Welcome to my weekly Sunday DraftKings MLB DFS plays. I’ll break down some of the prime values on the board, including studs and value plays, and why these players can lead your lineup to victory.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB 300K Mega 8s (100K to 1st Place)
Top MLB DFS Targets
Pitcher Studs
Garrett Crochet (BOS), $10,800: Don’t overthink this one. Crochet, the most expensive pitcher on the board, is well worth the price of admission. As if he needed any help, the Red Sox ace gets a home tilt against a bottom-10 Minnesota Twins offense. If you want to construct your lineup around a bona-fide ace, Crochet is your man.
Shota Imanaga (CHC), $9,000: The Cubs suffered a scare this week as Imanaga was forced to depart his start against the Pittsburgh Pirates with leg cramps. Manager Craig Counsell says all systems are go for tomorrow’s tilt with a struggling Brewers offense. Shota doesn’t rack up the Ks the way other aces do, but when it comes to keeping runners off the bases and runs off the board, few are better.
Pitcher Value Plays
Logan Evans (SEA), $7,000: Banking on a 23-year-old rookie isn’t usually my cup of tea, but this Texas Rangers offense looks feeble. Sure, they’re getting Corey Seager back from the 10-day IL, but this has been a bottom-five offense through the season’s first month. Evans handled business against a league-average Marlins offense last time out, allowing two runs over five innings. If you’re looking to invest more in your hitters, Evans can be your starter in his second career turn on the mound.
Will Warren (NYY), $6,300: It’s been a tough start to the year for the young Yankees right-hander. Warren has struggled to a 5.63 ERA over six starts, struggling with his command often. The good news for Warren is that this Tampa Bay Rays offense is also struggling. They’ve been a bottom-10 unit so far and have scored just six runs over their last five games. If Warren can bring enough command to this one, he can deliver value.
Infield Studs
1B Ben Rice (NYY), $4,900: Make no mistake, Ben Rice is swinging it as well as anyone right now. Well, not Aaron Judge. Rice’s exit velocity and expected batting numbers are out of this world, and the results show eight home runs on the season. Batting in front of Judge has also been a boon to his run-scoring production. Rays starter Taj Bradley hasn’t exactly lit it up this year, so Rice is lined up for a good day at the plate.
2B/3B Alex Bregman (BOS), $5,300: The Houston Astros may regret this past offseason. Bregman signed with the Red Sox and is off to the best start of his career, OPSing over 1.000 with a league-leading 13 doubles. He’s been a monster in the middle of a good Red Sox batting order. On top of that, Twins starter Chris Paddack has been shelled this year. Bregman is well worth the price of admission in this one.
Infield Value Plays
3B Mark Vientos (NYM), $3,100: If you’re loading up on studs, Vientos is a great play to round out a lineup for cheap. He had a rough start to the year but has turned things around over the past 10 games, picking up four extra base hits and OPSing over .800. Cardinals starter Erick Fedde has been below average this year as he struggled mightily to miss bats. Vientos’ ability to generate extra-base power could be a swing factor at the end of your lineup.
SS Masyn Winn (STL), $3,300: Another risk-reward value play here. Winn will be facing Mets starter Blade Tidwell, making his major league debut. Mostly known for his glove, Winn has been a solidly above-average hitter this season. In addition to his .272/.348/.432 batting line, he’s pitched in a pair of stolen bases, three home runs, four doubles, and 16 runs scored. If the Cardinals find a way to get on top of the rookie starter, Winn should find himself in the box score.
Outfield Studs
Aaron Judge (NYY), $6,500: If you don’t roster Judge, you run a significant risk—the $1,500 price over the average must be made up elsewhere. He’s a must-start with the way he’s swinging the bat. The best hitter on the planet leads all of baseball in hits, RBIs, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. You cannot afford to leave the reigning MVP out of your lineup.
Seiya Suzuki (CHC), $5,300: If you’re looking to get in on the Chicago Cubs’ hitting parade and can’t reasonably afford Kyle Tucker, Suzuki is the next best thing. Incredibly, a hitter with nine home runs in 30 games and an OPS near 1.000 isn’t even the best outfielder on his team. He could be a low-key lineup anchor with his hot hitting and home run power.
Outfield Value Plays
Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC), $4,500: Perhaps the year’s breakout star so far, PCA has homered three times over the past two contests against the Milwaukee Brewers. Known primarily for defense and stolen bases, the surge in power came out of nowhere. Crow-Armstrong looks like a 30-30 threat and will look to keep it rolling for the third game in a row against the Brew Crew.
Chandler Simpson (TBR), $3,600: The rookie has become a regular leadoff hitter for Tampa Bay. His glove forced him on the roster, and his batting forced him into the lineup. The 24-year-old speedster is batting .285 on the young season with five stolen bases and seven runs scored. He’s only managed one extra-base hit in 49 at-bats, and doesn’t sit atop a great offense, but his bat-to-ball skills and thievery on the basepaths makes him a worthy lineup filler.
