This Friday, Major League Baseball has 11 games on the main slate to start the holiday weekend with another jam-packed day. Contests lock at 7:05 p.m. ET, with several spots set up well for plenty of offense in warm weather with hittable pitchers. While there are lots of stars to consider, you’ll also need to find some salary cap relief by making a few MLB DFS value picks. To help you as you search through the bargain bin for just the right option, check out my three MLB DFS Value Picks in this post, who bring big upside at a small salary.
- SP Anthony Kay, Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians, $6,500: Kay had 25.9 FPTS two starts ago when he faced Cleveland. He racked up eight strikeouts in six shutout innings. He has been very volatile but offers high upside in this rematch.
- 1B/2B Romy Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Angels, $3,000: Romy hit .331 against lefties with a .409 wOBA last season and is a bargain since he’s just back from a shoulder injury. He has multiple paths to success with both power and speed potential.
- OF Noelvi Marte, Cincinnati Reds vs. Baltimore Orioles, $3,000: Marte also has power and speed upside as he takes on lefty Trevor Rogers and the Orioles at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. He tore up Triple-A and has looked better since returning to the Reds a few weeks ago.
Let’s dive in and take a closer look at these options that come with low salaries but high ceilings this Monday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
Top MLB DFS Value Plays
SP Anthony Kay, Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians, $6,500
There are lots of high-risk value plays on the board this Friday, but Kay stands out as a player who offers a high ceiling in a favorable matchup. Kay is 6-3 overall this season with a 4.50 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 80 innings.
He has been very inconsistent in his last five outings, with two outstanding showings of 25.9 and 21.0 FPTS but also three rough outings that ended with -0.4, 0.2, and -1.2 FPTS. One reason for optimism is that he had a great outing against the Guardians two starts ago, working six shutout innings in a no-decision and allowing only three hits with eight strikeouts.
The Guardians often struggle against lefties, and with so many key pieces injured, Cleveland’s lineup is a good one to pick against on Friday night’s slate. They rank in the bottom 10 in the MLB in runs, batting average, wOBA, wRC+ and ISO over the last two weeks and rank seventh in K%. As long as the weather doesn’t get in the way, Kay has a high enough ceiling to be worth this small salary.
1B/2B Romy Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Angels, $3,000
Gonzalez will likely be in the middle of the lineup for the Red Sox since they’ll be taking on lefty Reid Detmers ($8,300). Gonzalez was a key part of the team’s success last year and was missing for the first part of this season when things went sideways. The 29-year-old hit .305 with nine homers and six stolen bases last season, especially producing against lefties with a .331 batting average and .409 wOBA in the splits.
He was sidelined since early spring training after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his left shoulder. Gonzalez typically makes good contact, especially against southpaws. He brings both power and speed potential against Detmers and is a nice flexible bargain who can fit at either 1B or 2B on Friday’s slate. If it works out better to use a 3B, Caleb Durbin ($2,900) is another Red Sox righty who can be a solid option to consider.
OF Noelvi Marte, Cincinnati Reds vs. Baltimore Orioles, $3,000
Marte spent 40 games in Triple-A during April and May, and he hit .369 with eight homers, nine stolen bases, and a 44.5% hard-hit rate. He has hit .224 in his 23 games since returning with four doubles, five homers, and three stolen bases. He has posted a 10.3% barrel rate since returning and an improved average exit velocity and hard-hit rate.
Marte homered on Wednesday against the Brewers and has reached base safely in each of his last five games. He has averaged 7.1 FPTS over his last eight games and brings both power and speed potential as the Reds take on lefty Trevor Rogers, who has been better lately but still sports a 4.99 ERA and 1.31 WHIP for the season.
