We’re all looking for some value in this world. Inflation, am I right?! Anyway, while I can’t help your grocery bill, I can help you find some underpriced assets on tonight’s eight-game featured MLB slate. That’s just as good. Maybe even better.
Let’s dive in.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]
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SP Simeon Woods-Richardson, Minnesota Twins at New York Mets, $6,700
Woods-Richardson isn’t going to blow you away with strikeout ability or raw upside, but he might have the highest floor of any pitcher priced below $8K on tonight’s slate. Formerly a second-round pick of the Mets, SWR has been incredibly solid in his rookie campaign, registering a 3.27 ERA and a 3.56 FIP across 17 starts and 88.0 innings. Specific to his last three outings, Woods-Richardson owns a 2.20 ERA and a 1.92 FIP with a 25.0% strikeout rate. That includes six scoreless innings against the Phillies last week. New York has been doing damage with the bats recently, yet the team also sits ninth in strikeout rate (25.0%) and swinging strike rate (11.7%) since the beginning of July. The Mets are far from an ideal matchup. However, they still have their flaws.
1B Rowdy Tellez, Pittsburgh Pirates at Houston Astros, $3,100
Tellez has been dealing with a back issue, but the hulking first baseman had a pinch-hit double Sunday’s victory over the Diamondbacks, signaling he’s likely ready to return to the lineup on Monday. It would be welcomed. Tellez got off to a hellish start this season — he was consistently being booed in Pittsburgh — yet the veteran has certainly turned things around. Since June 1, Tellez is slashing .331/.370/.595 with a 163 wRC+ in 135 plate appearances. That stretch includes eight home runs and eight doubles for the 29-year-old. Tonight, he and the Pirates will get to square-off with Jake Bloss ($6,600). The Astros’ rookie has not been able to find success at the MLB level, surrendering five home runs in his first 11.2 innings with Houston. Bloss has also allowed opposing LHBs to hit .379 with a .690 slugging percentage.
OF MJ Melendez, Kansas City Royals at Chicago White Sox, $3,000
It’s been an underwhelming season for Melendez, who comes into Monday’s action hitting below the Mendoza line (.193). However, there are reasons to be optimistic about Melendez’s viability specific to this matchup with Chris Flexen ($6,000). First and foremost, Melendez’s expected wOBA in 2024 (.318) is much higher than his actual wOBA (.279). In fact, the disparity between those two numbers is one of the largest among all qualified bats in baseball. Melendez has also been much better against RHPs than LHPs this season. While the 25-year-old owns a ghastly -26 wRC+ versus lefties, he’s managed a .231 ISO and a .711 OPS in opposite-hand matchups. Then there’s just the presence of Flexen. The veteran right-hander has had serious issues retiring LHBs. Heck, he’s struggled to even keep them in the park. Left-handed hitters are averaging 2.36 home runs per nine off of Flexen in his 22 appearances. Woof.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
