You know what’s better than paying up for a star player? Finding a value option at fraction of the price. This is not a Dr. Pepper article, people. We’re all about Mr. Pibb.
Let’s sort though tonight’s seven-game featured DFS slate on DraftKings and Pibb it up.
Here are my best value plays for this evening’s action on the diamond:
- Tigers SP Framber Valdez ($7,500) vs. Pirates
- Royals 2B Michael Massey ($3,600) vs. Athletics
- Dodgers C Hunter Feduccia ($2,900) vs. Rockies
Set your DraftKings MLB DFS lineups here: MLB $200K Rally Cap [$50K to 1st]
SP Framber Valdez, Detroit Tigers at Pittsburgh Pirates, $7,500
Who knows what version of Valdez you’re going to get on any given night. Last time out, the veteran LHP surrendered four earned runs over 5.2 innings and walked more opponents (5) than he stuck out (3). However, the start before that, Valdez tossed seven scoreless innings against the Mariners. This is a low-floor, high-ceiling DFS archetype.
Still, let’s not pretend that the obvious draw here isn’t the matchup. After surprisingly elite offensive production for the first three months of the season, things have fallen off in Pittsburgh. Injuries haven’t helped — as Konnor Griffin (finger), Oneil Cruz (hand) and Ryan O’Hearn (quad) are all on the IL — but the Pirates rank 26th in ISO (.118), 25th in expected wOBA (.290) and 23rd in wRC+ (83) in the month of August. Look for Valdez to get back on track on Monday evening.
2B Michael Massey, Kansas City Royals vs. Athletics, $3,600
Putting aside the fact that Massey is the rare left-handed bat with significant reverse-splits, this appears to be a very nice spot for the infielder on Monday night. First and foremost, Massey has been on fire since the calendar flipped to August, slashing .326/.319/.587 with a .261 ISO and a 144 wRC+. Who needs walks in DFS, anyway? Secondly, Mason Barnett ($6,000) will be toeing the rubber for the Athletics.
A converted reliever, Barnett owns an 8.78 ERA in his three starts in 2026, and overall, he’s surrendering a laughable 2.61 opponent home runs per nine. Sure, you could point to Barnett’s joke of a home ball park or small sample size as a defense for his underwhelming performance, yet a 14th percentile opponent barrel rate (10.1%) really drives home the initial point. Barnett’s simply been bad so far in 2026.
C Hunter Feduccia, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies, $2,900
There’s only one piece of the Dodgers’ expensive lineup that could qualify as a “value” on this slate, and it’s whoever ends up catching and hitting ninth. Feduccia would obviously be the preferred option, as Ben Rortvedt ($2,700) currently has a negative wRC+. Yes, that’s a thing that can happen. To be fair to Feduccia, he really hasn’t been that terrible in 2026 with the bat. In fact, in his 152 plate appearances against right-handed pitching with the Rays and the Dodgers, Feduccia’s in possession of a 104 wRC+. That’ll play, especially in a matchup with Tomoyuki Sugano ($5,500).
Sugano is surrendering a whopping 2.52 home runs per nine to opposing LHBs, and that lines up perfectly with a first percentile xERA (6.93) and the first percentile opponent barrel rate (13.7%). This isn’t strictly a Colorado thing, either. Sugano’s actually been far worse on the road, giving up 2.30 long balls per nine overall with a 5.94 FIP. Go figure.
