And so, the week begins anew. I know my fellow MLB DFS degenerates are here to see if we can continue our winning ways as we keep climbing that mountain. Tonight, it’s a 10-game slate beginning at 7:05pm EDT. That’s pretty good for a Monday, so there are plenty of options.
There have been a lot of developments in baseball of late. No-names have been stepping up, and big names are being called up. The fantasy baseball waiver wire is smoking hot, and that means that daily fantasy is getting an infusion of potential talent at bargain prices. Per usual, the purpose of this column is for us to find the best value picks for our lineups before we fill in what’s left with high-salary studs. The names might not be sexy, but they’ll enable us to grab some big-boppers to put lineups over the top. You’ll find my recommendations for those high-flyers after we take a look at the best values available.
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***All prices listed are from DraftKings***
Value on the Hill
Tyler Anderson – at Washington ($9,400)
The veteran southpaw had a nasty outing against Philadelphia on May 12, but aside from that has been consistent. Part of the reason for that consistency is that he has been fortunate with the schedule. Anderson has faced Colorado, Cincinnati, Detroit, Arizona in the early part of his schedule. So, why wouldn’t he get the DFS treatment facing the Nationals? Anderson’s ERA is plumped by the seven runs in six innings he allowed against the Phillies, but still sits at 4.04 with a 1.09 WHIP. On top of that, he’s striking out nearly nine per nine innings and has an explosive offense backing him up. A win at Washington, who scores the second-least runs at their home ballpark (2.80/game) seems like a cakewalk. Ring it up. A win with eight strikeouts over six-plus innings seems about right.
Zack Greinke – at Arizona ($4,800)
When looking for value, look no further than the 38-year-old who is the most inexpensive pitcher on the entire slate. This price is baffling, even with many quality starters available. Greinke is 0-2 on the season, and strikeout numbers are down dramatically for the veteran righty. However, he is still carrying a respectable 3.48 ERA and 0.9 WAR despite being winless in 2022. Greinke gets a former team in Arizona that scores just 3.81 runs/game (3.24 at home). This is a perfect opportunity for the ageless wonder to get his groove back this season. He’ll dominate the D-backs in getting his first victory wearing a Royals uniform since 2010.
Value in the Field
Thairo Estrada, 2B vs New York Mets ($3,200)
The San Francisco infielder can stuff the stat sheet, making him unbelievably valuable in DFS. Estrada has 10 hits in his last six games and boasts 24 runs scored with 20 runs batted in and six stolen bases while batting .269. He gets David Peterson of the Mets tonight, who has been sparkling over three starts in 2022. However, he is the same pitcher who had a 5.54 ERA in 2021 over 15 starts. Peterson’s .253 BAbip versus right handed hitters lends itself well to a guy like Estrada, who should grab a couple of base knocks and get himself into scoring position with his legs.
Brandon Nimmo, OF – at San Francisco ($4,500)
The Mets’ leadoff hitter is well on his way to having a career year in the Big Apple. I have already mentioned him several times in our fantasy waivers series. This is another great opportunity for him to keep padding those stats. As it stands now, Nimmo is slashing .293/.390/.450 (that’s a .840 OPS for those devoid of a calculator). He has his three balls over the fence with a handful of warning track shots. Those will sail over as the weather gets warmers, deadball or no, and in case you haven’t noticed, it’s warmer on the west coast. I’m not calling for Nimmo to hit a ding-dong tonight. However, Alex Cobb has been a disappointment for the Giants so far. He’s 3-1, but shoulders a minus-0.5 WAR thanks to his 5.61 ERA and whopping 1.52 WHIP. New York’s potent offense should feast on doubles in Oracle Park. Expect a great game out of Nimmo from start to finish.
MJ Melendez, C – at Arizona ($3,700)
The much anticipated debut of Melendez came and went without much fanfare outside of Kansas City. That was thanks mostly to the new that the Orioles would be promoting top prospect Adley Rutschman in short order. In the early going, Melendez is hitting at a .240 clip, but has already crested the “jitters” hill by homering in back-to-back nights in his third and fourth contests. Melendez has a long future ahead of him (much-hyped), but for now still will reside behind Salvador Perez (10-day IL) when he returns. Nevertheless, he has shown enough to the Royals brass that he has already moved from batting seventh to cleanup.
Melendez’s goal is to ensure he remains on this roster when Perez returns, and his poise early suggests he’ll likely do just that. Tonight, he gets Arizona’s Zach Davies. Davies has a history as a middling starter, and 2022 is no different. Davies has decreasing velocity and a 4.35 ERA/1.25 WHIP. It’s a great opportunity for Melendez and a great opportunity for DFS managers to get a good bat on the cheap.
We’ve saved some money. Let’s use a couple of these guys to fill out our lineups with heavy lumber:
Stud Finder: Paul Goldschmidt (1B – STL), Nolan Arenado (3B – STL), Jeremy Pena (SS – HOU), Byron Buxton (OF – MIN), Yordan Alvarez (OF – HOU), Max Muncy (3B – LAD)
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