A full 15-game slate tonight and let’s hope the weather cooperates! I was appalled at some of the pricing by FanDuel and DraftKings on today’s slate, but hey, no qualms here! We’ll take the value and run! With stud pitchers with big price tags in some advantageous matchups, you’ll need some value bats, or a lesser-priced second starter on DraftKings. All of that and more is below, so let’s get into it!
Both Sites
Bryan Reynolds, OF PIT ($2,800 FD/$3,200 DK) - I’m honestly surprised Reynolds is this cheap. He’s hitting .286 with 10 home runs on the year, and against southpaws in particular, he’s hitting .338 with three home runs in 71 at-bats. Patrick Corbin has been abysmal this year, and right-handed hitters have given him fits, to the tune of a .312 batting average and .397 wOBA. Corbin has allowed at least three earned runs in five straight starts, surpassing five innings of work just twice (5.1 IP & 5.2 IP). This is a pricing mistake by both FanDuel and DraftKings.
Michael Brantley, OF HOU ($3,100 FD/$3,700 DK) - Texas’ Kyle Gibson has been solid, I won’t deny that. His 0.96 ERA at home is impeccable. On the road, like he is tonight, his ERA is a bit higher at 3.41 and his HR/9 mark is elevated by 0.31. However, Brantley has been a menace to opposing right-handed pitchers. In 2021, Brantley has an insane .365 average against righties and he’s hitting .600 in the month of June with a 1.502 OPS. Since returning to the lineup, he has three multi-hit games, and he’s yet to strike out (20 at-bats). This is more of an endorsement of Brantley than an indictment on Gibson.
FanDuel
Dominic Smith, OF NYM ($2,700) - I had Dominic Smith in the Value Vault yesterday and pulled him out right before submitting it. Boy, I’m kicking myself on that one. However, not today! Smith hasn’t been overly impressive against righties this year, but there’s plenty of pop in that bat of his, and Chicago’s Alec Mills has allowed a massive .434 wOBA to left-handed hitters this year. Smith has three home runs in the month of June and is sporting a .783 OPS this month. I’m only playing him in GPPs, but here’s hoping he builds off yesterday’s performance.
Jonathan India, 2B CIN ($2,900) - India was excellent yesterday and he finds himself in another great spot today. India is hitting .357 this month with a 1.076 OPS, and he’s hit safely in 10 of 12 games this month. He’s hitting an even .300 against lefties this year, he’s hitting a cool .303 on the road in 2021, and Milwaukee’s Brett Anderson has succumbed to righties, to a tune of a .375 wOBA. Another day, another opportunity to take advantage of India’s price point on FanDuel!
J.P. Crawford, SS SEA ($2,500) - This is your daily reminder to keep playing Crawford until FanDuel corrects his price. Crawford is hitting .346 against southpaws this year and he’s hitting a crisp .373 with a 1.011 OPS through 51 June at-bats. J.A. Happ has been solid against lefties, but Crawford is too cheap and too hot to ignore at this juncture. Not much more needs to be said. Carry on.
DraftKings
Taijuan Walker, SP NYM ($8,800) - Walker is the perfect second starter on DraftKings today, and he’s just the sixth-most expensive pitcher on the board. Chicago has the sixth-highest strikeout rate over the last two weeks and for the season as a whole, they have the seventh-highest strikeout rate against southpaws. The New York righty had nine strikeouts in his last outing, and he has 19 punchouts in his last three outings (17 IP).
Dylan Moore, 2B SEA ($2,600) - Righties against J.A. Happ, folks! He’s served up a .289 batting average to righties in 2021, not to mention a wOBA north of .880 and a .376 wOBA! Moore has a .774 OPS against lefties this year, and since returning to the Seattle lineup, he’s hitting .308. Moore is a GPP play only, so keep that in mind.