FanDuel MLB: Tuesday Value Plays

FanDuel MLB: Tuesday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.

Tuesday's slate features a full 15-game, 30-team lineup. And as a result, it shouldn't come with much surprise that we've got a plethora of aces to choose from, and a similarly large number of arms to pick on.

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PITCHER

Mike Clevinger, CLE vs. CWS ($9,300): Clevinger brings cash game stability and GPP scoring upside that can rival the like of Justin Verlander and Chris Sale at a nice discount. It will be his third time facing the Pale Hose in his last five starts, and in his previous two meetings, Clevinger has gone 13.2 innings, allowing two runs and nine hits while striking out 18, winning both games while averaging 54.5 fantasy points. If you need more convincing, the White Sox rank 22nd with a .307 wOBA against righties while fanning 24.9 percent of the time.

Jose Berrios ($9,600) looks like a solid GPP target, as the matchup against a league-leading offense against righties (.347 wOBA, .208 ISO, 18.8 percent strikeout rate) likely will scare off plenty and lead to low ownership. A pitchers duel against Chris Sale could break out, and Berrios brings great form to the table as well, having struck out seven or more in six straight, five times allowed two or fewer runs.

GPP Fade: Marco Gonzales, SEA at NYY ($8,100) and Blake Snell, TAM at HOU ($9,000): Two lefties in relatively solid form here, that face the top two offenses against southpaws, suggesting neither should be considered on this full slate. Both the Yankees and Astros bring a .350 wOBA to the table, with a .218 and .184 ISO and 122/126 wRC+ respectively. There are just too many other options to consider using either Gonzales or Snell here.

Cheap GPP Consideration: Mike Soroka, ATL at TOR ($7,200): Soroka has allowed one run or fewer in three of his first four career starts. It's a small sample size, but he's missed a considerably higher number of bats on the road (25.5 percent fan rate) than at home (16.7) and the Blue Jays' offense is a mid-tier unit at best against righties, posting a 34.9 percent hard hit rate and .318 wOBA. Soroka was lifted early from his last start after suffering a mild hamstring injury during an at bat, something he won't have to worry about Tuesday, and should be fresh and ready to work deep after throwing just 74 pitches.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

Ian Desmond, COL vs. NYM ($3,900): We're just going to get the picking on Jason Vargas segment of this column out of the way immediately. He brings a 9.15 road ERA to the docket entering Coors Field, allowing righties to put up a .426 wOBA in the process. Desmond gives a cheaper buy in to the Rockies offense due to his contact issues, but he has a strikeout rate 8.1 percentage points lower against lefties, while posting a .397 wOBA, 138 wRC+ and .312 ISO against them to date.

SECOND BASE

Alen Hanson, SFG vs. MIA ($3,100): Hanson hasn't rediscovered his early-season success, but he's still feasted on lefties to the tune of a .437 wOBA, 184 wRC+ and surprising .371 ISO. He should have a safe spot in the Giants lineup with Brandon Crawford on the paternity list, and will have a solid matchup against Dan Straily, who has allowed three or more runs in three of his last four starts, never making it more than 5.2 innings, and has surrendered a .379 wOBA to lefties to date.

THIRD BASE

Chad Pinder, OAK at SDP ($2,200): By in large, the A's don't hit lefties well, which is a shame given the nightly struggles of Eric Lauer. The two exceptions appear to be Mark Canha ($3,000) and Pinder, who comes with much lower risk given his $800 price difference. Pinder sports a respectable .385 wOBA and 149 wRC+ against lefties, and has seemingly earned a regular role of late against southpaws, offering your lineup some salary relief with moderate potential.

SHORTSTOP

Trea Turner, WAS vs. BAL ($3,800): Short isn't a position I'm enjoying sorting through on this slate. Most to all of the options above Turner are solid choices, and Turner usually finds himself among the top options at the plate, so his decreased price is the definition of value. Yes, that decreased price comes amid a slump, but he hasn't bottomed out either, having hit safely in nine of his last 12. There's always the upside that usually has Turner priced north of $4,000, while Orioles' starter David Hess has allowed six runs and 10 hits over his last 9.1 innings.

OUTFIELD

Odubel Herrera, PHI vs. STL ($3,400): Herrera is surging after a rough May and early June, having now homered in three of his last four games, also posting multiple hits in four of his last five. Despite his down month-plus, he still carries a .347 wOBA and 119 wRC+ against righties, and gets a struggling Luke Weaver, who has allowed 16 hits and eight runs over his last 10.1 innings and is allowing a .340 wOBA to opposite-handed bats.

Leonys Martin, DET at CIN ($3,400): The Tigers make for an interesting stacking candidate Tuesday as they aren't regularly a popular offense to target. But Sal Romano being on the mound can change that, as can a date at Great American Ballpark. Martin has a team-best .365 wOBA against righties, adding a .203 ISO and 132 wRC+. That should play well against Romano's .383 wOBA allowed to lefties at home. A surging Nick Castellanos ($3,200) also plays well here.

Jon Jay, ARI at LAA ($3,200): The D'Backs offense has been on quite a tear of late, putting anyone from this lineup in play against Felix Pena, who has looked completely overmatched in his miniscule Major League career, allowing five hits and three runs over just 2.2 innings. Four D'Backs check in with a wOBA .390 or greater, a wRC+ of 147 or greater, and an ISO of .265 or greater, and none of those are Paul Goldschmidt. Jay is the cheapest of those four, typically hits atop the order and in front of Goldy, giving him plenty of run scoring chances.

UTILITY

Tyler Flowers, ATL at TOR ($3,400): The price appears to be more than I'd enjoy spending on Flowers, but the matchup is impossible to ignore. Flowers simply mashes lefties, owning a .571 wOBA, 271 wRC+ and .372 ISO on the heels of posting a .370 wOBA a year ago, showing this isn't fully a small sample sized fluke. Jays' starter Jaime Garcia hasn't been good in any situation, and is allowing a .372 wOBA to righties thus far.

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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