We have a full day and night of baseball to enjoy today, but for our DFS purposes, the focus is going to be on the five-game slate that kicks off at 7:20 PM on the east coast. It is a manageable number of games with plenty of options, although maybe not on the pitching side, for you to build your lineups with him. The task here is to identify some value options on DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo to aid in that lineup construction.
Pitchers
DraftKings - $7,800; FanDuel - $7,700; Yahoo - $34
We have to work with what we are given, and Hernandez counts as a value option tonight. The right-hander entered the season with some promise and he has been a mixed bag to this point. In his first start of the season, Hernandez allowed four runs in 4.2 against the Phillies on five hits and three walks and then he followed that up by this time scattering five hits and a walk while limiting the Angels to one run over six innings. Home runs could be a problem for Hernandez, three so far this season, after allowing 2.26 per nine innings last year, so there is some risk here.
On the flip side, Hernandez will strike out more than a batter per inning and his 2.77 xERA should give us some confidence. The Braves are hitting just .231 (.219 against right-handed pitching) as a team this season while striking out 23.3% of the time so the hope is that it balances out the fact that they have hit the third most home runs in the league (16).
DraftKings - $6,100; FanDuel - $6,600; Yahoo - $29
If you must, here is another value option for tonight. Williams is making a spot start tonight as the Mets’ rotation became compressed after a rain induced double-header and the best thing we can say is that he is facing Arizona. The platoon split of Williams being a left-hander helps here as it takes one of Arizona’s best hitters (Seth Beer) out of the lineup, and the Diamondbacks have struggled against southpaws all season. In 144 plate appearances, they are hitting just .178 with three home runs and nine runs scored, so Williams is in a position to succeed. What we do have to watch for though, is how deep he will pitch into the game as he likely isn’t completely stretched out, but he should receive a fair amount of run support as well.
Hitters
OF; DraftKings - $3,700; FanDuel - $3,500; Yahoo - $22
I was on Sanchez for my season long drafts entering the season, and that love has carried over to DFS as his pricing is still on the soft side. Miami, thankfully, continues to plug Sanchez into the middle of their order and the young outfielder has delivered hitting .327 with three home runs and nine RBI to begin the season. We have to live with some strikeouts, but 25% is manageable, and with a .286 ISO we have to like the power. Sanchez makes loud contact, and half of his batted balls registered as hard hit.
Early in the season, platoon splits are apparent as all three of Sanchez’s home runs have come against right-handed pitchers who he has hit .382 against with seven RBI and eight runs scored.
OF; DraftKings - $3,600; FanDuel - $3,000; Yahoo - $17
This is another case of my season long preparations carrying over into the DFS world, and it will continue as long as the Angels continue to place Marsh in the middle of their lineup. Marsh had the night off on Friday as Los Angeles faced a left-hander, but he should be back in there tonight in a favorable matchup against Spencer Watkins. Through 12 games this year, Marsh is batting .313 with 11 RBI and a 52% hard-hit rate. Against right-handers, that mark jumps to .429 along with eight RBI and his only home run, so fire Marsh up tonight with the platoon advantage.
1B; DraftKings - $3,300; FanDuel - $2,800; Yahoo - $9
To say that Voit has struggled to start the season would be an understatement as he is hitting just .143 with five RBI. Voit’s next home run will be his first with San Diego and he has now gone five games without a hit. If there is ever a time for him get going though, it would be tonight against left-hander Tyler Anderson, and the price is right to see if that happens.
Historically, Voit has had success against left-handers with 23 home runs in 331 at bats, so the hope is that it carries over tonight. His .231 BABIP suggests some turnaround there, and with a 19-degree launch angle he is trying to go deep, but it simply hasn’t happened yet.
OF/C (FanDuel - $2,500), OF (Yahoo - $15)
I know Williams was highlighted above, but Varsho’s price is too good to ignore here at the top of Arizona’s lineup. Despite hitting just .190 on the season, Varsho hit his fourth home run of the season last night, along with his seven RBI, all coming against right-handed pitching. After Williams leaves the game, the Mets’ bullpen lines up right-handed, so Varsho is in an appealing spot here.
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