MLB DFS: Stud and Steal of the Day July 8th

May 24, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Wooden baseball bats rest in the rack before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

Stud and Steal of the day – July 8th

Looking at tonight’s slate of fifteen baseball games, it can be daunting to decide who deserves a place in your lineup. Knowing which star player is worth the money can be the difference between a winning night and one that ends in failure. However, finding the hidden gems that perform well are equally as important because they can let you spend more on your starting pitchers. This article will touch on one expensive player who is primed to have a big night, and one cheap player whom you wouldn’t normally play but is a great play tonight in MLB DFS.

Past Plays:

6/27:Mike Trout:3/4, 1 HR, 2B, 2R’s 1 RBI

6/28: Josh Donaldson:2/5, 3B,BB,3 RBI’s,1R

6/28:Giancarlo Stanton :3/5, 1 HR, 2 1B, 3 RBI’s, 1 R

7/4:Kris Bryant: 1/1, 2 BB’s, 1 HR, 2 RBI’s

7/4:Travis d’Arnaud: 3/4, 1 HR, 2 1B’s, 2 RBI’s, 2 R’s

7/5:Buster Posey

: 1/3, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB

Next: The Stud of the Day

Jul 21, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) in the Blue Jays /

MLB DFS: Stud of the Day- Josh Donaldson, 3B ($5,600 DK, $4,800 FD)

Welcome back to the stud of the day spot Mr. Donaldson, hopefully your stay this time will be as successful as last time. That’s right, today’s stud of the day is the first repeat of this series and Josh Donaldson is poised to have a huge night yet again. The last time we featured him, Donaldson responded with a very solid line of, :2/5, 3B,BB,3 RBI’s,1R , all in a days work for the best third baseman in baseball.

Donaldson and the Jays come up against the atrociously bad Mike Pelfrey tonight in Toronto and all signs point towards an offensive outburst headed by the all star third baseman himself. Pelfrey gives up a ton of home runs and hard hit balls to right handed bats, and after hitting a baseball 460 ft two nights ago it should be noted that Josh Donaldson is rather proficient at mashing a baseball.

Josh Donaldson vs RHP at Home: .315 AVG, 11 HR’s, 9 2B’s, 32 RBI’s

I should also mention that it’s only taken him 40 games to accumulate these stats, over the course of a 162 game season this averages out to a line of,.315 avg, 45 HR’s, 36 2B’s, 130 RBI’s, not too shabby.

Donaldson is putting up MVP numbers again and when you get him in a matchup like this its almost impossible not to play him. The only downside is his price which is admittedly very high, but then again you get what you pay for. Get Donaldson in your lineups tonight and don’t look back.

Next: The Steal of the Day

May 14, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) hits in two runs in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

MLB DFS: The Steal of the Day: Adrian Gonzalez, 1B ($3,700 DK, $3,300 FD)

Well will you look at that, another very well known first baseman as our steal of the day. Hopefully, unlike Miguel Cabrera (Curse you Miggy) yesterday, Adrian Gonzalez will perform as the statistics suggest he should. Even though he is in the midst of a down year by his standards, Gonzalez has been on a bit of a run in July and gets to face a pitcher that he has had a ton of success against in the past, Andrew Cashner. While you can’t rely on batter vs. pitcher stats in selecting the majority of your lineup, it can be a somewhat useful tool in finding a value play.

Gonzalez vs. Cashner: 11/32- .344 AVG, 1 2B, 4 HR’s, 6 RBI’s

In a case like tonight where you need to save money in some positions in order to roster Donaldson or one of the elite starting pitchers, someone like A-Gon can really save the day. While he might not single-handedly win you a contest, he should pull his own weight based on his great batting average and power against Cashner.

Now lets take a look at Andrew Cashner’s numbers this year, and why his stats vs. left handed hitters aren’t as good as they may seem. While it is true that lefties only hit .234 against him, they actually have a higher Hard Hit Ball % (33) than right handed hitters do, (25%). The difference is that left handed hitters have been getting unlucky, as they hold a .274 babip (batting average on balls in play) compared to right handed batters who sport a .311 babip. Basically lefties are hitting the ball harder off of Cashner, but are hitting them directly at fielders. This should change and as it does so will the batting average of left handed hitters vs. Cashner.

Next: DraftKings MLB Picks For July 8

All of these factors considering, the left handed hitting Adrian Gonzalez makes for a great value play in MLB DFS tonight, get him in your lineups!