On Tuesday night, there are nine games on the main MLB DFS slate on DraftKings after the Mets-Marlins game was moved to earlier in the day to avoid some bad weather. With 18 teams still in the player pool, there are plenty of strong options to consider all across the salary spectrum, so let’s dive into the slate and hunt down some great bargain plays for Tuesday night.
In this post, we’ll take a look at a few of my favorite bargain plays, and be sure to check out the full range of MLB DFS coverage available from the team at DKNetwork.
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SP Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies vs. Milwaukee Brewers, $5,000
What? A pitcher at Coors Field? Seriously? While normally backing a hurler in the rarified air of Denver is a recipe for disaster, I think Freeland is a great bargain value play on Tuesday as his Rockies host the Brewers. Coors Field in April is very different from Coors Field in July and August, and the early weather forecast is for clear skies and a solid 67 degrees.
Freeland has looked good in his first two starts of the season, allowing just three runs on 11 hits in 12 2/3 innings. He started the year with an impressive start in Tampa that earned him 26.3 fantasy points in six scoreless innings and held the powerful Phillies to just three runs in 6 2/3 innings last Wednesday. Last season, Freeland was much better at home at Coors Field than he was on the road, which is unusual for most pitchers. His sinker can be effective in the altitude, and the Denver native is definitely comfortable at elevation. He was knocked around in his first few starts and last few starts of last season, which skewed his numbers overall much higher than the quality pitcher he was for most of the season.
At just $5,000, if Freeland delivers a strong outing, he puts your lineup way ahead with all the extra salary to buy whatever bats you are looking for and stack elite options at almost every other position. He’s high-risk because of the environment, but at such a low salary, he also brings the potential of a Mile High reward.
2B/OF Kyren Paris, Los Angeles Angels at Tampa Bay Rays, $2,700
The Angels have found a way to get Kyren Paris at-bats, and the versatile 23-year-old is my favorite MLB DFS hitter value of the day with the flexibility to slide into your roster build at 2B if you want to stack outfielders or slide into the outfield if you have another 2B your targeting (including the other value pick below).
After struggling in a 21-game cameo at the end of last season, Paris had a great spring training, hitting .400 with a pair of home runs and four stolen bases in his 24 Cactus League games. He’s stayed hot in the regular season as well, going 8-for-18 (.444) with a triple, two home runs, eight runs scored, and four stolen bases to average an impressive 11.9 fantasy points per game. Paris has double-digit fantasy points in five of his last six games and went off for 24 fantasy points on Sunday in a 6-2 win over the Guardians. If the Halos get him in the lineup on Tuesday as they open their series in Tampa, he’ll have a very high ceiling and be a great way to save salary while keeping a high ceiling since he has multiple ways to contribute.
2B Ryan Bliss, Seattle Mariners vs. Houston Astros, $2,700
Bliss has started 10 of the Mariners’ 11 games this season at 2B and is 6-for-30 (.200) with a home run and a pair of stolen bases. He went yard on Monday in the first game of this series against Houston with a key two-run homer in the team’s one-run victory.
Bliss hit just .222 with a .300 wOBA in his 33 games in the MLB last season but showed much more potential in Triple-A, where he hit 12 home runs and stole 50 bases in 93 games. Bliss has been better against left-handed pitching in both the majors and the minors, so getting him on the strong side of his splits against Framber Valdez ($8,800) is a good spot to attack on Tuesday. Bliss’s speedy skillset could earn him a chance higher in the order if he can find a way to get on base more regularly. He enters Tuesday’s game with a five-game hitting streak after posting a season-high 16 fantasy points on Monday.
