Major League Baseball has a full day of action on Saturday, with all 30 teams in play at some point this afternoon or under the lights. The main DFS fantasy baseball slate gets underway at 7:35 p.m. ET and includes the five late games. The Angels and Dodgers meet in the second game of this edition of the Freeway Series, the Red Sox and Yankees will try to dodge the rain in the Bronx, and the Brew Crew is in Denver to take on the Rockies at Coors Field in some of the biggest matchups. To afford the surging stars and top players on the board, you may need to balance out your spending with a few MLB DFS Value Picks. In this post, we’ll examine my top three MLB DFS Value Picks, who all bring good upside at their low salaries.
- SP Jack Leiter, Texas Rangers vs. Cleveland Guardians, $7,300: Leiter mowed down 10 Royals for 33.8 FPTS in his last start and has 17+ FPTS in four of his last six games. The Guardians are scrappy but rank in the bottom 10 in the MLB in runs, wOBA, and ISO.
- 2B/SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees, $2,800: Former Yankee Kiner-Falefa is hitting .333 over his last 16 games and averaging 6.8 FPTS per contest. He offers positional flexibility and solid splits against righties.
- OF Ryan Ward, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels, $2,600: Ward had his first MLB homer last Sunday and went 1-for-2 with a double on Thursday. He’s averaging 8.3 FPTS in his three games since rejoining the team after hitting .254 with a .370 wOBA, six homers, and six stolen bases at Triple-A.
Let’s dive in and take a closer look at these options, who come with low salaries but high ceilings this Friday.
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Best MLB DFS value plays
SP Jack Leiter, Texas Rangers vs. Cleveland Guardians, $7,300
The probable pitchers on Saturday night include a few huge names, but if you want to go with a cheaper option, Leiter is a good consideration for MLB DFS Value Picks. The Rangers righty was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft but has had inconsistent results throughout his rise to the majors. He still has been up and down this season, but he showed how dominant he can be with 10 K’s and 33.8 FPTS in his last outing against the Royals.
He’s been much better at home, where he is averaging 17.7 FPTS per game in six starts this year. He has a 3.34 home ERA and 3.94 home FIP, while he has been hit around more on the road. He has posted over 20 FPTS in five of his 12 starts and can dominate when at his best.
Cleveland’s offense is a scrappy group that consistently outperforms expectations, but they still rank in the bottom 10 in the MLB in runs, wOBA, and ISO.
2B/SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees, $2,800
IKF brings excellent flexibility since he can slot into either middle infield spot. He is hitting .270 with one homer and four stolen bases on the season, but he has been trending up by hitting .333 (16-for-48) in his last 16 games.
After the Red Sox took the first game of the series, he’ll face Will Warren ($8,400) at Yankee Stadium on Saturday if the weather cooperates. Against righties like Warren, Kiner-Falefa is hitting .327 this season with three doubles and a .346 wOBA.
OF Ryan Ward, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Los Angeles Angels, $2,600
Ward is the Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He has a solid plate approach and brings both power and speed potential against righties. He was hitting .254 with six homers and six stolen bases in his 47 games at Triple-A in Oklahoma City before his promotion earlier this week.
He hit his first MLB homer last Sunday, and he went 1-for-2 with a double on Thursday, averaging 8.3 FPTS in three games since his last promotion. He gets a favorable matchup Saturday night against Jack Kochanowicz ($5,700), who has struggled against lefties in his career, although he has been significantly better this season. Ward is a good way to get nice upside in a lineup that should produce Saturday night at Dodger Stadium against the Angels.
