There are a handful of aces getting the ball tonight, but, as you’ll see below, my leaning is to look elsewhere. The value pitchers aren’t the safest group, but they have ample upside to smash their sub-$7,500 salaries. Further, the salary relief they provide will allow you to spend up on the extremely expensive studs who are featured in the studs worth their salary section.

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Value Plays

Pitcher

 
Lopez delivered just 9.9 DraftKings points when he faced the Mets in New York on August 9, but he’s underpriced relative to his performance this year. Through three starts spanning 16.0 innings, Lopez has amassed a 2.25 ERA, 3.11 SIERA, 1.13 WHIP, 6.0 BB%, 28.4 K%, and eye-popping 17.0 SwStr%, according to FanGraphs.

Sandoval’s been sharp as well through his three starts totaling 16.0 innings. The lefty has a 3.94 ERA (3.75 SIERA), 1.13 WHIP, 6.1 BB%, 19.7 K%, and 13.4 SwStr%. Sandoval has a softer matchup and better odds of coming away with the win than Lopez since he’s backed by a better offense and squaring off against Johnny Cueto as opposed to Jacob deGrom, but he also likely has lower strikeout potential. As a result, Sandoval’s probably the safer play, but Lopez is the higher-upside option. At their salaries, though, they can definitely be rostered together.

However, Mize makes for an interesting option, too. The No. 8 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, is armed with a tantalizing repertoire headlined by his splitter. He dazzled at High-A before proving more than capable of tying up Double-A hitters as well. In 15 starts spanning 78.2 innings at the Double-A level last year, he spun a 3.20 ERA (3.13 xFIP) and 1.11 WHIP. His 23.5 K% at that level was more good than great, but it also belies his gaudy 14.1 SwStr%. And, as a reminder, the average onlooker has no idea what Mize was tasked with in his development in the minors. Basically, he could have been asked to work on a secondary offering in two-strike counts. In the Show, his task is to get MLB hitters out with his best offerings.

Catcher/First Base

 
Catcher and first base are two of the three offensive positions that aren’t featured in the studs worth their salary section and both offer some value options that provide upside in plus matchups while offering valuable salary relief. Kelly’s .394 OBP, .246 ISO, and 139 wRC+ against lefties since 2017 all play quite well at a sub-$3,000 salary. Thames offers home-run power in a five-star matchup, but Santana’s my preferred option if you have the extra $600 in salary to pony up. He has a great matchup with Steven Brault and won’t skip a beat even if a right-handed reliever is brought in as he’s an above-average hitter batting as a lefty, too.

Second Base

 
Second base is the other position not included in the studs worth their salary section, and Marte stands out like a sore thumb in this table. In 482 plate appearances against lefties since 2017, the switch-hitter has rattled off a .371 OBP, .245 ISO, and 141 wRC+. It’s absurd he’s priced under $4,000. If you need every penny you can get, though, Garcia’s just a few hundred above the minimum salary for a hitter and has a five-star matchup.

Third Base

 
Honestly, I’m not pivoting from my top option at the hot corner featured below unless something prevents him from being an option (i.e. he receives a day off or the game is postponed). Having said that, Cabrera would play well in a Nationals stack, and Moran’s been a Statcast darling this year ranking tied for 10th in barrels per plate appearance percentage among qualified hitters, according to Baseball Savant.

Shortstop

 
As is the case at third base, I’m not pivoting off of my forthcoming top shortstop unless he’s unavailable. Although, if you’re in love with one of the aces, spinning down from my top shortstop to Ahmed could be all that’s needed to free up enough salary to make that a reality. Additionally, you’re getting a lefty-killer who has a .344 OBP, .228 ISO, and 123 wRC+ against lefties since 2017 at a sub-$3,000 salary. Not too shabby.

Outfield

 
Reyes is the apple of my eye among the value outfielders. Lefty Steven Brault has coughed up a .346 wOBA to righties since last year, and Reyes mashes against southpaws with a .387 OBP, .236 ISO, and 145 wRC+ against them since reaching the Majors in 2018.

In the sub-$3,500 bargain bin, Buxton and Eaton stand out. Buxton’s totaled a .343 OBP, 165 ISO and 106 wRC+ against lefties since 2017 and could be on the verge of kicking it up a notch with intriguing Statcast numbers. Eaton has a great lineup spot in a five-start matchup and is far too cheap even when accounting for his slow start.

5 Studs Worth Their Salary

• Charlie Blackmon, COL ($5,800): Blackmon’s the first of three Rockies in this section. They’re at home, and Coors Field remains the unquestioned king of offensive venues, as you can see on our MLB Park Factors page.
• Juan Soto, WAS ($5,700): Soto entered the year as one of the best hitters in baseball, yet he’s playing at a breathtaking level with a .500 OBP, .521 ISO, and 268 wRC+ through 56 plate appearances. He’ll get the same five-star matchup his previously mentioned teammates Thames, Garcia, Cabrera, and Eaton will enjoy.
• Nolan Arenado, COL ($5,700):
• Trevor Story, COL ($5,400): The other two members of the Rockies in this section actually have a leg up on Blackmon as a result of having the platoon advantage against visiting lefty Framber Valdez.
• Nelson Cruz, MIN ($5,300): Speaking of facing lefties, when Cruz does so — like he is tonight — he’s usually going to appear in this section. He’s pummeled them for a .407 OBP, .330 ISO, and 164 wRC+ since 2017.

5 Notable Players to Fade

• Jacob deGrom, NYM ($11,800)
• Gerrit Cole, NYY ($11,000): The inclusion of deGrom and Cole in this section says little about them and their upside and everything about the lower-priced pitching alternatives and the need to spend up on bats tonight.
• Julio Urias, LAD ($10,100): Urias, however, would make for a poor five-figure option even if the cheaper pitching alternatives were less intriguing. He’s struck out only 15.3% of the batters he’s faced this year and hasn’t pitched deep into games with him setting a season high with 6.1 innings in his last start.
• Mookie Betts, LAD ($6,200): Betts is elite, obviously, but Taijuan Walker‘s not a great matchup for right-handed hitters. The sample is small since he made only one appearance last year and four starts thus far this year in his return from Tommy John surgery, but he’s held righties to a .263 wOBA.
• Jose Altuve, HOU ($6,100): Even with injuries removing key players from Houston’s lineup, Altuve remains banished to the bottom half of the order. He’s too expensive for his lineup spot presently even in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field.

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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.