This Saturday slate could end up shrinking a bit as the day goes on. There are some weather concerns that could pop up at a few different stadiums, so that will be something to monitor as the day progresses. There’s a couple pitchers with some glaring splits, and a few stacks that I find incredibly intriguing. Sure, a lot of people will be looking at the Dodgers and Astros, but two sneaky teams to consider, if you have some money, are the Mets and Rays.
Here are my favorite value plays of the day for your FanDuel, DraftKings, and Yahoo lineups!
All Sites
Andy Ibáñez, 2B TEX ($2,500 FD/$2,600 DK/$13 Yahoo) - It’s not a great matchup, but everything has been going Ibanez’s way of late. He’s hitting .324 against southpaws in 2021 and he’s hitting a savory .438 over the last two weeks with a 1.148 OPS. Houston’s Framber Valdez has been great this year, but Ibanez is red-hot and has hit southpaws well all season. I’ll mix him in a few lineups this evening.
Jake Meyers, OF HOU ($2,900 FD/$2,700 DK/$15 Yahoo) - Houston is going to score a lot of runs tonight and Meyers is a cheap way to get a piece of the Houston pie. He’s hitting .400 (8-for-20) against southpaws this year, and he’s hitting .311 for the month of August. Over the last week, he has a .320 batting average and .708 OPS, and on the road this year, he has a solid .941 OPS.
Yahoo
Luis Arraez, 2B MIN ($13) - Arraez has three hits in four at-bats against Milwaukee’s Adrian Houser and he also has a .332 batting average against righties this year as a whole. Houser has allowed a .269 batting average and .329 wOBA to left-handed hitters this year, and Arraez is sporting a .310 batting average and .387 OBP at his home park in 2021.
Chris Taylor, OF LAD ($13) - Taylor is 6-for-14 with two home runs in his career against Jon Gray and if you have the dollars, there are multiple bats from this Dodgers lineup that I want to roster. Gray has a 4.69 ERA away from Coors Field this year and he has a 6.75 ERA through four August starts. Taylor has a .947 OPS against Colorado pitching this year, and he’s sporting a .261 average and .790 OPS against right-handers. If I have the money, I’m rostering Taylor, A.J. Pollock and Justin Turner. Well, and maybe Corey Seager.
FanDuel
Cedric Mullins, OF BAL ($3,300) - I thought he’d be a bit more expensive today, but hey, no complaints here! Mullins is 5-for-9 with a home run against Michael Wacha, good for a .556 batting average and .700 wOBA. Mullins has a .313 average and .936 OPS against righties this year, and while he’s been slumping a bit of late, hitting just .240 over the past week, he still has an .830 OPS with two homers and two stolen bases in that stretch.
Brandon Nimmo, OF NYM ($2,900) - Nimmo homered against Sean Nolin earlier this year and there’s no reason he cannot do it again today! Nimmo has a .373 batting average against southpaws this year, and Nolin has been atrocious against southpaws, allowing a .538 batting average and .701 wOBA! A New York stack is in full effect today, led by Nimmo and Pete Alonso.
DraftKings
Alcides Escobar, SS WAS ($3,400) - I really considered Marcus Stroman today for this article, but he’s a bit too pricy. If you’re going to go contrarian and try some Washington bats, Escobar is a good one to look at. He hasn’t hit Stroman particularly well for his career, but he does have one homer against him, and Escobar is hitting .283 against right-handers this year. Furthermore, over the past week, Escobar is hitting .385 with an .890 OPS! Escobar should only be considered in GPP lineups.
Byron Buxton, OF MIN ($2,800) - Buxton was held hitless in his return to the lineup, but prior to his injury, he was a fantasy monster. For the year, he’s hitting .358 with a 1.149 OPS, and has 10 home runs and five stolen bases to his name. Milwaukee’s Adrian Houser has been tougher on right-handed hitters than lefties, but Buxton has crushed righties at a .364 clip and 1.243 OPS. It’s risky, sure, considering how much time he missed, but you don’t get star players at this price often.