FanDuel MLB: Sunday Value Plays

FanDuel MLB: Sunday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.

PITCHER

Kyle Freeland, COL vs. PIT ($7,100): There is a $2,400 price gap between Corey Kluber and Sunday's second-priced pitcher, Lance McCullers. It suggests there's little reason to not pay for Kluber and bargain shop for bats facing weak arms. But if you insist on reaching for a discounted arm, Freeland could reward. There's an obvious risk in taking a pitcher throwing at Coors Field, but Freeland has a 3.23 ERA there as opposed to 4.12 on the road. He's riding an 11.1 inning scoreless streak, striking out 13 in that span, and he allows only a 26.3 percent hard hit rate at home. Pittsburgh has capable bats, but they have only a .313 wOBA, 92 wRC+ and .153 ISO as a team, suggesting Freeland can limit damage.

CATCHER

Travis d'Arnaud, NYM vs. OAK ($2,700): d'Arnaud has feasted on left-handed pitching this season, sporting a team-high .465 wOBA, 1.145 OPS and 192 wRC+ against them across 48 plate appearances. Meanwhile, A's rookie starter Daniel Gossett has a 6.75 road ERA and is allowing righties to post a .374 wOBA against him.

FIRST BASE

Joey Votto, CIN vs. MIA ($3,800): On paper, this series has been a target for DFS mangers nightly, and while it didn't fully live up to the offensive showdown Vegas may have predicted through two games, Sunday still offers two starters with ERAs over 7.00 and a run total of 11. Marlins starter Tom Koehler has a 7.92 ERA and has allowed at least three earned runs in every start since April 6. He's been gashed by lefties to the tune of a .465 wOBA and 1.125 OPS while Votto has a .442 wOBA, 171 wRC+ and 1.083 OPS at home against righties this year.

SECOND BASE

Whit Merrifield, KAN vs. CWS ($3,200): Eight of the 18 listed starters on the afternoon slate have an ERA above 5.00, so there isn't a shortage of hitting options. White Sox starter Derek Holland fits right into that theme, bringing a 6.87 road ERA into Kaufmann Stadium while allowing a .387 wOBA to opposite-handed hitters. Merrifield ranks second among Royals regulars with a .339 wOBA and 109 wRC+, and his spot atop the lineup should afford him some scoring opportunities.

THIRD BASE

Colin Moran, HOU at BAL ($2,000): So long as Moran is in the lineup and remains at the lowest price possible, I'm inclined to ride him. He's 3-for-6 with two extra-base hits, two RBI and two runs scored from the bottom of the order since his recall, and had 18 homers in 79 games at Triple-A prior to joining the big league club. Meanwhile, O's starter Dylan Bundy is giving up a .350 wOBA and 48.8 percent fly ball rate to lefties, with 10.7 percent of those leaving the yard.

SHORTSTOP

Eduardo Escobar, MIN vs. DET ($2,700): Third baseman Miguel Sano is the easy play here against Tigers' starter Matthew Boyd, who has a 5.73 road ERA and is allowing righties to post a .376 wOBA against him. But Escobar comes in $1,200 cheaper and plays a position that is void of top options. Additionally, he's second on the Twins with a .382 wOBA against lefties, adding a 139 wRC+ and .913 OPS

OUTFIELD

Marcell Ozuna, MIA at CIN ($3,700): We touched on the offensive potential this series has possessed earlier, and continuing to exploit it seems advantageous. Ozuna leads the way for the Marlins with a .395 wOBA and 144 wRC+, though he's gone deep only once since July 5, so there's some risk a big showing isn't in the cards. Nevertheless, I'd take my chances against Reds' starter Sal Romano, who has allowed 10 runs in 12.0 big league innings while surrendering identical .433 wOBAs to hitters on either side of the plate.

Steven Souza, Jr., TAM vs. TEX ($3,600): Rangers' starter Tyson Ross has been getting crushed on the road, posting an 8.18 ERA after allowing eight runs in 3.1 innings in his last outing. He's been vulnerable to same-handed batters, allowing a .397 wOBA versus just .272 to lefties. That plays right into Souza's wheelhouse, as he has a team-leading .393 wOBA, 152 wRC+ and trails only Logan Morrison with a .940 OPS.

Melky Cabrera, CWS at KAN ($3,000): There aren't wrong answers at the top of the Sox order against Royals starter Travis Wood, who has a woeful 6.81 ERA and 1.84 WHIP while allowing a .394 wOBA. Cabrera fits the mold of a bargain who can help you afford an ace on the hill like Kluber, as he has a .353 wOBA, 121 wRC+ and .208 ISO against lefties, and is in good form, hitting .328 in July.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Bennett plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: k30kittles, DraftKings: k30kittles.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Bennett
Bennett covers baseball, college football and college basketball for RotoWire. Before turning to fantasy writing, he worked in scouting/player development for the Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos. He's also a fan of the ACC.
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