FanDuel MLB: Sunday Value Plays

FanDuel MLB: Sunday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.

Pitching depth seems to be the story of Sunday's main slate, which features eight games going off between 1:00 and 2:20 PM EST.

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PITCHER

Jon Lester, CHC vs. MIN ($9,000): Such an interesting slate Sunday afternoon, as on paper you could probably draw any of the top six pitchers' names out of a hat, roll with that draw, and build a solid lineup. Lester is on a nice roll, having won five straight while turning in four straight quality starts – and faces a plus matchup to continue that run. Minnesota ranks 26th offensively against lefties, owning just a .298 wOBA, 86 wRC+, .132 ISO and 23.1 percent strikeout rate.

GPP Fade: Charlie Morton, HOU at TAM ($10,400): Let's not split hairs here; this is a good spot for Morton, and a case can easily be made that a pitcher's duel with Blake Snell evolves here. The fade comes strictly from Morton's price, as you can't expect the 70 points he put up in his last outing, and you can likely find 35-45 points from any number of cheaper arms on Sunday. It's just a deep pitching day where fully paying up doesn't make the most sense.

Cheap GPP Consideration: Kevin Gausman, BAL vs. LAA ($7,200): Gausman qualifies as the lowest priced pitcher I'd feel comfortable using Sunday. So, much like Morton, he lands in his position largely by default. The Angels rank eighth against righties, but a .322wOBA isn't too terrifying for opposing pitchers. Gausman owns a stable 3.47 xFIP and 23.2 percent fan rate in five June starts, spanning 29.2 innings. He's always combustible, but Gausman can bring 30 fantasy points to the table for 2K less than some of Sunday's other options.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

Jesus Aguilar, MIL at CIN ($4,000): Reds' starter Matt Harvey has been borderline serviceable since coming over from the Mets, but he's still being crushed by lefties and is well worth exploiting Sunday. Harvey is allowing opposite-handed bats to produce a .371 wOBA, while Aguilar has been a righty killer, to the tune of a .407 wOBA, 156 wRC+ and huge .312 ISO. See two players below for a delightful mini-stack.

SECOND BASE

Cesar Hernandez, PHI vs. WAS ($3,500): The price appears steep for a player with no power at all from the right side, owning just a .062 ISO against lefties. But the keystone sets up an awful lot like shortstop does, where you're forced to pay up or punt the position. Hernandez isn't a punt, owning a stable .341 wOBA against southpaws. And, as the leadoff hitter for the Phils, he's got great scoring potential against Gio Gonzalez, who has allowed 20 runs over his last five starts spanning 21.1 innings.

THIRD BASE

Travis Shaw, MIL at CIN ($3,400): We touched on Matt Harvey's issues against lefties. And with Christian Yelich no sure bet to play Sunday, rolling with Aguilar and Shaw makes perfect sense. Shaw trails only Aguilar amongst Brewer regulars, bringing a .380 wOBA, 138 wRC+ and .290 ISO. His current slump/wrist injury has put his price at a very appealing number.

SHORTSTOP

Andrelton Simmons, LAA at BAL (3,500): Simmons has been white hot since returning from injury, hitting safely in 10 of 14 games while going 9-for-17 in his last four. His season-long .349 wOBA and 127 wRC+ suggest a nice floor regardless of this hot streak, making for stable option at a position that is largely pay or punt.

OUTFIELD

Mark Trumbo, BAL vs. LAA ($3,100): Trumbo hasn't sustained last week's success since returning home, but this still looks to be a favorable matchup against Deck McGuire, who is allowing a .550 wOBA and four homers to 34 righties he's faced this season. You're betting on a homer from Trumbo, obviously making him a GPP option, but his .215 ISO looks like it will play well here.

Brian Anderson, MIA vs. NYM ($2,900): Anderson continues to be underpriced, largely due to a lack of power potential. But his 40 RBI are nothing to scoff at, nor are his team leading numbers against lefties: a .362 wOBA, 130 wRC+ and decent .172 ISO. He offers your lineup a stable floor against Steven Matz, while bringing plenty of lineup flexibility at his reduced price.

Randal Grichuk, TOR vs. DET ($2,500): This is an awfully cheap price to pay for a likely leadoff hitter against Jordan Zimmerman Sunday, a starter who sports a 6.00 road ERA while allowing a 5.94 xFIP to righties away from home. Grichuk is in a nice groove, hitting safely in five straight, while boasting a .357 wOBA and robust .305 ISO against righties to date.

UTILITY

Brandon Nimmo, NYM at MIA ($3,100): Nimmo's splits earn him the nod here, though Michael Conforto and Jose Bautista are both certainly in play and would make for a very cheap stack against Dan Straily, who has been crushed by lefties by allowing a .370 wOBA to them while also sporting a 6.00 home ERA. Nimmo is slumping, as his price reflects, but he still leads the Mets with a robust .434 wOBA, 180 wRC+ and .317 ISO against righties.

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. Chris Bennett plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: k30kittles, DraftKings: k30kittles.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Bennett
Bennett covers baseball, college football and college basketball for RotoWire. Before turning to fantasy writing, he worked in scouting/player development for the Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos. He's also a fan of the ACC.
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