The Monday night MLB DFS slate focuses on the seven games that start at 7:40 p.m. ET or later. Six of the seven games start after 9:30 p.m. ET, when a big wave of action from the West will fill up the scoreboard. As you look through the various matchups and consider key options to build around, you might need to find a few cheap plays to balance out your salary cap space. Finding the right MLB DFS value picks can be the key to maximizing your production across the board, since some affordable players can go off with big nights of their own while also saving significant salary.
To help you as you search through the bargain bin, check out my three MLB DFS value picks in this post, who bring big despite their small salaries:
- SP George Klassen, Los Angeles Angels vs. Cleveland Guardians, $6,500: In his last two starts, Klassen posted 19.3 and 31.4 FPTS. Since returning to the MLB in August, the 24-year-old has a 1.59 ERA, 3.67 FIP, and 15 K’s in 17 IP.
- SS Kaelen Culpepper, Minnesota Twins at Athletics, $3,300: The Twins No. 2 prospect is hitting .289 with a .331 wOBA in his first 23 games, averaging 6.1 FPTS per game. He brings power and speed potential and gets a boost from a favorable matchup in hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park this Monday.
- OF Hector Rodriguez, Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants, $2,700: Rodriguez homered and had 23 FPTS on Saturday and smashed another double on Sunday. The lefty hit 27 HR in Triple-A and brings lots of power potential to the Reds’ stop by the Bay to begin the week.
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Top MLB DFS Value Plays
SP George Klassen, Los Angeles Angels vs. Cleveland Guardians, $6,500
Klassen struggled early in the season but had a successful run at Triple-A before rejoining the MLB squad at the start of August. The 24-year-old righty is the team’s No. 12 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and he has shown enough upside to be a solid option in Monday’s MLB DFS value picks with his salary of only $6,500.
Klassen went 6-6 with a 3.96 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, and he went 4-1 with a 2.44 ERA in his last nine starts before his promotion. He has allowed a total of three runs in his three starts since returning, allowing only 10 hits with 15 strikeouts across 17 innings.
In his last start, he threw seven shutout innings against the Astros, earning 31.4 FPTS by allowing just one hit and striking out seven. While the Guardians are in the playoff race, their offense continues to be inconsistent. Klassen will still need to be careful with Jo Adell ($3,900) in his return to Anaheim, but he has been effective enough since his return to the MLB to include him as a cheap SP2 in Monday’s roster builds.
SS Kaelen Culpepper, Minnesota Twins at Athletics, $3,300
The Twins are in Sacramento at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park to start the week, so their offense gets a bit of a boost based on the environment and a favorable matchup on Monday against lefty Jeffry Springs ($5,300), who has a 2-7 record at home this year with a 6.63 home ERA.
Culpepper is another prospect getting a chance to shine coming down the stretch, and MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 2 prospect for the Twins and the No. 34 prospect in baseball. Since his promotion in early August, Culpper is hitting .289 with two homers, a double, five runs scored, three RBI, and an average of 6.1 FPTS per game. He had 14 FPTS on Saturday when he hit his second career home run, and he had 11 FPTS last Wednesday as well. The righty will be in a great spot against Springs and has homered and doubled against lefties in the MLB already. He brings a high ceiling with power and speed potential at this reasonable salary in Sacramento.
OF Hector Rodriguez, Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants, $2,700
Rodriguez started Sunday against a lefty and continued his recent momentum, so he’ll be a solid bargain outfield play in Monday’s value picks as well if he starts against Carson Whisenhunt ($5,000) of the Giants, who has struggled to a 7.03 ERA and 1.84 WHIP through his first seven starts.
While he is also still adjusting to the majors, the 22-year-old lefty is the Reds’ No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and brings plenty of upside after smashing 27 homers with a .380 wOBA in his 104 games at Triple-A. Rodriguez had his first MLB homer and first multi-hit game on Saturday in Arizona, finishing with 23 FPTS in his team’s 11-5 win. On Sunday, he started against a lefty and went 1-for-4 with a double. Since the Reds had to put Michael Toglia (shoulder) on the IL and Spencer Steer (wrist) may not return this season, Rodriguez should get playing time as the everyday right fielder the rest of the season if he keeps hitting. He hit ninth on Sunday, which actually puts him right in front of the Reds’ big bats if he’s able to get on base against Whisenhunt on Monday.
