FanDuel MLB: Thursday Value Plays

FanDuel MLB: Thursday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.

PITCHER:

Matt Wisler, ATL vs. MIL ($6,500): Wisler has been terrific lately, though you may not have known because he pitches for an atrocious Braves team. The 23-year-old is sporting an impressive 1.80 ERA (.238 wOBA allowed) in 30.0 May innings, and he has shown an uptick in strikeouts with seven in back-to-back outings. And while the Brewers' lineup he faces isn't a pushover, it's right-handed heavy and has struck out more than every team in baseball except the Astros. As the second-cheapest pitcher, Wisler may be the best value at any position.

CATCHER:

Francisco Cervelli, PIT vs. ARI ($2,700): Cervelli continues to excel behind the plate, which is a major reason the Pirates rewarded him recently with a contract extension. However, he's also been solid with the bat, and particularly against left-handed pitchers, terrorizing them to the tune of .407 wOBA. Cervelli faces lefty Patrick Corbin (.345 wOBA allowed to right-handed hitters) and is still priced quite reasonably, especially considering the lighter slate of games.

FIRST BASE:

Freddie Freeman, ATL vs. MIL ($3,100): Freeman has done an admirable job trying to carry a Braves offense that has been putrid to say the least. He has eight homers (almost half of the team's total of 18) yet only 15 RBI, which is hard to do. He's crushed right-handed pitching over his career (.379 career wOBA) and faces one in Wily Peralta, who's been beyond terrible (6.99 ERA, 1.92 WHIP, .427 wOBA allowed) and has yielded a career .354 wOBA to left-handed hitters. If that isn't enough, Freeman is the 13th-most expensive first baseman available.

SECOND BASE:

Brett Lawrie, CWS at KC ($2,700): Lawrie has actually put up decent numbers for the White Sox (.344 wOBA in 2016) yet his cost continues to be affordable. He's been notably effective against left-handed pitching (.393 wOBA, .235 ISO) and faces Danny Duffy, who's been significantly more successful against left-handed hitters than righties.

THIRD BASE:

Jung Ho Kang, PIT vs. ARI ($3,500): Kang has been a beast since returning from the horrific knee injury he suffered last season, rocking a .420 wOBA and five long balls in 14 games. He has been particularly devastating against left-handers (.604 wOBA, .727 ISO), granted in a small sample size, and faces the aforementioned Corbin. Given the light slate, Kang is a bargain at $3,500.

SHORTSTOP:

Jimmy Rollins, CWS at KC ($2,900): Outside of the high-end options, there isn't much to like at shortstop, and while Rollins has been horrendous against right-handed pitching (.216 wOBA), he's absolutely murdered lefties to the tune of a .593 wOBA and .350 ISO. Luckily, he faces a lefty and should be hitting at the top of the lineup. Based on the price, Rollins offers a relatively high ceiling for a minimal investment.

OUTFIELD:

Carlos Gonzalez, COL at BOS ($3,000): While CarGo has been a far cry from the offensive force he was last year, he's still batting in the middle of a solid Rockies lineup, has been effective against right-handed pitching (.356 wOBA) and faces Clay Buchholz, who's allowed a .393 wOBA to left-handed hitters. For the modest price of $3,000, Gonzalez is a perfect low-risk, high-reward play with the potential to carry the day.

Ben Revere, WAS vs. STL ($3,000): Revere's been scorching hot with a .403 wOBA over his last seven games, while adding a homer (say what?) and his first two stolen bases. The 28-year-old has a solid matchup with righty Mike Leake and is still priced affordably considering his stolen-base potential.

Mallex Smith, ATL vs. MIL ($3,000): I never thought I'd see the day I'd recommend two Braves in the same article, but here we are. Like Revere, Smith has big-time stolen-base upside and has been really strong against right-handed pitching (.380 wOBA). And as emphasized above, he faces one of the worst righties out there in Wily Peralta.

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. James Seltzer plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Schweppy23.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Seltzer
James Seltzer is a Producer at 97.5 the Fanatic in Philadelphia. James is a co-host of the BleedingGreenNation.com Eagles podcast as well as the This Week in Fantasy podcast. James also works for PhiladelphiaEagles.com.
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