This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Welcome to my Daily Plays article for Tuesday September 22, 2015. There are some potentially high scoring games on the slate, so let's find some hitters with affordable price tags to be able to fit in those high-priced bats. Let's get onto the picks.
Pitcher
Alex Wood, $8,300 - Wood has pitched well lately, and gets another start at home in Dodger Stadium where he has been sharp. In his last two starts at home, Wood has allowed just two earned runs while striking out 12 batters. He has been solid in seven of his past eight starts, allowing three runs or less in those seven quality outings. He has a 3.43 ERA since the All-Star break, and has reduced his batting average allowed from .299 in the first half, to .232 in the second half. He faces the Diamondbacks, a team that struggles on the road, and has a good chance at earning a win. Wood allowed just one hit in his last start, and makes an excellent choice at pitcher on Tuesday night.
Logan Verrett, $6,300 - Verrett is making another spot-start for the Mets, and has a great matchup facing the light-hitting Braves at home. Verrett has pitched very well when called upon to start in 2015, and has allowed just two earned runs in his last two starts. Verrett has struck out 29 batters in 37 innings in 2015, so he has some strikeout upside, along with a 2.94 ERA. Verrett should get plenty of run support from the Mets offense, since they face rookie Matt Wisler and his 5.63 ERA. Verrett is very affordable, has a great matchup, and a good chance at earning a win, making him a nice value play at pitcher.
Catcher
Miguel Montero, $2,800 - Montero is a cheap way to get exposure to the powerful Cubs lineup, and has been very productive at home in 2015. Montero has a .281 batting average at Wrigley Field, along with a .477 slugging percentage. He has hit 12 home runs off of right-handed pitchers, and faces the very hittable Tyler Cravy (6.42 ERA) on Tuesday. Cravy is being called up to replace Jimmy Nelson, and could be in for a long night in Chicago. Fire up Montero at catcher, a cheap source of power with a dream matchup.
First Base
Justin Bour, $2,900 - Bour has been on a tear lately, with hits in his last six games, including two home runs. He has punished right-handed pitching in 2015, with a .485 slugging percentage and 18 home runs. He faces Aaron Harang, who has allowed 22 home runs in his 26 starts this year, and has a 5.04 ERA. Bour has multi-home run upside at a very affordable price tag, making him an excellent value play at first base.
Second Base
Robinson Cano, $3,200 - Cano is another batter with a great matchup, and his salary has decreased to a very affordable level. Cano faces Jeremy Guthrie, who has allowed 25 home runs in 144 innings in 2015, and has struggled mightily versus left-handed batters. Cano has hits in seven of his past eight games, and is batting a respectable .292 versus right-handed pitching this year. He has come alive since the All-Star break, hitting .326 with 11 of his 17 home runs in the second half. Cano has multi-hit upside and power at a weak position, to go along with a juicy matchup, making him a great play at second base.
Third Base
Evan Longoria, $3,100 - Longoria continues to crush left-handed pitching, as does most of the Rays lineup, and they face another southpaw on Tuesday night in Fenway Park. Longoria is batting an impressive .346 versus left-handed pitching in 2015, including seven home runs, and a .571 slugging percentage. Longoria is hot right now, with six hits in his last three games, including three extra-base hits. He faces Henry Owens, who has a 6.86 ERA at home in Fenway Park, where he has surrendered six home runs in 21 innings.
Shortstop
Carlos Correa, $3,500 - There are very few appealing options at shortstop, so Correa is worth spending up for. Correa has crushed left-handed pitching in his rookie year, with seven home runs and a .551 slugging percentage against southpaws. He is also hot at the plate right now, with three multi-hit games in his past five starts. He has a rare combination of power (19 home runs) and speed (12 stolen bases) for a middle infielder. He faces left-handed Hector Santiago, who has pitched well in 2015, but has allowed 25 home runs in 29 starts.
Outfield
Dexter Fowler, $3,100 - Fowler is simply too cheap to ignore at his current salary, and the Cubs have a great matchup as well. Fowler has both power (17 home runs) and speed (20 stolen bases), and leads off for the young Cubs lineup. He has hit 11 of his 17 home runs at home in Wrigley Field, where he has a .364 OBP. Like Montero above, he has a dream matchup against Tyler Cravy and his 6.42 ERA, so make sure to get some exposure to the Cubs offense. Fowler makes a great value play based on his combination of power, speed, and matchup.
Trayce Thompson, $3,000 - Trayce is the brother of NBA star Klay Thompson, and has been very impressive in his brief major league career. Thompson has crushed left-handed pitching in 2015, with a .382 batting average and .735 slugging percentage against southpaws. He has four extra-base hits in his last five games, and has been batting in the heart of the White Sox lineup lately. He faces Daniel Norris, who has been inconsistent in 2015, allowing five home runs in his last five starts. Look for Thompson to keep his hot hitting going on Tuesday night, an excellent value play at his current salary.
Seth Smith, $2,400 - Smith usually bats fifth in the Mariners lineup when they face a right-handed pitcher, and has sneaky power for a player with his near-minimum salary. Smith has 26 doubles and 10 home runs versus right-handed pitchers in 2015, and should have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs facing Jeremy Guthrie. As mentioned above, Guthrie has struggled against left-handed batters, making Smith and Cano a nice pairing to have in the heart of the Mariners lineup.
