate appearances against righties this season. His lone homer of the season came against a righty, but he has struck out 10 times. Rays RHP Erasmo Ramirez has fanned seven of the 34 right-handed hitters he has faced this year.

• 3B Nicholas Castellanos (46K), Tigers (vs. Mariners): Castellanos has just one of his three home runs against a right-handed pitcher, despite racking up three times as many PAs as he has against lefties. He has 19 strikeouts and five walks in the weak side of his split. Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez has 10 strikeouts to just one walk against right-handed batters.

• SS Carlos Correa (62K), Astros (at Indians): Correa is batting just .179/.267/.333 against right-handed pitching to open the season. He has two home runs in the split but no doubles or triples and just five singles. There are better left-handed options to choose from in Houston's order.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Contrarian Plays

• 1B Justin Bour (56K), Marlins (at Phillies): There is nothing wrong with any of the options priced above Bour, but he offers a slight salary discount in a reasonable matchup. He is hitting just .184 against right-handed pitching, but all three of his home runs have come against righties. He has five walks to 15 strikeouts in 55 plate appearances.

• OF Matt Kemp (56K), Braves (at Mets): Gsellman was mentioned above as a top pitching target on the early slate, but Kemp is the Braves hitter to use against him. Kemp is sporting a slash line of .344/.364/.750 against right-handed pitching with three home runs in 32 at-bats.

• 2B Cesar Hernandez (47K), Phillies (vs. Marlins): The switch-hitting Hernandez has preferred righties so far this season, for both average and power. He strikes out less frequently against lefties and still has a home run and a walk in 20 PAs.

For up-to-the-minute starting lineups, check out Baseball Press.