We have 14 games to work with tonight with a handful of terrific value plays that make it almost impossible to choose anyone besides Corey Kluber or Clayton Kershaw on the mound tonight. Let’s take a look at how those value plays allow us to grab a few of the top bats on the slate too.

25% chance at delay – CIN @ STL

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.

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Pitcher

Corey Kluber (CLE): $11,800 vs DET

We have seen two starts from Kershaw since he returned from the DL. He went 9.2 innings combined, so while he may have a 60 or even 70 point game, he isn’t quite as safe as Kluber, who is currently on a run of 19 straight games with 30+ points,  17 of 19 with 43+, and 15 of 19 with 49+. He is also the biggest favorite of the night seeing that his opponent is Matt Boyd compared to Kershaw’s Johnny Cueto matchup.

Catcher

Travis d’Arnaud (NYM): $2,800 vs CHC

Jose Quintana is not an easy matchup, and the implied total for the Mets is extremely low tonight, but he does allow a .754 OPS to righties this season (a full 27% higher than against lefties) and d’Arnaud hits lefties for a .324/.398/.568 line. He has also been batting cleanup and carries a .946 OPS on the month including 1.251 over the previous 7 days.

First Base

Yonder Alonso (OAK): $2,800 @ TEX

Any time you can get a guy for cheap who is batting 2nd in a lineup implied for 5.57 runs, you lock him in and don’t think twice. This especially applies when he has 25 homers, an .890 OPS against the split, gets a major ballpark upgrade and goes against a pitcher with a negative split.

Second Base

Brian Dozier (MIN): $4,200 vs SDP

This is one of those odd nights where there are a number of terrific plays at second base including Robinson Cano. Dozier, though, is the top play on the slate. Not only does he have a 1.038 OPS against lefties this year, but since the all-star break, he has a .925 OPS. His opponent, Travis Wood, has a 7.28 ERA on the road this year and a .318/.384/.513 line against righties this season.

Third Base

Yandy Diaz (CLE): $2,600 vs DET

If you look beyond the .879 OPS against lefties in a limited 49 plate appearance sample size this season, you’ll see a player who batted  .381/.460/.588 against lefties in Triple-A and .409/.536/.682 in Double-A, so it is no fluke. Matt Boyd and his 5.93 ERA this season is one of the worst pitchers on the slate and has given up 15 homers this season in 109 IP and wouldn’t you know it, all 15 were to righties like Diaz.

Shortstop

Corey Seager (LAD) : $2,600 @ SFG

Yes, this is not an ideal ballpark situation, although the wind is blowing out to center field at 13 MPH, and Johnny Cueto is a solid pitcher, although Vegas has the Dodgers at over 4 implied runs, but I can’t for the life of me recommend leaving one of the best hitters in baseball out of your lineup with this price. He is coming off a 22 point night in San Francisco too.

Outfield

Byron Buxton (MIN): $3,300 vs SDP
Andrew McCutchen (PIT)n: $2,900 @ MIL
Sean Rodriguez (PIT): $2,000 @ MIL

I already mentioned how abysmal Travis Wood has been away from home and against righties, so when you consider that Byron Buxton has a .312/.357/.603 overall line since the all-star break and an .847 OPS on the season against lefties, he becomes the top outfield value of the evening at his price.

McCutchen, like Buxton and several of the others in this lineup, crushes lefties. He has a 1.093 OPS against the split and while he hasn’t been great this month, he gets a significant ballpark upgrade this evening.

Last season, Sean Rodriguez broke out with 18 homers and 16 doubles in just 300 at bats. He has also carried a tremendous OPS against lefties his entire career, so it should to no surprise to you that despite his struggles since the injury, he still has an .860 OPS against lefties this year.  At the minimum price and batting in the middle of the order, that is just too good to pass up.

Other Top Options (in order)

1. Robinson Cano (2B – SEA): $3,500 @ TEX
2. David Freese (3B – PIT): $2,800 @ MIL
3. Francisco Lindor (SS – CLE): $4,500 vs DET
4. Alex Avila (C – CHC): $2,500 vs NYM
5. Anthony Rizzo (1B – CHC): $3,900 vs NYM
6. Giancarlo Stanton (OF – MIA): $4,700 @ PHI
7. Edwin Encarnacion (1B – CLE): $4,300 vs DET
8. Mookie Betts (OF – BOS): $4,300 vs OAK
9. Kyle Seager (3B – SEA): $3,500 @ TEX
10. Austin Jackson (OF – CLE): $3,400 vs DET
11. Daniel Murphy (2B – WAS): $3,800 vs ATL
12. Jose Ramirez (2B – CLE): $3,800 vs DET
13. Ezequiel Carrera (OF – TOR): $2,100 vs BAL
14. Matt Kemp (OF – ATL): $2,600 @ WAS
15. Kyle Schwarber (OF – CHC): $3,600 vs NYM
16. Hanley Ramirez (1B – BOS): $3,000 vs OAK
17. Starlin Castro (2B – NYY): $3,000 @ TBR
18. Yangervis Solarte (SS – SDP): $2,800 @ MIN
19. Corey Dickerson (OF – TBR): $2,800 vs NYY
20. Nomar Mazara (OF – TEX): $3,600 vs SEA
21. Mike Zunino (C – SEA): $2,600 @ TEX
22. Dansby Swanson (SS – ATL): $3,200 @ WAS
23. Jake Lamb (3B – ARI): $3,100 vs COL
24. Buster Posey (C – LAD): $2,500 vs LAD

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