Opening Day is finally here! Well, almost. Of course, things can still change in the next couple of days, but FanDuel has released contests and player pricing for the first day of the 2018 season. The baseball gods have blessed us with a great nine-game main slate to kick things off. There are some extremely exciting high-priced players on the board. In order to fit them into lineups, we need to identify the value plays. Before locking in a roster, be sure to confirm each team’s starting lineup. Let’s take a look at some of the best value options on FanDuel for opening day.
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Pitcher
Patrick Corbin (ARI): $6,400 vs. COL
Paying up for pitching is going to be the general consensus on Opening Day. Every team will be rolling out their ace, barring injuries, leaving the lower-priced pitchers very low-owned. Patrick Corbin leads the bottom tier in potential fantasy production. The Diamondbacks are an early home favorite against a strike-out prone Rockies team. In 2017 the Rockies owned a 22.7 K% which ranked 10th worse in the majors. Although Corbin is more of a ground-ball pitcher, his 21.6 K% was a pleasant surprise last year, showing upside. On FanDuel, we are hoping for consistency and endurance to get the six-inning quality start. The offense of the D-backs should produce enough runs to pull off the win which will make Corbin a great value pitching option.
First Base / Catcher
Lucas Duda (KC): $2,500 vs. CWS
FanDuel has removed the catcher-only position by merging it with first base. Most will lean to power-hitting sluggers at first, but there is value in the discounted catchers. On this slate, however, Lucas Duda is a great salary saving hitter with multiple home run upsides. The newly acquired first-base slugger has huge power. In 491 plate appearances last season, Duda hit 30 home runs and posted a .279 ISO. Landing in Kansas City is not ideal, but he will face James Shields. Last year, Shields gave up 2.08 HR/9. Duda is a high-risk, high-reward type player, but at just $2,500, hitting in the middle of the Royals lineup, you could do much worse.
Second Base
Wilmer Difo (WSH): $2,100 @ CIN
Homer Bailey was one of the worst starting pitchers of 2017. Now he will start Opening Day at home against the Washington Nationals. Good luck. Daniel Murphy will be sidelined with a knee injury to start the season, opening playing time for Wilmer Difo. Although it is not certain where Difo will hit in the lineup, the Nationals will be able to turn the lineup over often against Bailey and the bad Reds bullpen. The Washington bats will be popular, but Difo may go overlooked. He should have plenty of opportunities to get on base and be driven in.
Third Base
J.D. Davis (HOU): $2,000 @ TEX
After a strong Spring Training performance, J.D. Davis has seemingly won a starting job for the Houston Astros in place of injured Yulieski Gurriel. He will play first base Opening Day but is third base eligible on FanDuel. Against left-handed pitchers, Davis owns a respectable .391 wOBA and .436 ISO (although a small sample size). Similar to the Nationals, the Houston Astros should smack veteran Cole Hamels around in a hitter-friendly ballpark. At a minimum price, Davis is a solid player in a great lineup.
Shortstop
Andrelton Simmons (LAA): $2,700 @ OAK
Mostly regarded as a defensive specialist, Simmons has only shown flashes of offensive pop. However, in an improved lineup, against a weak starting pitcher, the upside for a great start to the season is there. With a 44% pull rate and a 35% flyball rate, Simmons has shown potential offensive upside. Shortstop is a thin position below the top tier, so finding anyone less than $3,000 may be a struggle.
Outfield
Adam Eaton (WSH): $2,900 @ CIN
Similar to Wilmer Difo, the entire Nationals lineup is in play. There has been chatter that Adam Eaton will lead off for the Nats this season, which would increase his value tremendously. Hitting in front of Trea Turner and Bryce Harper will allow plenty of chances to be driven in. He has stolen base upside as well in a game which Washington should dominate from the start.
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Jeremy Maw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Jeremy, check out his archive or follow him @j_maw.
