After a quick, two-game turbo slate appetizer, Tuesday’s fantasy baseball main slate offers a 13-game feast of fantasy goodness. Not only is it a massive player pool, but there are also some nice potential playoff matchups. Many teams in contention are facing off against each other, but there are also some nice values from those who aren’t in playoff races. With 26 teams in action, there are plenty of options to consider and matchups to break down.
As you assemble your squad for this large slate, you may still find yourself short on salary. You may have to go ultra cheap for a player or two to get the stars you want. Here are three of my favorite bargain plays offering high ceilings at affordable salaries.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]
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SP Frankie Montas, Milwaukee Brewers at St. Louis Cardinals, $7,000
Montas made 19 starts with mediocre overall numbers for the Reds this season before being traded to the Brew Crew at the MLB Trade Deadline. Since joining Milwaukee, he has shown signs of finding his groove, going 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 1.64 WHIP and 18 strikeouts across 14 innings. He has at least five strikeouts in each of his last four outings dating back to before the trade, and his increase in punch-outs has raised his K% on the season to 20.1%, with his K/9 climbing to 8.05.
Montas didn’t allow any earned runs in his most recent outing, even though he faced the mighty Dodgers. He didn’t win that outing, but he still produced 18.5 fantasy points due to his solid work. This will be the second time he starts against the Cardinals in St. Louis this year. He faced them on June 28 when he was with the Reds and posted a solid, six-inning outing that earned him 17.9 fantasy points. Montas has earned over 13 fantasy points in each of his three starts since joining Milwaukee, and he is a very stable value compared to the other options in this price range. He also has an even higher ceiling if his strikeout trend continues.
OF Dairon Blanco, Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels, $3,100
Blanco has had a sudden power surge with three homers in his last two games after only hitting a single home run in his first 68 games. That power surge helped him produce 41 fantasy points on Saturday and follow that up with 24 more fantasy points on Sunday in Cincinnati.
Playing Blanco this Tuesday isn’t just chasing those points, though. This year, most of his fantasy value has come from his excellent upside on the basepaths, where he has 22 stolen bases in 27 attempts. He has also played well against left-handed pitching with a .308 batting average, three homers and a .365 wOBA against southpaws. He will be on the good side of those splits against Tyler Anderson ($8,200) on Tuesday night, and he usually serves as sort of a “second leadoff” hitter out of the ninth spot in the order. If the Royals can keep up their recent offensive surge, Blanco should be able to be very involved if he can get on base with the top of the order coming up after him.
2B Will Wagner, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cincinnati Reds, $2,500
After landing Wagner from the Astros as part of the Yusei Kikuchi trade, the Blue Jays look ready to give the 26-year-old lefty a long look at 2B as part of their youth movement in the infield. Before the trade, Wagner hit .307 with a .392 wOBA in 70 games for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, and he kept right on rolling with the Buffalo Bison, hitting .400 with a .496 wOBA in seven games.
Since his promotion and MLB debut last week, Wagner stayed red-hot, going 9-for-19 in his five starts. He hit safely in each of those starts with three doubles, three RBI and an average of 9.0 fantasy points per game. I had Wagner in my picks on Monday, and I’m going back to the well for another favorable matchup on Tuesday. He will take on Reds’ righty Carson Spiers ($6,400), who has struggled against lefties, allowing them to hit .290 with a .363 wOBA. He has let lefties post an even better .403 wOBA against him in his road starts, so leaning into that split and playing Wagner at such a bargain price is a play that makes sense this Tuesday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Knuckleball [$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.
