FanDuel MLB: Thursday Value Plays

FanDuel MLB: Thursday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.

PITCHER

Mike Foltynewicz, ATL vs. MIA ($6,400): Folty returns from the DL following a near month-long absence and will look to build on some of the positive momentum he'd started to generate in May. Foltynewicz had scored between 35 and 48 fantasy points in four of his last five trips to the mound before his elbow injury, lowering his ERA over six full runs since his first start May 2. He has a 1.93 ERA at Turner Field over 18.2 innings this season, while holding opposing hitters to a .190 batting average. While there's a risk considering it's his first game back from injury, particularly against a Marlins team that hits righties well, but a short slate brings a dearth of true value at pitcher, putting him in squarely in play.

CATCHER

Salvador Perez, KAN at STL ($3,300): Perez always brings some nice upside at a position that can be hard to derive offense from, and he has found his greatest success against right-handers this season, generating a .366 wOBA, .234 ISO and 38.4 percent hard contact rate. Meanwhile, Cardinals starter Mike Leake has regressed this month after a solid May, generating a 5.56 ERA and surrendering a .357 wOBA over 22.2 frames.

FIRST BASE

Adam Lind, SEA vs. BAL ($2,900): Lind should find himself in the lineup at either first base or DH against righty Chris Tillman, a pitcher whom he's had some decent success against in his career (.278 average over 36 at-bats). Tillman has been far more vulnerable to lefty hitters as well, surrendering a .341 wOBA to them that rises to .363 when facing them away from Camden Yards. June has also been his worst month of the season by far, as he's generated a 4.80 ERA and .373 wOBA over 30 innings, while giving up seven homers in the process. Lind has 10 of his 11 homers on the season against righties and has a .371 wOBA and .291 ISO against them at home, along with a 40 percent hard contact rate versus that handedness this year.

SECOND BASE

Devon Travis, TOR vs. CLE ($2,900): Travis remains priced very reasonably for a player who's generated double-digit fantasy points in three of his last five games, and multi-hit efforts in six of his last 10, including three home runs. He's done a majority of that damage against righties, against whom he's tallied a whopping .434 wOBA, .319 ISO and all five of his homers. Indians starter Carlos Carrasco is certainly no picnic, but he isn't unhittable either, as he has given up five of his nine homers on the season to right-handed bats, with three of those coming in road starts.

THIRD BASE

Jose Ramirez, CLE at TOR ($3,000): On the other side of the Blue Jays-Indians matchup we have Ramirez, another player underpriced relative to recent production. Ramirez has hit safely in eight of the last 10 games, and has flashed his upside by tallying double-digit fantasy points in four of those contests. He'll be seeing knuckleballer R.A. Dickey for the first time in his career, so there's a significant risk/reward factor at play, but Dickey has given up a .353 wOBA at Rogers Centre this season, and a .361 wOBA in 29.2 June innings. The switch-hitting Ramirez has a .346 wOBA and 116 wRC+ against right-handed pitching this season, while Dickey has yielded a .365 wOBA to lefty hitters that rises to .407 when facing them at home.

SHORTSTOP

Danny Espinosa, WAS vs. CIN ($3,200): Reds starter Brandon Finnegan has given up 11 of his 12 homers on the season to right-handed batters, while the switch-hitting Espinosa has a .343 wOBA and .317 ISO against southpaws. Additionally, he has a .427 wOBA, five doubles, seven homers and 14 RBI over 77 June at-bats.

OUTFIELD

Rajai Davis, CLE at TOR ($3,000): Davis has double-digit fantasy points in five of the last 10 games and has a favorable history against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey. Davis has slashed .455/.500/.636 against the veteran righty over 11 career at-bats, with a pair of doubles and an RBI. He's also put together his best month of the season in June, during which he's posted a .313 average, .344 wOBA, four doubles, two homers and six RBI.

Mark Trumbo, BAL at SEA ($3,300): A couple of underpriced sluggers round things out, beginning with Trumbo, who leads the majors with 23 homers follow his second bomb in three games Wednesday. The performance generated 38.4 fantasy points, Trumbo's second game over the last seven with more than 30 fantasy points, providing a glimpse of his massive upside. He tees off against his old teammates Thursday, and a pitcher in Taijuan Walker who's yielded a .348 wOBA to right-handed hitters. Trumbo has crushed righty arms this season, tallying a .388 wOBA, .247 ISO and 35 percent hard contact rate against that handedness.

Adam Duvall, CIN at WAS ($2,900): Duvall is right behind Trumbo for the major league home run lead with 22 round-trippers of his own, and he draws a lefty in Gio Gonzalez. Duvall has battered southpaws to the tune of a .356 wOBA and 120 wRC+ this season, including a .347 wOBA and nine homers in June. Gonzalez has yielded a .335 wOBA and all nine homers on the season to right-handed hitters and has also generated a bloated 7.16 ERA and .352 wOBA allowed in 27.2 June frames.

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. Juan Carlos Blanco plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: jcblanco22, FanDuel: jc_blanco22, DraftPot: jc_blanco22, FantasyDraft: jc_blanco22, OwnThePlay: jcblanco22.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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