Major League Baseball closes out August and starts a new work week with a busy slate of action on Monday night. After a turbo slate just before 7:00 p.m. ET, the main DFS slate gets underway at 7:40 p.m. ET and includes the seven games throughout the rest of the evening. Three of the games are divisional matchups, and the Orioles are stopping at Coors Field in Denver, which makes them an important option for fantasy baseball production as well. As you assemble your squad from the 14-team player pool, selecting the top MLB DFS value picks is one of the keys to maximizing your production across the board. The right bargain plays can go off with big nights of their own while also saving significant salary cap to spend up in other spots in the lineup.
To help you as you search through the bargain bin, check out my three MLB DFS value picks in this post, who bring big upside despite their small salaries:
- SP Elmer Rodriguez, New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels, $6,300: Rodriguez gets a very favorable matchup vs. LAA with plenty of punchout potential. He had 16.5 FPTS last week after going 4-2 with a 2.00 ERA in his last seven starts in Triple-A while stacking up 38 strikeouts in 36 innings.
- OF Tyrone Taylor, Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers, $3,200: Former Brewer facing his old club after going 10-for-18 (.556) with two stolen bases and an average of 10 FPTS per contest over his last six games. He’s a strong play vs. LHP.
- 2B/3B Cody Freeman, Texas Rangers vs. Athletics, $2,400: After 16 and 12 FPTS in his last two games, Freeman is averaging 8.4 FPTS over his last seven games. He’s hitting .308 with a .390 wOBA vs. LHP and will be home against Gage Jump and the A’s.
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Top MLB DFS Value Plays
SP Elmer Rodriguez, New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels, $6,300
Rodriguez gets a good matchup against the Angels in Anaheim, as he makes another spot start for New York, which needs an extra arm in the rotation as a result of Saturday’s doubleheader. Rodriguez is the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect and the team’s top pitching prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Rodriguez is coming off his best MLB outing last week, earning 16.5 FPTS by working six innings and posting a career-high six strikeoute with three hits and three runs against him.
Before his most recent promotion, Rodriguez had an impressive run at Triple-A, posting a 2.00 ERA while going 4-0 in seven starts and piling up 38 strikeouts in 36 innings in July and August. The 23-year-old righty has great short-term and long-term potential and he gets a good matchup to showcase his upside against the Angels, who rank second in the MLB in K% this season and have scored the secong fewest runs in the MLB over the last 30 days while hitting .214 as a team over that span.
He brings an extremely high ceiling at this salary in what should be a fun matchup against Walbert Urena ($8,000) which will showcase a pair of the best young righties in the majors right now.
OF Tyrone Taylor, Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers, $3,200
Taylor will likely get the start against lefty Kyle Harrison ($9,000) on Monday night for the Cubs. He’ll face his former team, the Brewers, after he joined the Cubs from the Mets in the trade with Clay Holmes ($8,200) at the trade deadline. Since arriving with the Cubs, the veteran righty has gone 14-for-38 (.368) with three doubles and three stolen bases in his limited action.
In his last six appearances, Taylor is 10-for-18 (.556) with two stolen bases and an average of 10 FPTS per contest. He is hitting .315 on the season against southpaws with a .389 wOBA and .906 OPS in the split. Taylor is a great option in the outfield in Monday’s MLB DFS value picks, and he can chip in solid production in what could be a high-scoring game at Wrigley with the wind blowing out.
2B/3B Cody Freeman, Texas Rangers vs. Athletics, $2,400
Rookie infielder Cody Freeman of the Rangers is another right-handed bat to target against lefties, and he comes at an extremely affordable salary with multiple positions of eligibility in Monday’s matchup with the struggling A’s.
The 25-year-old Freeman is hitting .286 in his 21 MLB games this season, with one home run and a .340 wOBA. He’s 8-for-26 (.308) against lefties like Gage Jump ($7,700), including a triple and a homer to reach a solid .394 wOBA on that side of the splits.
Freeman had 16 and 12 FPTS in his last two games over the weekend and is averaging 8.4 FPTS over his last seven games. Freeman brings a high floor with his good contact numbers, and if he continues to hit well against lefties, he should continue to earn playing time. At under $2,500, Freeman is a bargain play who saves plenty of salary while still bringing upside from the bottom of the Texas lineup.
