After a break for the All-Star game, Major League Baseball returns to the diamonds this Friday night with a nice 11-game slate. With 22 teams on the field, there are plenty of options to choose from and everyone should be well-rested and ready to roll. The slate starts with the Rays visiting the Yankees in one of six divisional games, and in another of those division matchups, Coors Field is also in play as the Rockies welcome in the Giants.
Recently, several fun rookies called up to join their teams recently, and the young players are one great source of value. Youngsters aren’t the only source of value to consider, though, since some veterans are also underpriced for their Friday matchup. If you need to balance out your big spending with some bargains, check out these three value plays, which bring high ceilings at their affordable salaries.
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SP Sean Manaea, New York Mets at Miami Marlins, $7,600
If you’re looking for a high-risk, high-reward flier, J.P. Sears ($6,300) brings good upside against the Angels, but he has been very boom-or-bust throughout the season. Manaea has been much more consistent, so if you have the salary available, he’s a strong play in this favorable matchup. Manaea is 6-3 with a 3.46 ERA, 3.75 FIP and 9.0 K/9. He has posted at least 15 fantasy points in each of his last six starts and is coming off a strong start against the Rockies with nine strikeouts and 28.2 fantasy points in seven innings. He has allowed three runs or fewer in six straight outings, compiling an impressive 2.02 ERA and 0.98 WHIP while holding opponents to a .146 batting average. He has strong road splits, and the Marlins have been one of the best matchups for starting pitchers this season, scoring the fewest runs in the National League with a league-worst .280 team wOBA. Over the last 30 days, they also rank in the top five in the MLB in K%, so Manaea should be able to continue his recent momentum as he takes the mound on Thursday at pitcher-friendly LoanDepot Park.
OF Lawrence Butler, Oakland Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels, $3,000
Butler spent a month in Triple-A from mid-May to mid-June, but the 24-year-old lefty has been excellent since rejoining the MLB squad and has moved into a much more prominent role in the lineup. He hit leadoff in Oakland’s last two games before the All-Star break and is expected to continue to serve as the primary option atop the order at least against right-handed pitchers. Over his last 13 games, Butler went 14-for-43 (.326) with seven home runs, three stolen bases and a .496 wOBA. He had three of those homers and produced a slate-high 48 fantasy points in the final game before the break in an 18-3 drubbing of the Phillies. On Friday, he’ll face Griffin Canning ($5,800), who has allowed 11 of his 18 home runs against this season to lefties, who have a .374 wOBA against him. Especially if he continues to hit atop the order, Butler brings a very high ceiling with his power and speed potential in a premium run production spot in the order.
SS Xavier Edwards, Miami Marlins vs. New York Mets, $2,900
Another young hitter who went into the All-Star break on a nice run was recent call-up Xavier Edwards, who has taken over at SS since the Marlins designated Tim Anderson for assignment. Edwards showed huge stolen base potential after posting 37 stolen bases last season in Triple-A and the MLB. However, his start to 2024 was delayed by a bacterial infection in his foot, which landed him on the 60-day IL. Edwards hit .330 in 29 games with one home run, five stolen bases and a .370 wOBA for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in Triple-A, and he has been very productive since rejoining the Marlins on July 2. He has hit safely in 11 of his 12 games since then with multiple hits in six of his last eight games. He went 11-for-29 (.448) with two doubles during that eight-game span and is hitting .352 on the season with four doubles, seven walks and a solid .379 wOBA. He didn’t steal any bases in his first 11 games in the majors but swiped three bags in his last four games before the break. He had at least eight fantasy points in each of his last five games, highlighted by 22 fantasy points last Sunday. If he keeps hitting so well and gets more aggressive on the bases, he will continue to be one of the few Marlins bats to consider for fantasy. Even though I like Manaea for the Mets, Edwards is too cheap to pass up given his production before the break.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Bat Flip [$50K 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.
