DraftKings MLB Picks: Top Bargain plays for August 25th
Finding value is 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 offer a handful of players that could give critical salary relief for tonight’s DraftKings MLB picks.
Tonight’s slate features nine games, with a few teams that stand out from the rest as favorites to score the most runs. Toronto has the highest projection at 6 runs, followed by Seattle (5.2), Arizona (5.1), Washington (5.1), and Texas (5). At first glance, there appears to a lot of value on the slate, but the two teams that are the most under priced, are Seattle and Pittsburgh. I like Seattle a bit more, given their projected team total. Keep in mind, just because a team is under priced doesn’t make them the perfect stack. In general, they should offer the best value per dollar, but this will come at the price of ownership.
Here are my top bargains on tonight’s slate.
Next: Bargain Plays
Mike Zunino – SEA (C) – $3500
As mentioned, Seattle has the second highest projected team total and any player priced under $4,000 should be considered when in this type of situation. Zunino has reverse splits where he’s actually better against righties. He holds a .448 wOBA and a .410 ISO split. Zunino has legitimate power upside and will be in a good amount of my lineups.
Justin Smoak – TOR (1B) – $3600
You’ll have to have exposure to some Toronto batters if you’re still playing cash games. Their projection of 6 runs cannot go unnoticed. Smoak is way too cheap for this spot. He’s a switch hitter who is better against righties with a .352 wOBA and a .249 ISO split.
Seth Smith – SEA (OF) – $3600
Smith will benefit from facing the righty, Ranaudo. He holds a .349 wOBA split and if he’s batting second, he’s a great value.
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Gutierrez ($3700), O’Malley ($3500), Heredia ($2800) – SEA
We’ve been in this situation before, and again, whichever player draws the lead off spot will be providing value. Ideally, Id much prefer Gutierrez as his batted ball stats are far better. Gutierrez has an average distance of 216 feet, 93 MPH exit speed, and a 45% hard hit rate, compared to O’Malley’s 172 feet, 86 MPH, and 17%.
Darwin Barney – TOR (2B/3B) – $3100
This isn’t the best match up for Barney, as he’s facing a righty, but if he’s batting first, you’ll have to consider him tonight. Barney’s value is derived from his spot in the order and the sizable Toronto run total.
Josh Bell – PIT (OF) – $2900
As I mentioned the Pirates are also under priced. I wouldn’t mind adding Frazier and Jaso to this list, but Bell is the best cheap value from the Buccos.
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!