MLB DFS Bargain Bin- Top First Half NL Value Plays

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MLB DFS Bargain Bin- Top First Half NL Value Plays- NL East

Welcome to an All-Star Break edition of the MLB DFS Bargain Bin, where I’ll highlight one hitter from each National League team that’s consistently provided strong fantasy production relative to his typical price tag across the DFS industry.

Philadelphia Phillies

Cesar Hernandez, 2B

Key numbers: .270/.378/.382- 22 extra-base hits (12 doubles, two triples, eight home runs), 31 RBI, 66 walks, 63 runs, 14 stolen bases

The Phillies have certainly had their share of productive players in their surprising first half, and many are typically modestly priced across the industry. One who often skirts the upper echelon of being considered a value play but who nevertheless deserves this designation is Hernandez, who’s provided robust production across the board. A 14.4 percent walk rate has helped make him a popular cash game play in particular, as has his ability to contribute on the base paths. His usual spot at or near the top of the order also often gives him that extra at-bat that can be quite valuable in DFS play.

Atlanta Braves

Nick Markakis, OF

Key numbers: .323/.389/.488- 40 extra-base hits (29 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs), 61 RBI, 42 walks, 55 runs, one stolen base

Markakis’ price is starting to creep up, but he was affordably priced for most of the first half. The veteran is having the best season of what has been a rock-solid career, earning his first All-Star honors in the process. Markakis has always been a dependable RBI man, but he’s hitting a whopping .339 with men on base in 2018, putting him on pace to clear the 100-RBI mark for the third time in his career. Add in his penchant for doubles and serviceable power, and you have a player who’s consistently outpaced his price tag thus far this season.

Washington Nationals

Matt Adams, 1B

Key numbers: .288/.362/.565- 23 extra-base hits (eight doubles, 15 home runs), 39 RBI, 20 walks, 32 runs

Another veteran who’s added to a solid career resume this season with a strong first half, Adams is well on pace to set new career highs in home runs and RBI if he can stay healthy and continue seeing consistent playing time. The 29-year-old regularly gets overshadowed while playing in the same starting nine as Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner, but he’s often made for a rewarding cost-effective DFS play while terrorizing right-handed pitching.

Miami Marlins

Brian Anderson, 3B/OF

Key numbers: .288/.363/.429- 34 extra-base hits (23 doubles, three triples, eight home runs), 49 RBI, 37 walks, 55 runs, two stolen bases

Anderson is one of the beneficiaries of the Marlins’ willingness to give young pieces a chance to contribute, as he’s carried over his stellar offense showing at the Triple-A level in 2016 into the big leagues. He provided a glimpse of his upside with a .262/.337/369 line over his first 95 big-league plate appearances in 2017, and he’s demonstrated his diverse offensive skill set with extended opportunity this season. Anderson’s price remains reasonable to start the second half, and he proved equally adept at hitting either handedness of pitcher in the first half.

New York Mets

Brandon Nimmo, OF

Key numbers: .253/.373/.490- 30 extra-base hits (11 doubles, six triples, 13 home runs), 30 RBI, 37 walks, 48 runs, seven stolen bases

Asdrubal Cabrera has enjoyed a very strong season as well, although his price has risen above value range at times. Nimmo has offered a bit more well-rounded production, as evidenced by his six triples and seven swipes. The young outfielder also brings plenty of power, and his 13 homers already represent the best tally of his professional career. While his 28.9 percent strikeout rate has plenty of room for improvement, Nimmo projects to only continue getting better during the second half of what is already the most extended action of his big-league career (311 plate appearances).

MLB DFS Bargain Bin- Top First Half NL Value Plays- NL Central

Chicago Cubs

Jason Heyward, OF

Key numbers: .285/.344/.431- 25 extra-base hits (16 doubles, three triples, six home runs), 41 RBI, 25 walks, 46 runs

A few Cubs have offered nice returns at affordable prices throughout the season, including Addison Russell and Ian Happ. However, Heyward has provided an excellent mix of hitting for average, extra-base hits, run production and run scoring. The veteran has also hit both handedness of pitcher well, even slashing .274/.328/.355 in 68 plate appearances against southpaws. While Heyward doesn’t wow with any particular stat, his impressive 11.2 percent strikeout rate and corresponding 88 percent contact rate typically make him a solid cash play in particular.

Milwaukee Brewers

Travis Shaw, 3B

Key numbers: .245/.342/.473- 37 extra-base hits (19 doubles, 18 home runs), 55 RBI, 48 walks, 45 runs, one stolen base

Jesus Aguilar has enjoyed a breakout season, but his price has consistently risen above value range recently. Meanwhile, Shaw isn’t hitting as consistently for average as last season, but his power is certainly intact. The veteran still has a chance to exceed last season’s career-high 31 home runs, as he’s averaging a round tripper about every five games. He continues to typically be priced in the higher end of the value range, but his potent bat has already produced many strong fantasy-point returns this season.

