This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Football season is under way, but we still got some days left to make a few nice baseball scores on FanDuel. We have a full 15-game slate today and here are some value play ideas to help you make your way to the top.
Starting Pitcher
Masahiro Tanaka ($9,600)
Tanaka is not really cheap, but he is a top option. He has pitched well recently, with two straight games of at least 17 fantasy points. The Yankees are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive as well, so even though the Mets want to win this game, the Yankees need to win it. Over the last month, Tanaka has averaged over seven innings and seven strikeouts per start. He is favored for the win as well, and that would be a return of about 17 points based on his recent numbers. He gets a favorable park shift, with the game at Citi Field, so he is the pitcher that makes the most sense to have.
Catcher
Evan Gattis ($3,100)
Gattis is a power hitting right-handed bat that should be in the clean up spot behind guys like Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa here. He has hits in five of his last six games and is averaging right around one point per thousand of salary. He has driven in six runs and hit two home runs as well, so he is seeing the ball well. Against a weak lefty like Felix Doubront in a good hitters' park in Houston, Gattis is a solid play at a very square price.
First Base
Mike Napoli ($2,400)
If you need a cheap option at first base, Napoli looks like the best one for the price. He has always hit left-handed pitching well and faces a weak one in James Paxton on Friday. He is in a good hitters' park, a solid lineup spot in the middle of the order and he has been hot lately. He has 18.75 fantasy points over his last four games for an average of about 4.6 per game or almost two points per thousand. That is a great average and a great situation to continue that trend.
Second Base
Jose Altuve ($3,500)
Altuve has hit in seven straight games, he is at home in his hitter-friendly park and is facing a left-handed pitcher, which is his preferred split. He has a wOBA of around .400 against left-handers this year and finished with a batting average over .400 against them last season. Felix Doubront is not the best left-handed pitcher either, so Altuve should be able to get some hits.
Shortstop
Carlos Correa ($3,600)
Correa has been one of the best hitting shortstops in the league this year. The youngster has a lot of power and does a good job of hitting and getting on base. His numbers are elite against left-handed pitching and he faces a weak one in Felix Doubront. Correa's power has not been coming through lately, but he has hit safely in five of his last six with a minimum score of 2.25 during that run in games with a hit. He is extremely safe for some points and has the upside in his preferred splits matchup in his home hitters' park.
Third Base
Adrian Beltre ($3,000)
Not starting Beltre at his price, in this matchup, with the way he has swung the bat lately is crazy. He is way too cheap for a guy facing a weak and struggling left-handed pitcher in James Paxton. Beltre is 12 for his last 26 and has hit safely in six straight games. He is a right-handed batter with good career numbers against left-handed pitching, which also gets a bump due his home hitter-friendly park. He has 34.5 fantasy points in his last six games which breaks down to 5.75 per start. For only $3,000, why would you leave him off your rosters now?
Outfield
Corey Dickerson ($3,800)
To get a left-handed hitting outfielder at Coors Field against a guy who has struggled with left-handed bats over his career is pretty rare for under $4,000, but that is what we have with Dickerson. He has not been the stud he was earlier in the season, and he is probably not 100 percent from his injury. He is still a bat to worry about for the Padres, as he hits well at home and smashes right-handed pitching. Ian Kennedy has pitched better of late, but this is still Coors Field and everyone struggles on the mound in Denver. Targeting left-handed bats in this game is the way to go, and Dickerson offers the best bang for your buck.
Khris Davis ($3,500)
Davis is starting to heat up again, with four hits (two homers) in his last 12 at-bats. He has a really good matchup against the young left-hander Brandon Finnegan, who has been blown up and pitched only a few innings in his last few outings. Finnegan had an ERA over 6.00 at Triple-A this year, so basically anyone on the Brewers is in play here. Davis has been the hottest bat of them all, so he is the top dog on this list.
Adonis Garcia ($2,200)
The Braves outfielder gets no love from the pricing algorithm at FanDuel, but he should get some love in your lineups. He is currently eight for his last 18, which means he could be in line for multiple hits in four at-bats in his preferred splits matchup against a weak left-handed pitcher. Adam Morgan has not been good all year except for when he faces the Blue Jays for some reason. Every other team with good right-handed power hitters has knocked him around. In a game like this against a weak pitcher, it makes sense to ride the hot bat and take the cost savings it provides.
