We have a full 15-game slate this evening and be sure to check your lineup not only before lock, but around 4:00 EST as well, as that is when the trade deadline is official. At this point, it feels like anyone can get dealt at any time, so I wouldn’t get too attached to any build early on in the day. I have plenty of value bats below, as well as two arms for use in GPPs only. They are risky, and I’ll be the first to admit it, but it’s worth it at their price points.
Without further ado, let’s jump in and check out the best value plays of the day!
All Sites
Sonny Gray, SP CIN ($8,100 FD/$9,200 DK/$36 Yahoo) - The Mets have been seeing the ball well over the last two weeks but with Gray’s ability to miss bats, he’s underpriced, especially on FanDuel. A rough outing in his last one should push ownership down on him today, but he has 37 strikeouts over his last 27.2 innings of work. I’ll chase the upside with strikeouts with Gray today, as righties give him more fits than lefties, and New York tends to have a good amount of lefties in its lineup. He’s a GPP play today.
Trevor Williams, SP CHC ($6,800 FD/$8,600 DK/$27 Yahoo) - Williams has struggled on the road this year, but no Trea Turner is a huge blow to this lineup, and spirits are low as Washington is going full-on rebuild. So far in July, he’s posted a 4.20 ERA, and if you look at his three most recent road starts, he’s allowed seven earned runs across 13 innings of work with 12 strikeouts. There’s a lot of risk here, so he’s reserved specifically for GPPs. UPDATE: Williams has been traded to the Mets, therefore, he won’t be pitching for Chicago this evening.
Yahoo!
J.T. Realmuto, C PHI ($3,300 FD/$14 Yahoo) - Pittsburgh’s Wil Crowe has been generous to right-handed hitters all year, as they have posted a respectable .322 average and .414 wOBA! Realmuto is hitting .263 against righties on the season and over the last two weeks he’s homered three times and posted a .698 OPS. Sure, not overwhelming numbers, but Crowe has been bad, has serious issues with his splits and has a 5.58 ERA in seven road starts this year. Fire up those Philadelphia bats today!
Ramón Laureano, OF OAK ($3,100 FD/$10 Yahoo) - Laureano is 2-for-5 in his career against Patrick Sandoval, and while the Los Angeles southpaw has been pitching well of late, Laureano feasts on lefties. In 2021, Laureano is hitting .302 with a .364 wOBA against left-handers, and he also has a .282 batting average away from his home park. The Oakland outfielder has hit safely in eight of his last nine games, and he has a .343 average and 1.075 OPS against the Angels this year.
FanDuel
Kyle Farmer, 2B/SS CIN ($2,600 FD/$3,000 DK) - Carlos Carrasco is making his return to the mound after a lengthy injury, and he walks into a tough Cincinnati lineup. Farmer certainly won’t make things easier, as he’s hitting .457 with a 1.258 OPS over the last two weeks. He’s red hot and has multiple hits in his last four games, and in five of his last seven. It’s hard to ignore Farmer right now, as it seems like he’s seeing a beach ball at the plate!
AJ Pollock, OF LAD ($2,600 FD) - Arizona’s Zac Gallen has struggled this year, and while it’s more so been against lefties, you can fit Pollock into your FanDuel lineups this evening. He’s hitting .290 with a .370 wOBA against righties this year and over the last week, he’s hitting .455 with a 1.045 OPS. He’s hit safely in his last eight games, and in 15 of the last 16, providing a high floor with noticeable upside in tonight’s matchup.
DraftKings
Rodolfo Castro, 2B/3B PIT ($2,400 DK) - All Castro does is hit dingers! Seriously. All five of his hits this year have sailed over the fence, and three of them have come against righties. Velasquez has a 1.92 HR/9 on the year, but when you look specifically at road appearances, it balloons to 2.17 HR/9. Ouch! Castro is in line for another home run today, and at this price point, join the sweepstakes!
Rowdy Tellez, 1B MIL ($2,600 DK) - Atlanta’s Touki Toussaint has been tough on lefties this year, but since coming to Milwaukee, Tellez looks rejuvenated and after a slow start, he’s picked it up over the last handful of games. Over his last six games, he’s hitting .500 (12-for-24) with four home runs, 10 RBI and eight runs scored. He’s recorded multiple hits in four of those games, and I’m riding the hot bat here today, especially at this price point!
Player News
Athletics OF prospect Colby Thomas went 3-for-5 with a home run, stolen base, two runs scored, and two RBI for Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday.
Thomas is now hitting .306 with 15 home runs and three steals on the season at Triple-A. He’s not yet on the 40-man roster, which is why fellow prospect Denzel Clarke got the first outfield shot over him; however, Thomas is pushing for his chance as well. The Athletics demoted JJ Bleday once this season, and despite the fact that they recently called him back up, they could decide to give Thomas a chance if they move on from Bleday again.
Yankees OF prospect Brennen Davis went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Davis was a top prospect for the Cubs, ranked as high as 16th overall by Baseball America back in 2022. However, injuries sidetracked his progress, and the Cubs non-tendered him in the off-season. The Yankees brought him in on a minor league contract, and he’s gone 9-for-19 in five games at Triple-A with two home runs and five RBI. The Yankees have a crowded outfield, so there’s no guarantee Davis gets a shot this season, but it would be a big win for his career if the 25-year-old can have a steady run of production in the minors this year.
Reds RHP prospect Chase Burnes is being promoted to Triple-A Louisville.
The second overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Burns has dominated at Double-A, registering a 1.29 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts in 42 innings. He’s the Reds’ top prospect and the 11th-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. The Reds will likely give him a few starts at Triple-A, but if the team trades Nick Martinez and/or Wade Miley before the trade deadline, Burns could see some MLB starts at the end of the season.
Rays SS prospect Carson Williams went 4-for-5 with two home runs, two runs scored, and seven RBI for Triple-A Durham on Sunday.
The Rays’ top prospect is the 21st-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He’s struggled for much of the season, hitting .197/.296/.394 in 57 games at Triple-A with nine home runs, 23 RBI, 37 runs scored, and 11 steals. There’s a chance he could be the team’s starting shortstop in 2026, but we’re unlikely to see him in the big leagues this year.
Chandler Simpson went 5-for-5 with a run scored, an RBI, and a stolen base for Triple-A Durham on Sunday.
Simpson is back in Triple-A and doing exactly what he did in the big leagues. All of his hits were singles, but he made consistent contact and put pressure on the defense with his speed. The Rays clearly feel that his defense is not good enough to help their big league roster, but his defense has been a weak point for much of his minor league career, so it’s unclear if the 24-year-old will ever become an above-average defender. What that means for his future in Tampa Bay is anybody’s guess.
Braves RHP prospect Hurston Waldrep allowed six runs on two hits with four walks in just 2/3 of an inning for Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday.
It’s been a really tough season for the 23-year-old this season, who has a 6.35 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, and 56/34 K/BB ratio in 51 innings at Triple-A this season. The first-round pick in the 2023 season is unlikely to get a crack at big league innings this season unless he can figure out some of his command issues.