This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Picking the right pitcher in FanDuel is the most important factor to winning, and Saturday's schedule offers one of the best pitching slates I've covered yet. Picking Chris Sale against the lefty-heavy Indians is a can't miss 20-point pick, but for the sake of value, we're going to pass on him for this particular article. Usually when preparing this article, I first find pitchers I want to use and those against whom I want to stack. This week, there were 12 pitchers in the former camp -- by far the most I've had -- and five in the latter. I'll give you the top-two value options along with some cheap bats.
Pitchers
Carlos Carrasco $9,300
Amid trade speculation, Carrasco is still my favorite value play at pitcher. Not only is he outside the top five at pitcher, he faces one of the worst offenses in baseball in the White Sox. Carrasco's strikeout potential makes him intriguing, as he has an elite strikeout rate of 10.1 K/9. The only concern is that he squares off against Chris Sale, so the win probability won't be great. That doesn't matter much as a quality start with double-digit strikeouts seems highly probable, which would exceed his $9,300 price by leaps and bounds. I also like Carrasco as a buy-low in standard fantasy leagues, as his BABIP (.334) and FIP (2.81) suggest that he's been unlucky in the first half of the season. The big second half should begin here with a great start against the woeful White Sox.
Ian Kennedy $7,500
Many are down on Kennedy because of his sub-par season numbers, but he could be in for a strong start against the Marlins. Kennedy has been solid recently, as he has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last nine starts. Kennedy also averages nearly a strikeout per inning. The best part is he gets to face the Marlins in pitcher-friendly Petco Park. Miami's lineup is atrocious with Christian Yelich, Justin Bour and Casey McGehee manning the heart of the order. Kennedy's biggest bugaboo this season has been the long ball, but he shouldn't have to worry about that, as the only home run threat for Miami is on the disabled list. Vegas also has some say in this play as the Padres are a -140 favorite with a total of just 6.5.
Catcher
Kurt Suzuki $2,200
I never thought I'd ever pick Suzuki, but this is my BvP play of the day. Suzuki squares off against CC Sabathia, and the Twins are one of my favorite stacks against the struggling veteran. So let's look at these head-to-head numbers between Suzuki and Sabathia. Suzuki is only 7-for-31 against Sabathia, but, impressively, four of those hits were home runs. A .226 average with a .959 OPS is nearly impossible to accomplish, but Suzuki clearly has his power stroke against Sabathia. With a minimum price, Suzuki is a great bet to exceed his value after a strong multi-hit performance Friday.
First base
Kendrys Morales $2,700
Let's start with a trivia question: Who entered Friday leading the AL in RBI? The answer is far from obvious, but considering his name is above this, you better get it right. Morales was tied with Jose Bautista and Mark Teixeira, which might come as a surprise to even the most astute baseball fan. I wanted to use some Royals against Astros' starter Scott Feldman, and this seems like the best option. Feldman has a 4.93 ERA in 11 games, and the Royals simply abuse mediocre pitchers. Morales might be having the most overlooked season in the AL as well, as he has 12 home runs, 65 RBI and a .277 average this season. Those numbers are better than most higher-priced first basemen. With six first basemen priced more than $4,000, Morales is criminally cheap at just $2,700. Look for him to have more RBI opportunities in this friendly matchup against the Astros.
Second base
Brian Dozier $3,700
I almost never write about players priced higher than $3,500, but I just love the matchup against the aforementioned CC Sabathia. Dozier has been fantastic this season, hitting 27 doubles, 21 home runs and stealing nine bases in 94 games. If the Twins have a big night, Dozier will be the catalyst atop the lineup. With the ability to steal some bags and the elite power he provides from second base, a $3,700 price tag is nothing to sweat. In fact, Dozier is regularly priced higher than $4,000, and he's more than $1,000 cheaper then Jose Altuve, who provides a nearly identical profile. The power-speed combination makes Dozier very enticing, but the platoon matchup against Sabathia makes him nearly impossible to pass up.
Third base
Miguel Sano $2,500
Another Twin? Yes, and this is my favorite value of the three. I actually wrote about Sano last week in a much tougher matchup against Scott Kazmir, and that was simply a mistake. Sano went 0-for-3 with an RBI, but I expect him to have a huge game against Sabathia. Not only has Sano played well thus far in his brief stint in the majors, he has the platoon advantage against the lefty veteran. As I said last week, we have to continue using Sano at this cheap price, as it should rise above $3,000 by the end of the season. The most impressive thing about Sano is his plate discipline. In 16 games, Sano has 12 walks, a .937 OPS and a .409 OBP. These are elite numbers, and in a FanDuel format that rewards walks and singles equally, it's yet another reason he's a value.
Shortstop
Carlos Correa $3,900
Shortstop is just so hard to pick every week, so why not go with a stud like Correa with a platoon advantage? This kid is simply amazing, as there is no part of his game that truly needs work. He can run, field, hit for power and hit for average. Correa is a true five-tool player and has destroyed lefties since his callup. Danny Duffy takes the mound against Correa and the Astros, and while Duffy is a solid arm, he's no one worry about. Correa has a .321 average and a .996 OPS against southpaws -- ridiculous numbers, especially for a rookie. Correa is a lot like Dozier, in that he has some pop and can steal some bags as well. At a difficult position to fill, Correa can separate you from the field.
Outfielders
Marlon Byrd $3,100
Usually hitters in Coors Field get a major bump in price of at least $1,000, but not Byrd, whose increase was only $500. Marlon has been one of the most underrated hitters the last couple months as he has absolutely raked since the first month of the season. Through May 1, Byrd was just 13-for-80 with two homers and eight RBI. Since then, Byrd has a .346 OBP with 14 dingers and a .902 OPS. These are numbers comparable to players like Bryce Harper, Nolan Arenado and Nelson Cruz in that same span. Not only is Byrd hot, he gets to play in Coors Field against a lefty -- what more could you ask? Chris Rusin toes the rubber for the Rockies and could be in for a long night, as he's simply a stop-gap arm forced into one of the worst rotations in baseball. This makes Byrd a fantastic value with a great matchup -- the perfect recipe for a big game.
Chris Young $2,800
Young looked like a star in the making after a few 20-20 seasons in Arizona, but fell by the wayside once his average started plummeting. Recently, Young has found a nice role as a lefty-killer for the Yankees, and Saturday he can do just that against Tommy Milone. In 89 at-bats against lefties this season, Young is hitting .371 with an incredible 1.108 OPS, and Milone has struggled against right-handed hitters throughout his career. Young should also be in a prominent spot in the order.
Justin Upton $2,700
Upton's price dropped because of a minor injury and a recent slump, but it's fallen too far. Even with the recent slump, Upton is still on pace for 25 home runs and 28 steals. He missed three games earlier this week with an oblique injury, but the time off might have helped him regroup. Saturday, he faces David Phelps, who sports an ERA of nearly 4.00. Upton could take advantage with his power-speed profile, which is always something to look for in a FanDuel lineup, and his price makes him a good value.
