After an undeniably awesome sports weekend, Major League Baseball gets right back to work this Monday with a solid eight-game slate on the board for MLB DFS contests. The eight-game slate is bookended by divisional matchups from the American League East and National League West, with plenty of interesting matchups and fantasy options in between. With 16 teams in the player pool, there is no shortage of stars to consider. If you find yourself tight on salary cap space and in need of an option from the bargain bin, check out my top MLB DFS Bargain Plays for this Monday 4/14/25.
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at my top three favorite bargain plays that bring a high ceiling despite a very affordable price point. As you make out your lineup card this Monday, be sure to check out the full range of MLB DFS coverage from the team at DKNetwork.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]!
SP Clay Holmes, New York Mets at Minnesota Twins, $7,500
The conversion of Clay Holmes to a starting pitcher is off to a strong start, and he brings an outstanding strikeout ceiling to this favorable matchup in Minnesota on Monday. Holmes is coming off a dominant performance against the Marlins that earned him his first win of the season and 23.2 fantasy points. He went 5 1/3 innings and gave up four runs on five hits, but he was impressive with 10 strikeouts in the outing. He allowed a pair of runs in the first inning but then settled in and dominated until giving up two more runs before leaving in the sixth inning.
Holmes is 1-1 with a 4.30 ERA and 2.32 FIP in his first three starts of the season, but his 20 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings give him a 12.3 K/9. Since strikeouts are so key for MLB DFS and give pitchers both a high floor and a high ceiling, Holmes is a great option at this price point.
He also makes sense against the Twins since Minnesota is just 5-11 and hitting .208 as a team with just 20 runs scored over their last seven games.
OF Cam Smith, Houston Astros at St. Louis Cardinals, $2,400
Smith was drafted by the Cubs less than a year ago, but he has been the Astros’ right fielder all season after the team acquired him as the top prospect in the Kyle Tucker trade. Smith was moved straight to the MLB after a huge spring training, but he went just 2-for-18 in his first six games.
After getting back-to-back days off, he seems to have shaken off that slow start over the past week and has emerged as a great MLB DFS bargain in the outfield. In his last five games, he went 6-for-17 (.353) and had his first extra-base hit, his first home run and his first stolen base of his MLB career.
THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER.
Cam Smith with his first Major League Home Run! pic.twitter.com/Hb91OjGUgk
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 12, 2025
In his last five games, the 22-year-old has averaged 11.0 fantasy points per game with a ceiling game of 28 fantasy points against the Angels that included his home run. He and the Astros are on the road to start this week in St. Louis, where he’ll take on Sonny Gray ($8,500) from this extremely affordable MLB DFS salary.
2B Kyle Farmer, Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Dodgers, $2,300
The Rockies entire lineup has suddenly stopped hitting. They were shut out for the entire three-game series in San Diego and dropped to a major league-worst 3-12, including a 1-8 record on the road. Now they get to go to Los Angeles to face the juggernaut of the Dodgers–yikes! However, even in such a mess of a situation, there is a fantasy bargain option.
Farmer has been one of the few bright spots for the Rockies this season, as the versatile veteran infielder has hit .349 (15-for-43) with six doubles, four walks, and three RBI. He has hit near the top of the order for the last four games, going 6-for-16 with three doubles and an average of seven fantasy points per game.
He is about the only member of the team hitting as they get ready to take on Dustin May ($9,300) on Monday, but at barely more than the minimum salary, he doesn’t have to do much to be an elite value. If you can give up your 2B roster spot on this eight-game slate, he brings great bargain upside.
