This article is part of our The Daily Duel series.
Values
Here are some guys that are good additions to your FanDuel team who are currently out-producing their value. Keep in mind that these prices can change daily, so take advantage of them while you can.
Newbies
Yan Gomes, C, TOR, $2500 – There are two very attractive parts to Gomes outside of the talent level he has: his price tag and catcher eligibility. Gomes has his path to playing time blocked by Player of the Week, J.P. Arencibia, but the Blue Jays seem determined to find him playing time at the hot corner with Edwin Encarnacion moving to first in place of Adam Lind. Gomes has homered twice in five games since his call-up from Triple-A Las Vegas. Take advantage of his catcher eligibility and price while you can.
Scott Van Slyke, OF, LAD, $2500 – The son of former Major Leaguer Andy Van Slyke got called up to the big leagues after a blistering start at Triple-A Albuquerque posting a 1.034 OPS and a sharp 17:16 K:BB ratio. It's hard to miss Van Slyke on the field given his big frame (6-5, 220) and while that stature should help him hit the long ball at the plate, it could also limit him in the field and cost him playing time. That said, he should get his opportunity more nights than not in the starting lineup while Matt Kemp is out, especially against left-handed pitching.
Xavier Avery, OF, BAL, $2700 – With Nolan Reimold on the DL and no sight of a return in the near future, it appears Avery should be leading off for the Orioles on most nights. Avery has looked more than comfortable in that role, reaching base in nine of his last 10 games. Avery possesses the speed/power combo that makes him a dangerous player in the Fanduel format, as he had five homers and eight steals in 128 at-bats at Triple-A before being called up. Baltimore leads the majors in home runs so if he continues to get on base, he'll rack up the runs as well.
Matt Adams, 1B, STL, $2700 – With the Lance Berkman injury, Adams will be in line for plenty of playing time over the next two months. Before his call-up, Adams was batting .340 with nine home runs in 141 at-bats at Triple-A Memphis. He's been considered a good hitting prospect in the Cardinals farm system that has hit 54 home runs over the last two seasons in the lower minors. He's been blocked by Albert Pujols, and until last week Lance Berkman, but Adams will now get his chance to show he's ready for the big show.
Josh Bell, 3B, ARI, $2500 – Bell has long been a prospect in the Orioles organization who was never able to realize his potential. Given the lack of production from the Diamondbacks infield, Bell was called up to hopefully provide a spark. He did just that Tuesday night with a two-run home run. He certainly isn't a lock to be a big producer right away but he's someone whose progress you should be monitoring.
Kole Calhoun, OF, LAA, $2200 – Ever put in a lineup and wonder if there was an outfielder out there to round out your squad at a ridiculously cheap price? Calhoun, a darkhorse at this point, could be your answer in the short term after getting called up due to the Vernon Wells injury. Torii Hunter is still away from the team and after the release of Bobby Abreu, the team needed some outfield depth help from Triple-A. He's not an elite prospect by any means but he could be a sneaky play on the day he starts given his cheap salary.
Players Looking To Rebound
Here are some players who have seen their value drop significantly due to poor production on the season this far. You might be surprised at some of the names and how much their stock has fallen. That being said, for most of these players there is either a track record of success or enough pedigree that they should be able to turn their season around sooner rather than later and have good value in the near future as a result.
Todd Helton, 1B, COL, $2500 – I'm a little surprised to see Helton at this price considering he's averaging 2.3 Fanduel points per game. I'm guessing his low salary could be taking into account his age of 38. That being said, Helton had an .893 OPS at home last season which shows he can still produce at Coors. We haven't hit the hot part of the summer yet where the games get into the double-digits, which means Helton should become a value at this price.
George Kottaras, C, MIL, $2400 – With Jonathan Lucroy swinging one of the hottest bats these days it's no surprise Kottaras isn't in the lineup more often. Kottaras in a much more limited role has been hot to start the season with a .984 OPS. He only has 40 at-bats but that includes three home runs, nine runs, and seven RBI. Keep an eye out for his name in the lineup on those rare days that Lucroy is getting a breather.
Neil Walker, 2B, PIT, $2800 – While the Pirates aren't an offensive juggernaut, it's easy to forget the elite set of pitchers they were up against early in the season. As a result, many of their bats (including Walker), have gotten off to a slow start. Hitting in the middle of the Pirates order, Walker had 12 home runs, 83 RBI, and 76 runs scored last season, all above average stats for the position. As the season goes on, look for him to be on that sort of pace rather than what he's done so far this season.
Kevin Youkilis, 3B, BOS, $2800 – The injury to Youkilis has been somewhat of a blessing for the Red Sox who have discovered they have a Major League-ready player in Will Middlebrooks. The time off may have also helped Youkilis mentally after a rough start and not-so endearing comments from Bobby Valentine. Youkilis has hit the ground running since his return, going 3-for-6 with a home run and a walk over his first two games back. It still appears there's gas left in the tank and he's been hitting in the fifth spot of the potent Red Sox lineup.
Tip Of The Week
Don't Be Afraid Of The Pitcher Coming Off A Bad Start
This one is pretty self-explanatory, I think. Coming off a bad start, I think there's a mental block of using a pitcher given what a person's short-term memory knows. The natural instinct is to avoid that player knowing the possibility of what just happened could be déjà vu all over again. I'd apply this rule to the top-25 starting pitchers in the league, as anyone outside of that number is obviously more prone to two bad starts. The point here is to not let one bad outing affect your judgment in the Fanduel game; keep in mind what the player's overall skill set is.
The DFBC
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· An amazing suite at the luxurious Palazzo Hotel
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Go to FanDuel today and start competing to earn a spot at this year's DFBC final in Las Vegas!
