This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
The trade deadline has passed and we are in the home stretch for MLB with preseason football already here. We have a full fifteen game slate today and here are some value play ideas to help you make your way to the top.
Starting Pitcher
Robbie Ray ($7000) – Robbie Ray has really good numbers so far in 2015 with a 3.13 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and 71 strikeouts in 77 innings of work. He faces an Atlanta team with the fourth-worst batting average in the league against left-handed pitching at .231. The Braves are also 15th in the league for strikeout percentage against left-handed pitching, at 21 percent, which is high enough for Ray to expect to see five or six of them today. He tends to pitch only about six innings per start and with a K per that is just a tad above eight, which is how you can reasonably predict that projected strikeout number. Atlanta does not have a lot of right-handed bats that you need to be wary of. The park switch for Ray going to pitcher-friendly Turner Field is the final piece of the puzzle that seals him as a top-value option.
Catcher
J.T. Realmuto ($3300) – This is a tough day for catchers, but J.T. Realmuto does stand out a bit. He will be very low owned, because his price has come up. This will make him a great upside option for a tournament to differentiate your lineups. He faces Jaime Garcia who has been good this year, but struggles more with right-handed bats. Realmuto is one of only two Marlins who profile well against him with a .395 wOBA and a .243 ISO score. He has hit safely in four straight games and is averaging 6.1 fantasy points during that run.
First Base
Ryan Howard ($3400) – Ryan Howard has come back from the dead since the All-Star break. The Phillies slugger struggled through the first half of the season, but has been a key cog in the revival of their offense which has been one of the best in the league during the second half of the season. The left-handed slugger faces Wily Peralta, who has allowed left-handed batters to hit .283 against him with seven home runs in 34 innings of work. Howard has raised his wOBA to .348 and still has a solid ISO score of .242. This game takes place in Miller Park which is hitter friendly and a lot of runs are expected. Howard should be in line for a few hits and a few RBI in what looks to be a likely slugfest.
Second Base
Logan Forsythe ($3300) – Logan Forsythe is a guy who makes sense to use any time the Rays face a southpaw. He has a .404 wOBA with a .324 ISO score against left-handed pitching, which is one of the best splits you will find in any second baseman. He has power upside, hits cleanup in the order, is in a good hitter's park down in Texas, and faces a weak left-handed pitcher in Martin Perez. Perez has allowed right-handed bats to hit .333 against him so far in limited action this year. All the numbers align to point to a big upside game coming here for Forsythe.
Shortstop
Jed Lowrie ($3100) – Despite playing some third base lately due to Carlos Correa's rise to stardom, Jed Lowrie is still listed at shortstop on FanDuel. That is a good thing too, because most of the other solid options are pretty pricey on this slate. Lowrie has been smashing since his return from the DL. He currently owns a .571 wOBA with a .480 ISO score in his limited plate appearances this year. He faces Alfredo Simon who has been horrible against left-handed bats. Left-handers are hitting .309 against Simon with 12 home runs in 71 innings pitched. Lowrie tends to go under-owned, as even those who stack the Astros tend to gravitate towards Correa when filling out their lineup cards. He has the upside to help you win and will likely be very low owned to differentiate your roster from the herd as well.
Third Base
Todd Frazier ($3100) – At one point this season Todd Frazier was the most expensive third baseman on the market. After a recent 2-for-31 slump though, he has seen his price plummet almost $2000. He has gone 6-for his last-13 over the last three games for just shy of six fantasy points per contest. He faces Alex Wood who has always struggled with right-handed power bats and has allowed them to hit around .300 against him this year. Despite the recent slump, Frazier still owns a .405 wOBA and an ISO score of .404 against left-handed pitching which are both towards the top of the league for batters against any handedness at any position. He seems to be heating up, so take the discount now while it is still being offered.
Outfield
Franklin Gutierrez ($2800) – Franklin Gutierrez has always had the talent, but has been unable to stay healthy. This year he seems to be starting to put it all together. He has been great over the last few weeks for the Mariners and faces one of the worst pitchers on the mound today in Joe Kelly. Kelly has allowed right-handed bats to hit .319 against him with eight home runs in 44 innings of work. Gutierrez is 10-for-26 over his last six starts, while averaging 4.33 Fantasy points per contest. He has been hitting up in the order and should be in line for another solid performance at a low price of only $2800.
Scott Van Slyke ($2700) – Certain things in life are just given. Death, Taxes, and Scott Van Slyke against a lefty are amongst them. Van Slyke mashed left-handed pitching in 2014 with a home run every 13 at-bats and has been solid again this year with a .393 wOBA against southpaws. He also faces rookie John Lamb making his first major league start. Lamb struggled some with right-handed bats in the minors, so this looks to be a good spot for Van Slyke. He tends to bat cleanup when the Dodgers face a left-hander, so he should be in line for some RBI opportunities to go along with some likely hits.
Ryan Braun ($4000) – One of the guys worth paying up for is Ryan Braun. The Milwaukee slugger is home in Miller Park and is popping up strongly the HR predictor radar. He has a .404 wOBA with a .256 ISO score against left-handed pitching this year and faces a weak one in Adam Morgan. Morgan has allowed right-handed bats to hit .296 against him with six homers in 34 innings of work. Braun has 12 hits in his last 32 at-bats over the last nine games. He has averaged almost four fantasy points per game over that stretch and should have even more upside in a great matchup here today.
