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MLB DFS: The Stud and Steal of the Day 8/16

By Allan Morancie

May 15, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Oakland Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia (26) celebrates after hitting a two run home run during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
May 15, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Oakland Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia (26) celebrates after hitting a two run home run during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 15, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Oakland Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia (26) celebrates after hitting a two run home run during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
May 15, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Oakland Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia (26) celebrates after hitting a two run home run during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-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 twelve 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

-All Star Break-

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

7/28: Maikel Franco:1/5, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI’s

8/4: Mark Trumbo: 1/4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R

Next: The Stud of the Day

May 11, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits an RBI double in the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
May 11, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits an RBI double in the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

MLB DFS: The Stud of the Day: Nolan Arenado , 3B, ($5,500 DK, $4,200 FD)

Facing a left handed pitcher, playing at home in Colorado, time to fire up Nolan Arenado in Fanduel and Draftkings. The all-star third baseman absolutely rakes against lefties and gets to face off against Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals. While Gonzalez is a serviceable pitcher, he has a 35.8 hard hit ball percentage against right handed hitters and has been susceptible to the long ball as well. Of course, unless he’s facing off against Clayton Kershaw, Arenado’s numbers against lefties at Coors are simply off the charts.

Arenado vs. LHP @ Home:  22/61, .361, 5 2B’s, 6 HR’s, 14 RBI’s

That .361 average would be tops in the NFL if it were over the course of the entire season but of course it’s a limited sample so you have to take advantage when you can. The thin air in Denver leads to a lot more home runs being hit which is just one more positive in selecting him.

Now that we’ve gushed about Arenado for a while, lets go back to Gio Gonzalez. While he has decent splits all around, by far his worst is against right handed batters on the road. The .267 average they have against him is 25 points higher than any other demographic. Not to mention Gonzalez has given up 15 home runs this season, 14 of which have come against right handed bats.

When you have the opportunity to get someone like Arenado in at home, you should ignore the price tag and slot him in your roster. He murders lefties and can hit for power and for average, get him in your lineup!

Next: The Steal of the Day

Jul 17, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Danny Valencia (26) hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 17, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics first baseman Danny Valencia (26) hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

MLB DFS: The Steal of the Day: Danny Valencia, 3B, ($3,600 DK, $3,200 FD)

If you’re looking for a cheaper option at third base, let me introduce you to Danny Valencia of the Oakland Athletics. He gets to face off against Lucas Harrell of the Rangers who has some of the weirdest splits in all of baseball. While many pitchers perform better at home, Harrell actually does a lot better on the road and gets shelled when he takes the mound in Texas.

Harrell @ Home: 21.2 IP, 6.23 E.R.A, 3 HR’s, 6 2B’s, .512 SLG

Harrell on the Road: 23.1 IP, 2.31 E.R.A, 1 HR, 1 2B, .282 SLG

As you can see, Harrell has had a very difficult time getting batters out at home and gives up a lot more extra base hits as well. Right handed hitters like Valencia perform even better when they face off against Harrell at home.

RHB vs Harrell @ Home: 12/42,  .286 AVG, 10 Runs scored

What’s funny about Danny Valencia is that he too performs a lot better on the road than at home. His average on the road against right handed pitching is almost 90 points higher than his average at home, (.316/.228). This is the perfect case of the splits aligning perfectly to give you a solid value play on both Fanduel and Draftkings. If you can’t afford Arenado or want to try and go contrarian I would highly recommend going with an A’s stack against Harrell with Valencia leading the charge.

Next: Fantasy Football Rankings: Wide Receivers

As always best of luck to anyone playing DFS tonight and may we all win money!