FanDuel MLB: Sunday Value Plays

FanDuel MLB: Sunday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.

PITCHER

David Paulino, HOU vs. LAA ($6,600): This line of thinking failed miserably for me Friday when going bargain hunting for Astros starter Brad Peacock, but I'm willing to take the risk on Paulino to save serious coin on the bump Sunday. The Astros have the third-highest winning odds in Sunday's main slate behind only Cleveland and Tampa Bay, so if Paulino can work into the sixth frame, he'll have a chance to return value. He's fanned 12 in 9.2 frames in his first two starts, and the Angels have only a .303 wOBA against right handers and average only 3.7 runs on the road.

CATCHER

Andrew Knapp, PHI at STL ($2,400): With Cameron Rupp starting Saturday night, look for Knapp and his .343 wOBA against righties to get the nod Sunday against Adam Wainwright. That number is second among Phillies regulars, while Wainwright allowed nine runs in his last start and a 4.82 ERA on the year. Knapp had hit safely in six straight and eight of nine prior to his current 0-of-8 skid.

FIRST BASE

Matt Carpenter, STL at CIN ($3,300): Carpenter appears to be warming up, having hit safely in four straight and in five of his last six, homering twice and driving in five runs. Despite his season .222 batting average, Carpenter has hit righties well, posting a .361 wOBA and .836 OPS against them compared to .261/.575 against southpaws.

SECOND BASE

Jonathan Schoop, BAL vs. NYY ($3,300): With Masahiro Tanaka being pushed back to Monday, Chance Adams will get the start for the Bronx Bombers. Schoop boasts a .371 wOBA and 132 wRC+ against right handers, both team highs among regulars. These two teams have met 11 times already this season, with only one game seeing fewer than nine total runs scored.

THIRD BASE

Todd Frazier, CWS at CLE ($3,300): Frazier's bat is coming to life, giving him solid upside against Carlos Carrasco. Frazier has a .479 wOBA, 20 wRC+ and 1.191 OPS against right-handed pitching since May 28, and he has five hits in 18 career at-bats against Carrasco, four of which have gone for extra bases.

SHORTSTOP

J.T. Riddle, MIA at PIT ($2,800): Riddle comes with little upside, but the risk isn't great at a non-premium position. He's hit safely in five of his last seven, four times reaching base multiple times. He has a modest .309 wOBA and 90 wRC+ against righties, assuming that Pirates starter Ivan Nova can pitch through a knee inflammation that forced him from his last outing.

OUTFIELD

Brett Gardner, NYY vs BOS ($3,500): O's starter Kevin Gausman will face the Yanks on Sunday for the fourth time this season. In his previous three meetings, Gausman has allowed 11 runs, 24 hits and 10 walks in 16.0 innings. Stacking Yankees bats certainly appears advantageous, but if you're looking for modest upside with minimal buy in to the matchup, Gardner brings a .385 wOBA, 144 wRC+ and .912 OPS against right handers to the table. He's also 12-of-37 (.324) with a .818 OPS in his career against Gausman.

Michael Brantley, CLE vs. CWS ($3,500): Brantley has just a .292 wOBA and .058 ISO against left handers this season, and he has a mere .263 wOBA since June 1. So why take the risk here? Because of the usually less than important head-to-head performance against opposing pitcher Jose Quintana. In 30 career at-bats, Brantley has 15 hits, five of which went for extra bases and six RBI. It's a large enough sample size to put some stock in. That Quintana has allowed 16 runs over his last 12.1 frames at least suggests taking stock in an Indians bat is prudent.

Mallex Smith, TAM vs. OAK ($2,000): Sunday's main slate has only eight games, and with aces throwing in two of them, owners are left with essentially just 14 offenses to pick from, which means you're going to have to take some low-risk cheap plays. Smith is going to be the most obvious and popular, having gone 3-for-8 with a homer, two RBI, three runs scored and four steals in his last two games since being recalled. Assuming he starts again over Peter Bourjos, he'll face A's righty Jesse Hahn, who is allowing a .313 wOBA to lefties versus .260 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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