After a few early games, Major League Baseball has a nice nine-game DFS fantasy baseball slate to close out this Saturday of Labor Day Weekend. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET, when games get underway in Arlington and Baltimore. As you search through the 18 teams in the player pool, selecting the top MLB DFS value picks is key to maximizing your fantasy lineup’s 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 Ethan Pecko, Houston Astros vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, $5,500: Pecko had 16.2 FPTS in his last start and has nine K’s in 13 IP in the MLB. He gets a great matchup against a D-Backs offense that struggles against right-handers and doesn’t need to do much to return outstanding value at this bargain salary.
- OF Brett Bateman, Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals, $3,300: In his last nine games, Bateman is 13-for-35 (.371) with a double, two stolen bases, and 9.9 FPTS. He gets a good matchup and his role at the top of Toronto’s lineup gives him lots of upside.
- 3B Amed Rosario, New York Yankees at San Diego Padres, $3,000: Rosario is 6-for-17 with four doubles in his career against Robbie Ray, and he has 9+ FPTS in three of his last four contests.
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Top MLB DFS Value Plays
SP Ethan Pecko, Houston Astros vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, $5,500
The Astros will give 24-year-old Ethan Pecko another start on Saturday night, and he comes at a bargain salary, even though he is coming off a solid 16.2 FPTS in his most recent outing. He faced the Mets in that start, which was only the third of his career. He allowed back-to-back homers to Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto but then settled in and worked five innings, allowing three runs on three hits with four strikeouts to earn his first MLB win.
Pecko has allowed nine runs in 13 innings in the MLB but has also picked up nine strikeouts. He had 86 strikeouts in 82 2/3 innings in Triple-A for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, with a 4.57 ERA and 4.03 FIP.
Pecko brings that high strikeout potential to a favorable matchup against the Diamondbacks on Saturday night. Arizona has scored only six runs in its last five games, so Pecko catches them at a good time. If he can work enough innings to qualify for a win again while picking up some strikeouts, Pecko can return excellent value with his salary only $5,500.
OF Brett Bateman, Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals, $3,300
Bateman has been a huge addition for the Blue Jays, joining the team from the Cubs in the Kevin Gausman trade. Bateman hit .311 with three homers, 20 stolen bases and a .392 wOBA in his 84 games in Triple-A, and the Blue Jays opted to give him a promotion and his MLB debut on August 7.
Bateman has hit .330 with a .351 wOBA in his 23 games in the majors, averaging 8.1 FPTS per contest. In his last nine games, he has been even better, going 13-for-35 (.371) with a double, two stolen bases, and 9.9 FPTS. He posted 11 FPTS in each of his last three games and has at least that many FPTS in five of his last seven. Bateman has been very productive from the leadoff spot, and his premium spot gives him both a high ceiling and a high floor in Saturday’s MLB DFS Value Picks.
3B Amed Rosario, New York Yankees at San Diego Padres, $3,000
Rosario and the Yankees lost Friday night in San Diego on a walk-off by Luis Campusano ($3,700), but they’ll look to even the series against lefty Robbie Ray ($7,700) on Saturday night. Since they’re facing a lefty, Rosario will likely hit in the heart of the batting order, especially since he has a good history against Ray, going 6-for-17 in their past matchups with four doubles.
Rosario has at least 9 FPTS in three of his last four games, going 7-for-15 with a double and a stolen base. Rosario is hitting .265 with a .342 wOBA over his last 20 games, and he has been very productive in an important role in a solid lineup, coming into Saturday night’s matchup.
