Happy weekend, folks. To ring in Saturday, there’s an eight-game featured MLB slate on DraftKings. With plentiful options across the board, we’re taking a look at the best value picks and bargain plays to fill out your DFS fantasy baseball lineups.
There are plenty of value options to be found. Here are my three favorites from tonight’s action:
- Astros SP Hayden Wesneski ($6,800) vs. Mariners
- Padres SS Xavier Bogaerts ($3,300) at Guardians
- Astros OF Taylor Trammell ($3,400) vs. Mariners
Set your DraftKings MLB DFS lineups here: MLB $100K Relay Throw [$25K to 1st]
SP Hayden Wesneski, Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners ($6,800)
I quite like the case for Hayden Wesneski today as he takes the mound for the Astros. For starters, the RHP has looked pretty solid since making his return from Tommy John surgery three games ago. He made his season debut back on July 29 with 5.2 innings and a win against the Angels, then went 6.0 innings in a win over the Blue Jays. In his most recent outing, Wesneski tossed a full 7.0 frames against the Giants, his most significant workload thus far. He’s allowed between two and three earned runs in each of those starts but has a 3.86 ERA and a nice 1.18 WHIP – a K% of 16.0% is low but an 8.0% BB% is solid. His chase rate is also what’s interesting at an elite 36.0% in the small sample of 18.2 IP, implying that maybe there’s more strikeout upside here. Today, he faces a Mariners lineup that’s hitting just .225 with a .657 OPS since the All-Star break. They have an OPS of .701 against right-handers on the year, too. Wesneski averages 14.7 FPPG so far with at least 12.8 DKFP in each of his three starts, so he brings really solid production to this point.
SS Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres at Cleveland Guardians ($3,300)
I know what you may be thinking here. Xander Bogaerts has an OPS of .653 this season and hasn’t been very good. Sure, that’s totally fair. Look at these numbers, though. In August, he’s slashing .270/.391/.486 with an .877 OPS, tallying 10 hits, eight walks, five runs, five RBI and a pair of homers. Plus, he’s stolen two bases, as well. That’s some nice production that averages out to 7.83 FPPG this month across 12 appearances. Now, there was a string of three zero-point games in there, but he has five outings of double-digit outputs and comes off nights of 22 and 14 DKFP after knocking a homer in each. The Padres’ offense is firing on all cylinders since the All-Star break and opposing LHP Joey Cantilllo has a high 1.48 WHIP with an elevated 10.7% BB%. Bogaerts can stay hot for fantasy today if he gets on base.
OF Taylor Trammell, Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners ($3,400)
We’re targeting another Astro here in the outfield to pair with Wesneski on the mound. Taylor Trammell averages 5.3 FPPG this season but has upped his output to 7.3 FPPG in 10 games this month. That includes four outings of double-digit points, too. He’s hitting just .228 this season but brings a .725 OPS overall with seven homers, and the lefty is excellent against right-handed pitching in particular – he slashes .250/.337/.451 for an OPS of .788, with all seven dingers coming in that split. Since the All-Star break, he carries an .840 OPS with four of those home runs, also stealing a pair of bases. He’s an awesome upside play in the outfield, though a matchup with RHP Emerson Hancock is a tougher assignment.
