This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We have 11 games Thursday, so there's a wealth of options out there. In addition, four 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 23.
Pitcher:
Lance McCullers, $6,700: McCullers has been really good since getting called up to the majors on May 18. The 21-year-old righty is sporting a 2.52 and 1.10 WHIP to go along with an impressive 71 strikeouts in only 64.1 innings. And while the matchup with Boston is not ideal, the Red Sox have not been an offensive juggernaut lately, as evidenced by their .662 team OPS in the month of July. Add in McCullers' insanely low price point, and he offers the best bang-for-your-buck pitcher on the board which will also allow you to spread more money over the rest of your lineup. If you want to spend for a top pitcher, which is always smart in FanDuel play, both Clayton Kershaw ($13,000) and David Price ($11,400) have great matchups and have been outstanding lately.
Catcher:
Stephen Vogt, $2,700: Vogt has dropped off some after his torrid start, but is still among the best fantasy backstops in the game. He faces struggling righty Drew Hutchison, who has had a rough season across the board, as his 5.19 ERA and 1.47 WHIP will attest. Vogt has dominated right-handed pitching this season to the tune of a .933 OPS, so he's in position to benefit from this matchup. His low price makes him a great upside play, but Yadier Molina ($2,400) is another nice option for a very low investment if you want to save a few more shekels at the catcher position.
First Base:
C.J. Cron, $2,600: Cron has been on a tear lately. The 25-year-old is batting .464 with three home runs over the last 14 days and has shown no signs of slowing down. Despite Cron's hot streak, his FanDuel price is still shockingly low, as he's the 19th-highest-priced first baseman available. That type of value is too good to pass up. Cron faces Ervin Santana, who has been hit-or-miss since returning from his 80-game suspension. While that doesn't represent the best matchup, Santana's certainly a risk to blow up anytime he takes the mound. Regardless, between the price and his hot bat, Cron is a perfect value play at first base.
Second Base:
Jonathan Schoop, $2,500: Schoop has been great since returning from the disabled list at the beginning of July. The 23-year-old is batting .391 over the last 14 days and sports a strong .909 OPS in the 20 games he's played this season. On Thursday, he faces righty Masahiro Tanaka, who has had mixed results over the last month, in hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. Though it's a small sample size, Schoop has been destroying right-handed pitching this season - 1.153 OPS - and has hit righties better than lefties over the course of his short career. For the extremely low price point, Schoop represents a strong upside play at second base.
Third Base:
Mike Moustakas, $2,500: Moustakas keeps hitting, but his price never seems to change much on FanDuel. The Royal third baseman is batting .300 with a pair of homers over the last week, and has generally been solid all season long, as evidenced by his .296/.356/.439 slash line. Moustakas faces veteran right-hander John Lackey, who is actually having a really nice season. However, the combination of Moustakas's consistent bat and super-low price makes him the best value on the board at third base.
Shortstop:
Ian Desmond, $2,300: Don't look now, but Desmond may be showing signs of life. The embattled shortstop has been a disaster this season; if you don't believe me, ask anyone who's owned him. However, Desmond has put together his best three-game stretch of the season, going 4-for-9 with a homer, a stolen base and a pair of walks. While it is hard to believe in Desmond based on his atrocious season to date, his price is insanely low and he does have the history to support the belief that he may be starting a second-half hot streak. Based on the price, it's worth taking a shot on Desmond in case he's finally turning things around. Assuming this is the return of the Desmond from the last three seasons, or even something close, you won't be able to get him at such a cheap price point for much longer.
Outfield:
Gerardo Parra, $3,600: Parra has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball over the last month. Parra's .387/.440/.720 slash line over the last 28 days is insane and helps illustrate just how locked in the 28-year-old Brewer has been. In addition, Parra faces right-hander Zack Godley, who will be making his first career start, in Arizona. That's about as good a matchup as you could hope for in FanDuel. 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.
Christian Yelich, $3,100: Yelich has been one of the league's hottest hitters since returning from the DL. The young Marlin sports a stellar .365/.460/.473 slash line over the last 28 days, yet he's still priced among the middle tier of outfielders. In addition, Yelich faces righty Tyson Ross, who has struggled to find the same success he had last season. Yelich historically hits right-handed pitching better than left-handers, so Ross should provide a decent matchup for the talented 23-year-old. For a relatively modest price, Yelich should be a solid bet to continue his hot streak.
Melky Cabrera, $2,700: Melky has turned his season around after a disastrous start. The veteran outfielder is sporting a .307/.353/.520 slash line over the last 28 days, and has moved into the cleanup spot in the White Sox lineup. Yet for some reason, Melky is still priced in the lower tier of outfielders. Add in that he's facing struggling right-hander Trevor Bauer, and Cabrera is one of the better value plays available in the outfield, especially for the low price. Take advantage.
Other Notable Outfielders:
Jason Heyward, $3,700
Joc Pederson, $2,800
