Most teams are about 10 games into their season, and we’re starting to get a read on what teams and players have to offer for DFS fantasy baseball. Major League Baseball starts another work week with a nice nine-game featured slate on DraftKings this Monday. The Rangers and Astros are finishing their four-game series while the other eight games are new series, including the Blue Jays home opener vs. the Mariners. The slate gets started at 7:07 p.m. ET with that game in Toronto and includes the matchup at Coors Field, which is usually a great place to get some offense.
As another week gets underway, let’s dive into some of the top values in this 18-team player pool.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $333K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
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SP Spencer Turnbull, Philadelphia Phillies at St. Louis Cardinals, $6,900
Turnbull has always offered a high strikeout ceiling, dating back to when he was a prospect for the Tigers more than five years ago. However, his career was detoured by Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of 2022, and he never looked right last season with the Tigers either. After signing with the Phillies as a free agent, Turnbull opened the season in the rotation due to an injury to Taijuan Walker (shoulder). Turnbull was solid in Spring Training, flashing that strikeout upside with 12 strikeouts over eight innings and allowing just two runs.
In his first start of 2024, Turnbull looked exceptional against the Reds. He only went five innings due to his pitch count but finished with seven strikeouts—his first win of the year and 27.5 DKFP. His strikeout potential and the productive Phillies’ lineup behind him sets him up as a good value this Monday as he takes on the Cardinals. St. Louis has a top-10 team K% this season and has only hit five home runs, which is the second-fewest in the MLB.
1B Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres, $2,800
Amid their spending spree this past offseason, the Dodgers were in a roster crunch and had to trade away Busch to make room on the 40-man roster. They sent him to Chicago for lower-level prospects, and Busch seems ready to make the most of his opportunity. Last year, he hit .323 with 27 homers and a .449 wOBA at Triple-A. He had a solid spring, hitting .261 with three homers, and he broke camp as one of the Cubs’ primary 1B. He had a big series against his former team this past weekend, averaging 11.3 DKFP per game against the Dodgers. On the season, he’s 8-for-27 (.296) with one home run and a .374 wOBA. Busch will likely be in the sixth spot in the order against righty Yu Darvish ($8,400) and the Padres. Darvish has been more hittable by lefties throughout his career and has fave up a .340 wOBA to them last season. It’s a good split to target for Busch and the rest of the Cubs’ left-handed hitters, and since Busch is so affordable, he’s a good way to save salary and still get power potential.
SS José Caballero, Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Angels, $2,800
The Rays acquired Caballero in a trade from the Mariners this offseason and have made the 27-year-old their primary SS so far this season. He has hit safely in seven of his eight games, going 8-for-27 (.296) with a pair of doubles, three RBI and four runs scored. Caballero has also shown off his upside on the bases with four stolen bases in five attempts. While the righty has been hitting near the bottom of the lineup, he still brings good potential for a player under $3,000, especially based on his speed. Last season with Seattle, he had 26 stolen bases in 104 games and hit .265 against lefties with a .348 wOBA and 126 wRC+ in the split. Monday’s matchup with lefty Tyler Anderson ($7,600) should be a good spot for him to return excellent value once again.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $333K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
