Welcome to Opening Day 2017! This article will focus on the nine-game main slate on FanDuel. Be sure to check the team lineups as they are released to make sure these players are in fact in the lineup, as well as the weather around the country. Let’s go ahead and take a look at my favorite value options for the day.
For reference throughout the season, be sure to bookmark our overview of MLB Park Factors and how to Use Weather to Your Advantage in MLB DFS. Also, check out our GPP and Cash Games Primers to learn more about different daily fantasy game types specific to MLB.
Check out our Opening Day MLB FanDuel Freeroll 
Pitcher
Jon Gray (COL): $8,200 at MIL
The best strategy for today is probably to just pay up for Clayton Kershaw in cash games, and you really can’t go wrong with him in GPPs either. However, if you would like to get a little contrarian in your GPP contests, consider using Gray. On the surface, it doesn’t look like Gray pitched well in 2016 since his ERA was 4.61. However, his xFIP was 3.61, which indicates he was a little unlucky last season. Gray did have a pretty nice 9.91 K/9 last season, and the Brewers had the highest K% against right-handed pitchers a year ago.
Catcher
Tucker Barnhart (CIN): $2,100 vs. CIN
If you’re going to use Kershaw in your cash game lineup, you will have to punt somewhere and catcher is usually the best spot to do that. Barnhart will be the starting catcher for the Reds while Devin Mesoraco is on the DL with a hip injury. Barnhart is a long shot to do a ton of damage, but he really does not have to do much at this salary, and I think there’s a good chance he does something against Jeremy Hellickson who is not a great pitcher by any stretch of the imagination.
First Base
Brandon Moss (KC): $2,500 at MIN
Moss raked against right-handed pitchers last season with 0.343 wOBA and a 0.302 ISO. Ervin Santana was not horrendous last season, but he really was not dominant either. I like Moss as a salary relief option today, and he could be another player who helps you get Kershaw into your lineups.
Second Base
Devon Travis (TOR): $2,400 at BAL
Travis is a great source of value today considering he will likely hit leadoff for the Blue Jays, and he did pretty well against right-handed pitchers last season. Against righties in 2016, Travis had a 0.360 wOBA and a 0.171 ISO. Kevin Gausman, on the other hand, struggled against right-handed hitters last season allowing a 0.349 wOBA.
Third Base
Mike Moustakas (KC): $2,500 at MIN
Moustakas did not really have a chance in 2016 to improve on his excellent 2015 since he missed almost all of the season with an injury after a collision with Alex Gordon. Moustakas looked pretty good in the spring, though, and he should be hitting near the top of the order for the Royals today in a decent matchup against Ervin Santana.
Shortstop
Freddy Galvis (PHI): $2,600 at CIN
The splits are definitely in Galvis’s favor today since he was better from the left side of the plate in 2016, and Scott Feldman was dreadful against left-handed hitters. Last season Feldman allowed a whopping 0.377 wOBA against left-handed hitters.
Outfielders
Michael Saunders (TB): $2,500 at CIN
Another cheap Phillies bat who we can consider today is Michael Saunders. Saunders was decent last season against right-handed pitchers with a 0.335 wOBA and a 0.205 ISO. I already mentioned how Feldman has struggled against left-handed hitters, and I really think a Phillies stack could be a solid, contrarian move in GPPs since it will easily allow you to fit Kershaw in your lineup.
Andrew Benintendi (BOS): $2,900 vs. PIT
A lot of fantasy experts have been very high on Benintendi coming into this season, and he did look really good in Spring Training. In 61 Grapefruit League games, Benintendi had 0.423 on-base percentage and slugged three home runs. Gerrit Cole is a solid pitcher, but he did struggle mightily with left-handed hitters last season, allowing a 0.371 wOBA.
Andrew Toles (LAD): $2,000 vs. SD
The Dodgers will likely employ a platoon in the outfield to start the season, which means Toles will probably get the start today and could potentially leadoff. If that occurs it will be hard to pass up since he is the bare minimum salary on FanDuel. If he can just get on base once and score he will pay off this low salary.
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Kaz is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Kaz, follow him @DraftStars_Kaz. You can find more of Kaz’s work at DraftStars.net.
