With only a little over two weeks left in Major League Baseball’s regular season, a busy weekend set of series gets started this Friday with 12 games on the main slate after a few early contests. The first pitch of the main slate is at 7:05 p.m. ET in the Bronx, where the Yankees host the Mets in the Subway Series. That exciting matchup is joined by six divisional contests, which are especially important for playoff races, with plenty of regular-season drama still remaining over the next few weeks. With 24 teams in the player pool, finding the top MLB DFS value picks is key to maximizing your fantasy lineup’s production across the board. The right bargain plays can help with big nights of their own and also help save significant salary cap space to use on stars in other spots.
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 Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves, $7,700: Nola has six straight starts of two earned runs or fewer with a 2.06 ERA, 3.18 FIP, and 41 strikeouts in 35 innings. He has 17+ FPTS in each of those six starts and an average of 22.6 FPTS per outing.
- OF Josue De Paula, Los Angeles Dodgers at Miami Marlins, $3,000: The Dodgers are expected to call up De Paula for his MLB debut. He’s the No. 6 prospect in baseball and crushed Double-A with a .301 average, 26 homers, 31 stolen bases, and a .415 wOBA.
- 2B/SS Michael Arroyo, Seattle Mariners at Athletics, $2,500: Arroyo is another young bat who brings value. He’s 0-for-4 in the MLB but hit .283 with 18 homers, 17 stolen bases, and a .368 wOBA in his 114 games in Double-A and Triple-A.
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Top MLB DFS Value Plays
SP Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves, $7,700
Nola has put together an impressive stretch over the last several weeks, allowing two earned runs or fewer in six straight starts. The 33-year-old veteran looked like he could be no longer relevant for fantasy for a while, but he has rediscovered his form and become a key piece of the Phillies’ rotation. Over his last six outings, he has a 2.06 ERA and 3.18 FIP while picking up 41 strikeouts in 35 innings. He has at least 17 points in each of his last six games and averaged 22.6 FPTS over that stretch.
He will be facing the Braves for a second straight start after holding them to one run on four hits over seven innings last Sunday. Nola earned a no-decision and 20.8 DraftKings points in that game, but he proved he can deliver good value even in a tougher matchup like this one. There is some rain risk to keep an eye on in this matchup, and be sure to have a backup option ready in case the weather forecast doesn’t look good.
He’s actually been better on the road than at home this year, and he’ll look to start this critical NL East series with another strong performance as my top pitcher in today’s MLB DFS value picks. The Phillies start the weekend set four games back of the Braves for the division lead and can close that gap with a big weekend in Atlanta, starting with Nola on the mound this Friday night.
OF Josue De Paula, Los Angeles Dodgers at Miami Marlins, $3,000
The Dodgers are bringing up their top overall prospect for the final few weeks of the season, giving us one of the last call-ups to grab for value before the end of the regular season. The 21-year-old De Paula is making the jump straight from Double-A to the majors, but he dominated in Oklahoma City this season with a .302/.400/.539 triple-slash highlighted by 26 homers, 101 RBI, 105 runs scored and 31 stolen bases.
MLB Pipeline ranked De Paula as the No. 6 prospect in baseball, putting him at the very top of the Dodgers’ well-stocked farm system. De Paula has showcased an excellent plate approach throughout his time in the minors and brings plenty of power and speed potential to a corner outfield spot. He’s a huge part of the Dodgers’ future, and it will be exciting to see him make his debut this weekend in Miami. The lefty will likely be in the lineup against righty Ryan Gusto ($5,700) on Friday night and brings the potential to make an immediate impact at this very affordable salary.
2B/SS Michael Arroyo, Seattle Mariners at Athletics, $2,500
Arroyo is the Mariners’ No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He’s another young bat getting a look before the end of the season. The Mariners are five games back of the third AL Wild Card and don’t look likely to make the playoffs. Arroyo is a big part of their future going forward, though, so they’ll probably give him some playing time down the stretch. The 21-year-old righty started the season in Double-A, where he hit .287 with 10 homers and 13 stolen bases. He hit eight more homers and had a higher wOBA in his time in Triple-A, posting a .369 wOBA and .490 SLG.
Arroyo made his MLB debut on Sunday of last week, going 0-for-3 against the A’s. He played 2B in that game, but he spent most of the season in the minors working on his transition to the corner outfield spot, where the team has greater needs moving forward.
Since the Mariners are facing a lefty in Jeffrey Springs ($6,000) on Friday, Arroyo could get another chance to collect his first MLB hit. Springs was excellent against Seattle in his start on Saturday in Seattle, but at home this year, Springs has a 2-9 record and 7.18 ERA. If Arroyo gets the start, he could end up being a very affordable way to get a piece of a very productive lineup in Sacramento at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. Arroyo is easy to fit into today’s MLB DFS Value Picks with eligibility at both middle infield spots.
