MLB DFS: The Stud and Steal of the Day 7/26

May 29, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist (18) celebrates with Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (17) and Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (44) after they score on his three run homer in the third inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports /

Welcome Back!

We are back with the stud and steal of the day for MLB DFS! 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

7/25: Albert Pujols: 3/5, 3 1B’s, 1 R, 4 RBI’s

Next: The Stud of the Day

Jul 7, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant (17) scores during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /

MLB DFS: The Stud of the Day: Kris Bryant, 3B/0F ($4,600 DK, $4,800 FD)

Like Josh Donaldson yesterday, another all-star third baseman gets the nod as our stud of the day, none other than Kris Bryant of the Cubs. Gone are the days where Bryant was looked at as an elite prospect who had yet to prove himself in the majors, he has blossomed into a true MVP candidate and has an amazing match up against James Shields.

Nobody really knows what happened to Shields, once regarded as a top 15 pitcher in all of baseball he has completely fallen off in his first season as a White Sock. He particularly struggles facing right-handed batters at home which is exactly what Kris Bryant will be doing tonight.

Shields vs. RHB @ Home: .322 AVG, 9 HR’s, 12 2B’s, 26 ER’s accounted for

Given how good of a hitter Bryant is, looking at that split you can sign me up. The average is laughably high and it is a large enough sample size where you can trust that it isn’t a fluke. The 21 extra base hits given up in only 36 innings pitched tells you that batters are making hard contact and there are few hitters in baseball that can hit a ball harder than Kris Bryant.

Bryant vs. RHP on the Road: 45/146, .308 AVG, 11 HR’s, 10 2B’s, 31 RBI’s, 43.2 Hard Hit Ball %

While the home runs and the doubles should stand out to you, the 43.2 Hard Hit Ball Percentage is the most impressive stat out of the 5 listed. Almost half of the time Bryant makes contact he is crushing the baseball against a pitcher like Shields. Don’t be surprised when Bryant has a monster night tonight, get him in your lineups!

If you choose to go a different route, the Red Sox have the joy of facing Mike Pelfrey tonight. David Ortiz, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley Jr. are all great plays against a pitcher like Pelfrey who simply isn’t very good. For more on the Red Sox as a stacking option, check out Picks and Pivots, our daily FanDuel column.

Next: The Steal of the Day

Jul 9, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon (3) hits an infield single during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

The Steal of the Day: Sandy Leon, C, ($3,400 DK, $2,800 FD)

Who?? Yes you read the title properly, the steal of the day is Sandy Leon of the Boston Red Sox. While many dfs players and fans alike didn’t know anything about Leon a few months ago, he should definitely be on everyone’s radar now. In eighty at bats, he’s hitting .400 and has benefited greatly from being in an extremely potent Red Sox lineup that rarely scores less than 4 runs a game. Throw in that he gets to face Mike Pelfrey who I briefly touched on earlier and this is a great spot to use Leon.

Leon vs. RHP @ Home: 11/36, .306 AVG, 4 2B’s, 1 3B, 3 RBI’s

While you’d be hard pressed to find someone who believes that Leon will finish his career with a .300+ average vs. right-handed pitching, this is daily fantasy sports. It doesn’t matter if Leon never gets a hit in the Majors after tonight as long as he produces as expected vs Pelfrey. This is a case of taking someone who has been hot lately and gets the added benefit of facing a pitcher that isn’t very good.

Pelfrey vs. RHB: .313 AVG, 7 HR’s, 6 2B’s, 1 3B,

Nothing special to see here folks, as the split would suggest Pelfrey is poor against right-handed batters. In a ballpark like Fenway where a right-handed batter can hit a home run with minimal effort over the green monster, I love Leon and the rest of the Red Sox batters’ chances tonight.

If you want to include Kris Bryant in your lineups and roster a quality starting pitcher, you’re going to have to cut costs at some other positions tonight. While I don’t have the time to go over every single value play, if you choose Sandy Leon as your catcher it’ll be one less position you have to worry about.

Next: MLB Lineups: FanDuel Economics July 26

Best of luck to everyone playing DFS tonight and I’d love to hear who you guys think is a good play tonight in the comments! If twitter is more your thing be sure to give me a follow @Morancie18!