This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We have 10 games Thursday, so there is a wealth of options out there. In addition, three of them are day games, so make sure to check the early lineups to ensure that you don't waste money on players who won't be on the field. Here are our daily value plays for Thursday, July 9.
Pitcher:
Garrett Richards, $9,000: There are a number of good pitchers on the board today, so picking the right one will be crucial. Richards has really picked it up after a slow start to his season. Over his last five starts Richards has yielded less than two runs per outing, in addition to a solid 7.3 K/9. Add in a matchup against a Seattle offense that has scored the second-fewest runs in the league this season, not to mention the fifth-lowest OPS, and Richards seems like a solid play for a decent price. As the seventh-highest priced pitcher available, Richards gives you the best chance of garnering a high-end pitching performance while still having money left over to spread out over the rest of your lineup. If you want to splurge on a top-tier pitcher, David Price ($11,000) is the cheapest of the three true aces available and yet should provide the same upside as the others.
Catcher:
Mike McKenry, $2,700: McKenry has not played in four days, so seems a likely bet to be in the lineup today. McKenry, who faces lefty Alex Wood in Coors, has crushed left-handed pitching this season - .333/.545/.667 slash line vs. lefties - albeit in a limited sample size. McKenry has also hit well at home this season, sporting a strong .925 OPS at Coors Field. Between McKenry's success against lefties and the home park, he is a nice upside play for a low price at catcher. If you want to spend a little more, Stephen Vogt ($3,100) has a decent matchup, against a struggling Masahiro Tanaka, at the left-handed hitter's homer haven that is Yankee Stadium.
First Base:
Jose Abreu, $3,500: Abreu has been outstanding over the last 30 days sporting a .327/.352/.545 slash line in the last month. Abreu is not hitting quite as many homers as last season - he currently sits at 14 - but has still been extremely productive. Abreu has been especially good at home this season - .306 average with seven home runs - and faces R.A. Dickey who has been a disaster this season as evidenced by his 5.02 ERA. In addition, Abreu is only the seventh-highest priced first baseman available, which seems like a bargain based on the matchup.
Second Base:
Howie Kendrick, $3,200: Kendrick has quietly been playing great for a little while now. Over the last 30 days, the veteran second baseman has hit for a .306 average and added a couple home runs and stolen bases for good measure. Kendrick faces Severino Gonzalez and his 8.28 ERA, so you could not ask for a better matchup. Look for Kendrick to be a productive option at second base for a relatively affordable price point. Brian Dozier ($3,700) is another nice option, though he is slightly more expensive. Dozier has been on fire lately and despite a touch matchup with David Price, still represents a decent bang-for-your-buck play.
Third Base:
Brett Lawrie, $3,000: Lawrie has been on a tear of late. Lawrie is batting .368 over the last week and is sporting a solid .293/.343/.467 slash line over the last 30 days. Lawrie faces a struggling Masahiro Tanaka in Yankee Stadium, which is a better matchup than it may appear at first. Tanaka's ERA has risen from 2.48 to 3.94 in his last five starts, and he appears to be eminently hittable right now. With Lawrie being the 14th most expensive third baseman on the board, he represents a nice play for a moderate price point. If you want to spend a few more sheckels here, Justin Turner ($3,300) has a tremendous matchup with aforementioned Severino Gonzalez. Turner has crushed right-handed pitching this season, so expect him to put up some strong numbers against Gonzalez.
Shortstop:
Alexei Ramirez, $2,300: Ramirez is one of the cheapest starting shortstops available, yet he has been hitting the cover off the ball lately. The Cuban import is batting a stout .500 over the last week and has shown he can swipe a few bases as well with 10 steals on the season. Ramirez faces a struggling R.A. Dickey; so expect him to continue hitting against the knuckleballer. For the insanely low price of $2,300, Ramirez is a no brainer play today.
Outfield:
Joc Pederson, $3,500: Pederson has been a fantasy star this season. The rookie has hit an astonishing 20 home runs and is sporting an impressive .865 OPS on the season. Pederson has been especially good against right-handed pitching this season as he has hit 17 of his home runs to go along with an .899 OPS against righties. Pederson faces afore mentioned struggling righty Severino Gonzalez and is an obvious play today for a relatively cheap price compared to what he has cost for most of the season.
Christian Yelich, $3,300: Yelich has been one of the league's hottest hitters since returning from the D.L. The young Marlin is batting a stellar .341 over the last 30 days and has been even better - .450 average - over the last week. In addition, Yelich faces David Holmberg who is making his first start of the season. Holmberg was not particularly impressive last season in his limited time in the majors - 4.80 ERA - and should provide a nice matchup for the Marlin outfielder. For a relatively modest price, Yelich should be a solid bet to continue his hit streak.
Melky Cabrera, $2,700: Melky has been white-hot lately. The veteran outfielder is sporting a .348/.394/.522 slash line over the last 30 days, and is batting a stellar .409 over the last week. Yet, for some reason Melky is still priced in the middle-to-lower tier of outfielders. Take advantage of this. Add in that Melky is facing R.A. Dickey in Chicago, and he is as good of an upside play as there is on the board, especially for the low price.
Other Notable Outfielders:
J.D. Martinez, $4,600
Kevin Pillar, $2,800
