We’re focusing on an eight-game afternoon DraftKings slate starting at 1 p.m. ET. That’s a little different from the FanDuel slate, but there are plenty of good options available. There’s a lot to go over, so let’s go ahead and get into it!
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Value Plays
Pitcher
| NAME (TEAM) | OPPONENT | PRICE | MATCHUP | RISK |
| Jacob deGrom (NYM) | vs. MIA | $11,600 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| Jose Berrios (MIN) | @ KC | $10,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
| Andrew Heaney (LAA) | @ TEX | $7,800 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
DeGrom is the best play on the board. He’s a -250 favorite against a terrible Marlins lineup that’s projected for less than three runs. Berrios has been struggling, but facing a 26th-ranked Royals offense as a -170 favorite makes him intriguing. As for Heaney, he gets to face a 25th-ranked Rangers offense and owns a 0.98 WHIP and 9.1 K/9 rate.
Catcher/First Base
| NAME (TEAM) | OPPONENT | PRICE | MATCHUP | RISK |
| Rhys Hoskins (PHI) | vs. PHI | $3,800 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | High |
| Rowdy Tellez (TOR) | @ BOS | $3,300 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | High |
| Mitch Garver (MIN) | @ KC | $4,600 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
It’s crazy to see Hoskins below $4,000, especially against a weak pitcher like Huascar Ynoa. Tellez at $3,300 is crazy too, considering he’s hit righties well throughout his career and faces the average Nathan Eovaldi. In terms of catchers, Garver is easily the best option on the board against Brady Singer, who never pitched above Double-A before this season.
Second Base
| NAME (TEAM) | OPPONENT | PRICE | MATCHUP | RISK |
| Luis Arraez (MIN) | @ KC | $4,100 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| Adam Frazier (PIT) | vs. DET | $3,700 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
| Jonathan Schoop (DET) | @ PIT | $3,200 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
Arraez has one of the lowest K rates in the majors and should have success against the inexperienced Singer, especially from the left side. Frazier is expected to lead off for the Pirates, who have scored 24 runs over the last three games. Schoop is the best value here, as he costs almost nothing despite getting the platoon advantage against Steven Brault.
Third Base
| NAME (TEAM) | OPPONENT | PRICE | MATCHUP | RISK |
| Rafael Devers (BOS) | vs. TOR | $5,100 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| Jeff McNeil (NYM) | vs. MIA | $4,000 | ⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| Colin Moran (PIT) | vs. DET | $3,200 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | High |
Devers has been killing righties since his call-up in 2017 and shouldn’t have an issue against Matt Shoemaker. McNeil has a .890 OPS for his career and typically does better (.922 OPS) against right-handers. Moran is one of MLB’s leaders with five dingers, and he gets the platoon advantage against Spencer Turnbull.
Shortstop
| NAME (TEAM) | OPPONENT | PRICE | MATCHUP | RISK |
| Xander Bogaerts (BOS) | vs. TOR | $4,300 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
| Didi Gregorius (PHI) | vs. ATL | $4,000 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
| Jorge Polanco (MIN) | @ KC | $4,200 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
I like many of the other Red Sox, so I’d love to have Bogaerts in the heart of their order. Gregorius gets the platoon advantage against Ynoa and could be in a prominent spot of Philadelphia’s batting order. Polanco should bat second or third in the potent Twins lineup against the right-handed Singer.
Outfield
| NAME (TEAM) | OPPONENT | PRICE | MATCHUP | RISK |
| Max Kepler (MIN) | @ KC | $4,500 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| J.D. Davis (NYM) | vs. MIA | $3,600 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Low |
| Gregory Polanco (PIT) | vs. DET | $3,400 | ⭐⭐⭐ | High |
| Alex Verdugo (BOS) | vs. TOR | $3,300 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Medium |
| Jay Bruce (PHI) | vs. ATL | $3,200 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | High |
Kepler is my favorite value play atop the Twins lineup. Davis has been raking this season (.319/.389/.532) and should cost way more than $3,600. Polanco is typically better against righties, making him a nice value at $3,400. Verdugo has three homers over the last three games and gets the platoon advantage against Shoemaker. Bruce, historically one of the streakiest hitters in baseball, also homered Saturday.
5 Studs Worth Their Salary
- Aaron Judge, NYY ($6,000): I don’t care who he’s facing. Judge is the hottest hitter in the game right now and is completely in the zone.
- Freddie Freeman, ATL ($5,500): Freeman is one of the best hitters in the game too and has feasted against righties throughout his career. That’s bad news for a struggling Vince Velasquez.
- Nelson Cruz, MIN ($5,300): Cruz has 15 RBIs and an OPS above 1.000 yet again. He’s a great pick in the heart of a Twins stack.
- Max Kepler (MIN) ($4,500): Hitting atop this lineup makes this price tag hard to understand. What makes it even harder to fathom is the fact that he had a 1.038 OPS against righties last season.
- Alex Verdugo (BOS) ($3,300): This price is crazy. In light of his recent power surge, Verdugo now has a .927 OPS for the season. He also opposes a hittable right-handed starter in Shoemaker.
5 Notable Players to Fade
- Charlie Morton, TB ($9,100): This probably doesn’t need to be said, but just don’t use pitchers against the Yankees. They have the best lineup in baseball, so it’s silly to use someone this highly-priced against them.
- Giancarlo Stanton, NYY ($5,500): The slugging outfielder just suffered a hamstring injury on Saturday and appears unlikely to play here. Even if he does, Morton is no easy matchup.
- Anthony Rendon, LAA ($5,400): Since homering in his opening at-bat of the season, Rendon is barely cracking .100 with a .595 OPS. That’s bad news against a stud like Lance Lynn.
- Joey Gallo, TEX ($4,900): Gallo is one of my favorite players, but facing a lefty with strikeout stuff (Heaney) is a bad recipe for Gallo.
- Keston Hiura, MIL ($5,000): Hiura has been struggling a bit this season. That could continue against Sonny Gray, who enters Sunday with a 0.96 ERA and 0.70 WHIP.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel
