This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We have 13 games Thursday, so there's a wealth of options out there. In addition, two of them are day games; so make sure to check the early lineups to ensure you don't waste money on players who won't be on the field. Here are our daily value plays for Thursday, July 30.
Pitcher:
Andrew Cashner, $7,500: First of all, you cannot go wrong with any of the aces on the board. Scherzer ($12,500) has a great matchup in Miami, Sale ($11,800) faces a struggling Boston offense, and a slightly less expensive Jake Arrieta ($10,400) has been terrific and faces an uninspiring Milwaukee team. But, if you want to take a shot on a cheaper option, Andrew Cashner has been much better lately - 2.61 ERA and 0.823 WHIP over the last 28 days - and faces a hapless Mets offense in the pitcher-friendly confines of Citi Field. The Mets have scored the least amount of runs of any team in MLB this season and they sport the league's second worst team OPS in MLB as well. Cashner is extremely affordable, allowing you to spread money across the rest of you roster, and faces a Mets' offense that is every pitchers' dream. He represents the best bang-for-your-buck play at pitcher today.
Catcher:
Francisco Cervelli, $2,700: Cervelli has been outstanding this season replacing Russell Martin in Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old catcher's .304/.371/.415 slash line is strong for the position and he has proven to be a big part of the Pittsburgh's offensive success. Cervelli has been especially locked in lately, as the veteran backstop sports an insane .529 average over the last week and faces unproven lefty David Holmberg in Cincinnati. Cervelli has been significantly better against left-handed pitching this season - .997 OPS - and is still priced in the middle to lower tier of catchers. Between the hot bat, the matchup, and the price, Cervelli is one of the plays on the board.
First Base:
Anthony Rizzo, $3,000: Rizzo's had a good season, but has struggled some lately; which has lead to a depressed price for the stud first baseman. Now is the time to take advantage of this potential value. Rizzo homered yesterday for the first time in 18 games, which does not mean much, but could be a sign of Rizzo turning things around. More important, Rizzo faces righty Jimmy Nelson who has struggled against left-handed hitters this season - .866 OPS allowed - making Rizzo a great buying opportunity. Rizzo's price point will not be this low for much longer, so take advantage while you can, especially with such a great matchup.
Second Base:
Carlos Sanchez, $2,600: Sanchez seems to be turning a corner, as the 23-year-old has been on a tear of late. He's batting .325 in the month of July and has been even better over the last week - .462 average - as the young second baseman appears to be getting more accustomed to the major league game. Sanchez faces knuckleballer Steven Wright who has been less than stellar this season. In addition to facing Wright, Sanchez is still available at a very low price point, making him a great option at second base.
Third Base:
Miguel Sano, $2,700: Sano has been terrific since coming up to the major; this is evidenced by his stellar .299/.429/.522 in the 20 major league games he has played. It is actually a little shocking that Sano's price has stayed so low considering his .951 OPS on the season. He faces lefty J.A. Happ who has had an uninspiring season to say the least. Between the surprisingly low price - Sano is the 22nd highest priced third baseman - and the solid matchup, Sano seems like a obvious play with a ton of upside to boot.
Shortstop:
Jung-Ho Kang, $3,100: Kang has really stepped it up since Jordy Mercer was placed on the disabled list. Kang, now the full time shortstop, is sporting an impressive .355/.430/.553 slash line in the month of July and has been even hotter over the last week with a .409 average to go along with homers in back-to-back games. And yet, despite being the hottest shortstop in the league for a month, Kang is still only the fifth most-expensive shortstop available which offers a nice buying opportunity. In addition, Kang has crushed lefties this season - .929 OPS - and faces afore mentioned left-hander David Holmberg.
Outfield:
Carlos Gonzalez, $3,700: Cargo is baseball's hottest hitter and yet is still only the 17th highest priced outfielder on the board. This is insane. Gonzalez is sporting an absurd 1.268 OPS in the month of July and is batting a gaudy .480 with seven homers over the last week. He is white hot. Though Gonzalez faces Carlos Martinez, who has been great this season, the combination of the Cargo's ridiculously hot bat and the surprisingly reasonable price makes him a no brainer play.
Gerardo Parra, $3,600: Parra has been outstanding for the Brewers this season as his .324 average should attest. In addition, Parra's been one of the hottest hitters in baseball over the last month. He has an absurd .411/.476/.740 slash line over the last 28 days which should illustrate just how locked in the 28-year-old Brewer has been. In addition, Parra faces right-hander Jake Arrieta; while Arrieta has been a stud, Parra has crushed right-handers this season making the tough matchup slightly less worrisome. Parra's price point is a little high relative to his prominence in the game, but he's still eminently affordable when you consider his success against righties this year.
Dexter Fowler, $3,000: After experiencing a bit of a rough patch after a hot start to the season, Fowler seems to be back on track; the 29-year-old has really turned it on as of late. Fowler's .333/.500/.462 slash line over the last 14 days is impressive, and he's been even better over the last week where he's sporting a 1.124 OPS. In addition, Fowler has been running more with four stolen bases over the last two weeks; stolen bases are crucial in FanDuel scoring as they are worth two points apiece. Add in a nice matchup with Jimmy Nelson and a depressed price point due to his prior struggles, and Fowler is another outstanding play today.
Other Notable Outfielders:
Justin Upton, $2,600
Marlon Byrd, $2,300
