Finding the right DFS value plays in MLB can make all the difference between winning and losing. Everyone knows the chalk plays and everyone knows you want a piece of the Coors Field action when the Rockies are at home. You know which way the herd goes. But even here at the start of the season, we’re seeing the DFS sites push up the pricing on the Coors teams, so if you want that piece, you have to pay for it. The value is more important than ever.

So let’s take a look at what we have for tonight’s six-game main slate.

Draft Kings

Yusei Kikuchi , SP SEA ($6,000) – I won’t deny that there is some risk involved, given the way Kikuchi pitches to contact. But as your second starter, it may be wise to keep the price down given most managers’ tendencies to keep the outings a little shorter here at the start of the season. This spring, Kikuchi was learning to work the outside corners of the plate more to help limit the contact he was allowing in the zone and he posted a 3.24 ERA with a little more than a strikeout per inning. Yes, the Giants hit around lefty Marco Gonzales last night, but Kikuchi has better velocity and a better pitch-mix. He should provide you with what you need from a No. 2 starter.

Buster Posey , C SF ($3,300) – Not ideal to put hitters against your pitcher, but given the price tags of some of the top catchers, it seems crazy not to use Posey as this price after he went yard last night. He’s got career marks of .906 OPS and .384 wOBA against southpaws, so given the fact that you have to roster a catcher on DK, take the cheapie here with the upside.

FanDuel  

Jesús Luzardo , SP OAK ($7,200) – How is he the fifth-cheapest starter on the slate here? Maybe it’s the fact that he’s playing the Astros? I guess. But the Astros don’t hit lefties particularly well and Luzardo has fantastic swing-and-miss stuff. In fact, last year the Astros posted a collective .303 wOBA with a K-rate near 20-percent, so while their bats looked good against the A’s and Chris Bassitt last night, Luzardo should keep them in check here.

Ty France , 2B SEA ($2600) – He’s a hitter, plain and simple. He’ll hit around .300 with a strong OBP and he’s got legit power. Last season, he posted a .962 OPS with a .418 wOBA against right-handed pitching and his career splits against righties aren’t too far off. Johnny Cueto pitches to a ton of contact these days, so if France gets some looks up and in the zone, he’s going to have a great night.

Both Sites

Ketel Marte , 2B/OF ARI ($3,300 DK/$3000 FD) – He got off to a hot start last night against Yu Darvish and now faces southpaw Blake Snell tonight. DK is looking at the opposing pitcher and keeping the price tag down which works great for us as the switch-hitting Marte actually hits lefties better than he hits righties. He’s got a career .353 wOBA against southpaws and last year he posted a .465 mark. Battling Snell might be tough, but for this price, I’ll take that chance.

Adam Duvall , OF MIA ($3,500 DK/$3000 FD) – Though last season’s batting average was down, Duvall still made improvements at the plate both with regard to power and his ability to hit left-handed pitching. He was already hitting southpaws hard, but his OPS vs LHP jumped to .894 while his wOBA spiked to .390 last year and he’s carrying that momentum into this season after knocking four homers with 12 RBI in 44 AB during the spring. He’s a GPP play more than he is good for cash, but with that kind of power, there’s certainly double-dong potential.

Andrew Vaughn, 1B CHW ($2,000 DK/$2,000 FD) – For a minimum price on both sites, if the rookie is in the lineup tonight against lefty Andrew Heaney , I’d take a shot at him. The kid has great raw power and he showed this spring that he’s got the skill-set and the plate discipline to succeed at this level.