St. Louis Cardinals

Yadier Molina, C

Key numbers: .274/.315/.474- 20 extra-base hits (seven doubles, 13 home runs), 41 RBI, 13 walks, 26 runs, two stolen bases

The Cardinals are another squad with quite a few solid fantasy-point-per-dollar performers, including Marcell Ozuna and Jose Martinez. However, the ageless Molina continues to amaze and has remained affordable all season. A groin injury cost him time, but he’s back to producing at his usual above-average clip without ever getting too costly. At his current rate, he’ll exceed last season’s 18-homer total — the second-highest of his career — fairly early into the second half if he remains healthy.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Corey Dickerson, OF

Key numbers: .306/.340/.469- 34 extra-base hits (22 doubles, five triples, seven home runs), 37 RBI, 14 walks, 40 runs, five stolen bases

It feels like Dickerson often flies somewhat under the radar, but his impressive numbers attest to the type of season he’s enjoying. Granted, his power numbers were considerably down in the first half, but Dickerson is still making hard contact at a solid 32.3 percent rate. Additionally, he’s upped his line-drive rate back up to 26.0 percent from the respective 17.5 and 22.4 percent he tallied the last two seasons in Tampa, leading to a nice projected bump in doubles and triples by the end of the season, as well as a current 24-point increase in batting average over 2017’s .282 figure.

Cincinnati Reds

Scott Schebler, OF

Key numbers: .278/.351/.470- 27 extra-base hits (15 doubles, 12 home runs), 37 RBI, 24 walks, 42 runs, three stolen bases

Jesse Winker and Jose Peraza have both often been appealing bargains as well, but Schebler, who just hit the disabled list, has been an even better source of the big hit while still putting up a rock-solid slash line. The outfielder has particularly seen big jumps in both batting average and on-base percentage over last season’s .233 and .307 figures in those categories, which he’s partly accomplished by nudging his strikeout rate a couple of percentage points down to 21.7 percent. Schebler’s current sprained AC joint isn’t expected to keep him out much past the minimum 10 days, so he should be able to resume his strong season early into the second half.

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MLB DFS Bargain Bin- Top First Half NL Value Plays- NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers

Matt Kemp, OF

Key numbers: .310/.352/.522- 33 extra-base hits (18 doubles, 15 home runs), 60 RBI, 21 walks, 42 runs

Despite his stellar numbers and All-Star game appearance, Kemp’s price remains reasonable to start the second half. The veteran outfielder seems to have discovered the fountain of youth after a decent 2017 in Atlanta, as his current average is his highest since 2011. Kemp still doesn’t walk much, but his prodigious power continues to make him a popular, high-upside tournament play.

Arizona Diamondbacks

A.J. Pollock, OF

Key numbers: .285/.348/.575- 27 extra-base hits (12 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs), 38 RBI, 15 walks, 26 runs, nine stolen bases

Pollock’s outfield mate David Peralta is no slouch either and likely deserves the runner-up for this designation on the D-Backs, but Pollock has provided even more well-rounded production. The nine stolen bases are a nice supplement to his overall offensive profile, as are his trio of three-baggers. Pollock already fought through a thumb injury this season that caused an extended absence, but he’s still just two homers away from equaling the 14 he slugged in 259 additional plate appearances last year, and eight away from his career high of 20. Coupled with his ability to hit to all fields and solid stolen-base potential, he remains an excellent high-end value play as long as his price continues hovering around where it’s typically been.

Colorado Rockies

Ian Desmond, 1B

Key numbers: .235/.308/.455- 33 extra-base hits (11 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs), 56 RBI, 32 walks, 52 runs, 11 stolen bases

Desmond started off the season in a serious slump, but he’s picked it up since early June. The veteran slugger slashed .303/.391/.576 with a .410 wOBA and 41.5 percent hard contact rate over the 151 plate appearances covering the last 38 games before the All-Star break. He’s just one triple away from matching a career high as well, and he’s gotten his power back after surprisingly smacking only seven homers last year over 95 games. With the added bonus of the occasional stolen base and a slash line that’s been increasingly on the rise for some time now, Desmond always makes for a nice tournament option that’s sometimes overlooked in favor of his more renowned teammates.

San Francisco Giants

Gorkys Hernandez, OF

Key numbers: .277/.324/.454- 23 extra-base hits (11 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs), 30 RBI, 17 walks, 36 runs, four stolen bases

Buster Posey is also having a nice season while checking in at very affordable prices, but Hernandez is providing more across the box score. The 30-year-old parlayed his regular playing time into career highs in home runs, RBI and batting average during the first half while taking firm hold of the starting left field job. With the aging Hunter Pence seemingly reduced to a part-time role at this point, Hernandez should be able to seriously build on his strong numbers in the second half.

San Diego Padres

Wil Myers, OF

Key numbers: .282/.341/.556- 17 extra-base hits (eight doubles, one triple, eight home runs), 20 RBI, 11 walks, 17 runs, four stolen bases

Myer only played in 33 games during the first half due to an oblique injury, but he’s been able to put up his typically solid numbers when he’s been in there. His price certainly looks like it’s on the rise now, but he was able to provide some solid returns at very affordable costs upon his June 21 return. There’s no doubting Myers’ power potential after he amassed 58 homers over the last two seasons, but the encouraging aspect of his overall numbers thus far is that all three components of his slash line are at or approaching career-high levels.

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