Midweek is upon us, and so is a nine-game MLB DFS slate. Thanks to a serious gap between the top-tier hitters and value picks, this set of games proves to be no easy task. There are all some daunting matchups involved to further complicate matters. Nevertheless, we forge on in an attempt to pad our bankroll further.
The name of the game, as always, is value. There are a lot of boom/bust players in this slate, so we’re trying to find some hot hands at low prices before filling out the rest of our lineups. I’ll list my preferred values first, and then give a pick at each remaining position afterwards. Spend ’em if you got ’em. Let’s go bargain hunting.
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***All prices listed are from DraftKings***
Value on the Hill
Cristian Javier – at Los Angeles Angels ($9,300)
The Houston Astros’ righty looked downright bad in his last start, giving up five runs in five innings. He coughed up a trio of home runs in the loss to the Royals, but still racked up seven strikeouts for a 12.60 K/9 average. Let’s chalk it up to a rare bad day for Javier, as his ERA still only grew to 3.01 (with a 0.99 WHIP) in 2022. He still has 102 punchouts in 74.2 innings on the season. Prior to the bad outing, Javier had won three straight decisions, including a seven inning, 13 strikeout shutout against the Yankees before beating this same LA Angels two weeks ago. In that affair, it was seven innings with 14 strikeouts and I expect him to come close to duplicating that feat tonight.
Best pairing: Jon Gray – vs Oakland ($7,700)
Gray is just 5-4 on the season with a 4.03 ERA, but he’s been pitching much better of late. He has won four of his last five, giving up a total of nine earned runs while fanning 34 batters. He gets an Oakland team positioned just above last-place Detroit in runs scored per game.
Value in the Field
Tyler Stephenson, C – at New York Yankees ($3,800)
In three games back since recovering from a broken thumb, the Reds’ catcher is 6-for-12, with a dinger, a couple runs scored, and a pair of RBI. Anyone who spends any time scouring DFS for a reasonably-priced backstop, so Stephenson for less than $4,000 is nearly impossible to pass up. The matchup with New York’s Luis Severino isn’t the most ideal one, but the righty has some chinks in his armor this season. His numbers are solid, but he is far from untouchable. Stephenson can get around on a fastball quickly, and will be a fixture in the middle of a lineup that’s rattled off five-straight victories.
Harold Ramirez, OF – vs Boston ($3,500)
The Tampa Bay outfielder doesn’t have a ton of over-the-fence power, but that does not mean he hasn’t been absolutely on fire of late. At first blush, his numbers are good: .333/.381/.434 (OPS .834) and through 73 games Ramirez is on pace to set career-highs in every offensive category. However, in his last 34 games (26 starts), he’s raised his average 43 points, and slashed .400/.447/.546 (.993). He’s currently riding a six-game hitting streak and has multiple hits in eight of his 11 July games while batting .444. He’ll tap the plate against Red Sox rookie Josh Winckowski, who is packing a 4.35 ERA and 1.52 WHIP.
Nico Hoerner, SS – vs Baltimore ($4,200)
Hoerner has been pretty consistent of late, with at least one hit in 17 of his last 19 contests, hitting .387 and carrying a .967 OPS during that period. He rolls into this game on a modest five-game hitting streak in which he has accounted for three doubles, one home run, a pair of RBI and a stolen base, to boot. Run him out there against the Orioles’ Spenser Watkins, who has pitched to a 4.15 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with just 26 strikeouts in 47.2 innings. He travels to Chicago after back-to-back one-run performances, but has been far from consistent in 2022.
Below are my remaining favorites for spreading your wealth out on the rest of your lineups. There should be plenty of good combinations between this crew and the value picks above.
Other favorite plays: DJ LeMahieu (1B – NYY), Isaac Paredes (2B – TB), José Ramírez (3B – CLE), Ian Happ (OF – CHI), Nick Senzel (OF – CIN)
Good luck in all your contests tonight. Keep on building.
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