FanDuel MLB: Monday Value Plays

FanDuel MLB: Monday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.

There's a smaller slate Monday with 10 games starting at 7:05 PM EST for the main slate on FanDuel. Past Trevor Bauer ($11,500) there isn't another pitcher over $10,000 and there are games at Globe Life Park in Arlington and Coors Field to make things more interesting.

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PITCHER

Noah Syndergaard, NYM vs CIN ($9,400): This likely will be the lowest price of the season for Thor who comes into the game with three straight mediocre performances. This will be his second start back from hand, foot and mouth disease and he's always been better at home with a 2.66 ERA and a 28.8 percent strikeout rate. Syndergaard has scored at least 22 fantasy points in every contest this season and the Reds come in with about a league-average team wOBA (.320) and strikeout rate (21.2 percent) against right-handed pitching making them a decent matchup, especially with Homer Bailey on the mound.

GPP Fade: Jake Arrieta, PHI at ARI ($8,000): Arrieta has pitched much better lately but his splits this season and for his career shows he struggles more on the road than at home. His 3.65 road ERA is over a half run higher than at home (3.02) and he's giving up a .314 wOBA on the road as well. Arizona has had the sixth best wOBA (.345) at home against right-handed pitching since June 1 and their 22.4 percent strikeout rate is just below league average.

Cheap GPP Consideration: Lance Lynn, NYY at CWS ($7,400): Lynn's overall numbers are pretty bad but he's gotten better as the season has gone on and been very strong over his last five outings. He holds a 3.08 ERA over that span of games with 23 strikeouts over 26.1 innings. The White Sox are a good matchup with the ninth worst wOBA (.310) against right-handed pitching and the fourth-highest strikeout rate (25.4 percent). The bats for the Yankees should provide enough run support to put Lynn in place for the win as well.

FIRST BASE/CATCHER

Justin Bour, MIA vs STL ($2,800): Bour is a good upside play at a cheap price allowing some more expensive bats into a lineup from the Colorado and Texas games. Bour's solid .351 wOBA against right-handed pitching is actually a four-year low and his .269 BABIP might have something to do with that. Luke Weaver has surrendered a .354 wOBA to lefties this season and Bour comes into this matchup with home runs in three of his last four games.

SECOND BASE

Jeff McNeil, NYM vs CIN ($2,600): McNeil has looked more comfortable at the plate over the last week as he adjusts to big-league pitching. The Mets have bumped him up in the lineup and the matchup Monday against Bailey is a good one. Bailey has allowed a .362 wOBA to left-handed hitters this season in a limited sample but that's right in line with last season's .356 mark. While he's a bit old to be a prospect at 26, McNeil held an OPS over 1.000 at both Double-A and Triple-A this season before his call-up.

THIRD BASE

Jurickson Profar, TEX vs SEA ($3,500): It's a close choice using Profar over Adrian Beltre ($3,200) with both having a home matchup against lefty Wade LeBlanc. However, Profar has a .383 wOBA at home against southpaws this season (59 plate appearances) while Beltre has only a .345 wOBA. LeBlanc has struggled more on the road with a 4.57 ERA while giving up a .338 wOBA to opposing batters.

SHORTSTOP

Brandon Crawford, SF vs HOU ($2,500): Considering the position from a DFS standpoint, Crawford is putting together another solid season hitting .276 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI. At first glance it might seem like a tough matchup against Charlie Morton but a closer look suggests otherwise. Morton's worst splits are on the road against lefties where he has allowed a .354 wOBA to that side of the plate. Unlike most shortstops, Crawford should be hitting in the middle of the lineup and get an opportunity or two to drive in some runs.

OUTFIELD

Marcell Ozuna, STL at MIA ($3,200): Ozuna will have a favorable matchup against lefty Wei-Yin Chen and he has a .346 wOBA against lefty pitchers this season. Ozuna has had at least a .342 wOBA against lefties in each of his last four seasons while Chen has allowed a .374 wOBA to right-handed hitters this season. If there's such thing as the "revenge" factor, Ozuna will have that working in his favor as he returns to Miami.

Carlos Gonzalez, COL vs PIT ($3,400): All lefty bats for the Rockies are in play tonight against righty Joe Musgrove and the visiting Pirates. Gonzalez should be occupying his usual cleanup spot and comes at a discount from Charlie Blackmon ($4,300) although using both isn't a bad idea if possible. Gonzalez has a .982 OPS over his last 30 games and at home this season his wOBA sits at a gaudy .442. Not surprisingly Musgrove has struggled more with left-handed hitters this season allowing a .335 wOBA.

UTILITY

Nelson Cruz, SEA at TEX ($3,900): Cruz is easily one of the top plays of the night playing in Texas against a left-handed pitcher. Martin Perez has given up a .434 wOBA to right-handed hitters this season and that number goes up to .459 at home. Cruz has been on fire as of late with seven home runs over his last 10 games and his wOBA against southpaws sits at .417.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Kevin Payne plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: Fanduel: kevinccp, Draft Kings: kevinccp, Yahoo: kevinccp.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin Payne
Kevin has worked for RotoWire over a decade and has covered basketball, baseball and football. A glutton for punishment, he roots for his hometown Bills, Sabres and the New York Yankees. You can follow him on Twitter @KCPayne26.
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