Major League Baseball has another busy schedule this Saturday with games throughout the afternoon and evening. After a few afternoon matchups, the MLB DFS main slate includes the 10 games that begin at 6:05 p.m. ET or later. All the games start by 7:15, so it’s a little bit like a turbo slate with lots of games happening at the same time. It should be an exciting group of games with many strong starts to consider paying up for. Once you decide your core plays, you may need to dive into the bargain bin for a value option or two to help balance out your spending. Finding the right MLB DFS value picks is key to maximizing the production of your roster across the board, since some affordable players can go off with big nights of their own.
To help you as you search through the cheap options and find the best options, check out my three MLB DFS Value Picks in this post, who bring big upside at a small salary:
- SP Brandon Young, Baltimore Orioles vs. Atlanta Braves, $7,400: Young is coming off 28.2 FPTS against the Astros in his last start and has 17+ FPTS in three of his last five starts. He’s averaging 17.9 FPTS in his last 10 games.
- OF Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays, $3,100: Kwan has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, going 17-for-36 (.472) with three doubles and three stolen bases to average 10 FPTS per game.
- 1B/3B Tommy White, Athletics at Minnesota Twins, $2,600: White is the A’s No. 7 prospect and is hitting .348 with 6.0 FPTS per game in his six games in the MLB. “Tommy Tanks” has a big-time nickname to live up to but brings the power potential to match it at this bargain value.
Let’s dive in and take a closer look at these options that come with low salarie, but high ceilings on Friday night.
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Top MLB DFS Value Plays
SP Brandon Young, Baltimore Orioles vs. Atlanta Braves, $7,400
The Orioles are hosting the Braves this weekend, and on Saturday night, Brandon Young brings a good upside at his value salary under $7,500. Young is a solid 8-2 on the season with a 3.25 ERA and 3.85 FIP. He only has 74 strikeouts in 91 1/3 innings, which keeps him from being an elite fantasy option, but he has done a good job limiting damage and working deep into games lately. He’s coming off back-to-back seven-inning starts that earned him 14.4 FPTS against the Royals and 28.2 FPTS against the Astros.
His last start in Houston was his best fantasy outing of the year. He went seven innings with five hits and one run against him, while racking up seven strikeouts. Young has at least 14 FPTS in four of his last five games and in eight of his last 10 appearances. He has averaged a solid 17.9 FPTS over those 10 games, and if he is near that average again as he takes on the Braves, he’ll be a great value at this salary.
OF Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians at Tampa Bay Rays, $3,100
Kwan has been underwhelming this season, but he definitely seems to be finding his groove after a slow first few months. The 28-year-old lefty has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, going 17-for-36 (.472) with three doubles and three stolen bases to average 10 FPTS per game.
He has moved back to the leadoff spot for his last five games and has picked up multiple hits in three of those five contests. After getting Friday off against a lefty, he should be rested and ready to return to the top spot in the Guardians’ batting order as they face righty Nick Martinez ($7,800) on Saturday night in Tampa. His improving form puts him on the radar as a bargain play to consider for todya’s MLB DFS Value Picks.
1B/3B Tommy White, Athletics at Minnesota Twins, $2,600
“Tommy Tanks” has lived up to his nickname in his early opportunities for the A’s, and he should continue to get plenty of playing time while Nick Kurtz (thumb), Zack Gelof (knee), and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer on the IL. White started this season at Double-A and played 55 games at Triple-A before his promotion. In his 76 games in the minors, he hit .303 with 10 homers and a .364 wOBA.
White has gone 8-for-23 (.348) in his six games since arriving in the majors, with two doubles, two walks, and a .370 wOBA. He only has one barrel for a 4.3% barrel rate and 30.4% hard-hit rate in the MLB, but he has a better 43% hard-hit rate in Triple-A, so more tanks are likely on the way as he adjusts to the MLB. He’s already being plenty productive to be a great bargain play at this salary, though, and he brings a very high ceiling in Saturday’s matchup with lefty Connor Prielipp ($7,000), who is coming off the IL to make Saturday’s start. White is averaging 6.0 FPTS in his first six MLB games and has at least 4 FPTS in each of his last four games, which is enough to make him a strong play in Saturday’s MLB DFS Value Picks based on his potential upside.
