DraftKings MLB Picks: Top Bargain plays for August 18th (7:00 PM Only)
Finding value can be the ever so elusive, “Holy Grail.” Making cap room for pitchers and big bats can make all the difference in a lineup. With a little elbow grease in the research department, I’m hoping to provide a handful of players that could provide critical salary relief for tonight’s DraftKings MLB picks.
Tonight’s slate features nine games, none of which standout as clear cut favorites to score the most runs. There is a significant grouping of teams in the mid to high 4’s, with Cleveland being the only team projected to score 5 runs. One team that standouts to me from a value perspective is San Diego. The Padres will take on the D-Backs at home, in a fairly evenly matched game with a total of 8.5 runs. There are a few Padres’ batters that are very under priced and should be able to meet value. Here is the full list of cheap value plays to consider tonight, when filling out your lineups.
Next: Value Plays
Carlos Santana – CLE (1B) – $3500
We’ll have to monitor what Cleveland’s lineup looks like tonight as they face lefty Carlos Rodon. Mike Napoli, a righty, could draw the start as the Tribe is facing a lefty. If Napoli is used as a DH and Santana starts, Santana will be one of my favorite plays on the slate. No other Cleveland player is priced even remotely close to Santana, indicating that he’s extremely under priced. Any player playing on the team projected to score the most runs, at this price, is a steal.
Drew Butera – KC (C) – $2600
Butera is a really enticing cheap option if you choose to punt at the catching position. He has reverse splits that are pretty impressive. He holds a .343 wOBA and a .209 ISO split. KC is projected to score 4.6 runs and no matter where Butera hits in the lineup, he’ll be a solid value play. Keep in mind that players with reverse splits tend to have lower ownership. The casual fan may not dig into the actual splits and just make a decision based of the presumption of playing a hitter facing a pitcher of opposite handedness.
Ryan Schimpf – SD (2B) – $3900
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San Diego is projected to score 4.3 runs and more and more money is coming in on the over. All three of these players are extremely under priced and offers tremendous value. Schimpf is much more effective when facing a righty. He holds a .394 wOBA and a .353 ISO split. Assuming Schimpf is batting 5th or better, he’ll be of value.
Alex Dickerson – SD (OF) – $3400
Dickerson is another lefty who has favorable splits with a .352 wOBA and a .239 ISO split. We’ll be looking for Dickerson to bat clean up.
Yangervis Solarte – SD (2B/3B) – $3900
Last but not least is Solarte. Solarte is a switch hitter who has neutral splits. I like Schimpf and Dickerson a bit more, but the same logic applies with Solarte.
Josh Reddick – LAD (OF) – $3700
The Dodgers are projected to score 4.9 runs and Reddick should be a beneficiary. Reddick, a lefty, will face Jared Eickhoff, a righty. Reddick holds a .354 wOBA and a .173 ISO split against righties.
Hyun-Soo Kim – BAL (OF) – $3700
I love playing Kim when he’s facing a righty and Baltimore has a projected run total of 4.5 runs.
Note: Keep in mind that recommended plays are based off of early information and will be subject to change as lineups are released. Some cheaper players are more suspect to be scratched from the lineup or bumped down the lineup order. Follow me on Twitter @MattMcGarvey215, where I’ll try to update these plays the best I can!