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This article outlines the best daily fantasy MLB plays of the day at every position. We take a comprehensive look to uncover these core recommendations, factoring respective salaries into the analysis.
Please note, these player picks were organized early in the day. For MLB contests, always check lineups and weather closer to game time. Rain, wind, or unexpected managerial decisions could open up additional sources of value. Be sure to keep an eye on the MLB Headlines and Injuries desk.
We’ll focus our attention on the six-game main slate starting at 7:05 ET.
PITCHER
Top Play: Frankie Montas - Oakland (at Texas)
Montas joins Yu Darvish and Tyler Mahle in the top pitching tier of this six-game slate. Of that group, Montas has the best matchup, and it’s not even close. His opponent, Texas, ranks 26th in wRC+ on the season (88) while holding the ninth-highest strikeout rate (25.1%) in all of baseball. The Rangers were just pinned down by a struggling Minnesota pitching staff, and now the red-hot likes of Montas will look to extend those struggles. Montas has recorded seven or more strikeouts in four of his last five starts, with the only blemish coming as an outlier at Coors Field. The Oakland right-handed hurler should be at his best tonight.
Pivot: Brett Anderson - Milwaukee (at Arizona)
I’m well aware that Brett Anderson has virtually no strikeout upside, as his career 6.14 K/9 rate suggests. However, the veteran southpaw could turn in a serviceable line in this non-imposing matchup at Arizona. Anderson is fresh off his best performance of the season, allowing just one hit in seven scoreless innings vs. Cincinnati. He also had nine punchouts in that game (whaaat?!?). I’m not expecting a repeat performance, but Anderson could retain some momentum against an Arizona offense that ranks 27th in wRC+.
Also Consider: Tyler Mahle
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CATCHER
Top Play: Tyler Stephenson - Cincinnati (at Minnesota)
I’ll be looking to stack the Reds tonight. Cincinnati is traveling to Minnesota while facing Twins’ LHP J.A. Happ - who has allowed four or more earned runs in six of his last seven games. Happ also carries an inflated .375 wOBA split to right-handed bats on the season. Stephenson is reasonably priced, and he should hold a premium lineup spot while getting the nod against a struggling lefty. Go ahead and look towards him through all formats.
Also Consider: Martin Maldonado
FIRST BASE
Top Play: Yuli Gurriel - Houston (at Baltimore)
Stack the Reds and Astros in this slate! It’s simple, but that’s the overview of my strategy in cash games tonight. Baltimore LHP Keegan Akin will take the bump, and he has allowed 13 hits with 11 earned runs (6 walks) across 9.2 innings over his last two games. Now he’ll face one of the best offenses in all of baseball. Gurriel has slowed down after a blistering start to the month, but this is an excellent spot to get back on track.
Pivot: Joey Votto - Cincinnati (at Minnesota)
I’m hoping people shy away from the lefty/lefty matchup here. We all know that Joey Votto doesn’t care about those formalities, and he could be looking at a multi-hit performance against the aforementioned struggles of Minnesota LHP Happ. Keep him in mind as a legitimate tournament option.
Also Consider: Daniel Vogelbach
SECOND BASE
Top Play: Jose Altuve - Houston (at Baltimore)
Altuve is expensive, but he’s a priority pick in my opinion. As mentioned earlier, the Astros should jump all over Baltimore LHP Akin, and the Orioles have a bottom ten bullpen when sorting by most crucial pitching metrics. It might be difficult to fit Altuve’s salary into a competitive lineup, but we’ll call upon some bargain hitters throughout the article to help make that a reality.
Pivot: Luis Arraez - Minnesota (vs. Cincinnati)
If you don’t have enough cap space to make Altuve work, then looking at a cheaper option like Luis Arraez is a decent backup plan. Arraez is inexpensive and somewhat underrated after coming off the injured list. He looked good last series at Texas, racking up five hits with three runs over his last three games. Arraez should be hitting leadoff against Tyler Mahle, who has a .354 career split to left-handed bats.
Also Consider: Jonathan India, Kolten Wong
THIRD BASE
Top Play: Eugenio Suarez - Cincinnati (at Minnesota)
Suarez is only hitting .171 on the season, but he’s still a capable power bat for fantasy purposes. That could be on display tonight with a dream matchup against the aforementioned vulnerabilities of Minnesota LHP Happ. Suarez actually has a comfortable salary due to that discouraging batting average, so I’ll be looking his way through all DFS formats.
Pivot: Matt Chapman - Oakland (at Texas)
This isn’t a noteworthy matchup, as Texas RHP Kyle Gibson has enjoyed a really good season so far. However, Matt Chapman is finally starting to show signs of his All-Star caliber from previous seasons. Sure, he doesn’t have great numbers against Gibson throughout his career, but that will also lead to a very small contingency in DFS. Call it a hunch or whatever you want, but Chapman is on my tournament radar tonight.
Also Consider: Maikel Franco (value)
SHORTSTOP
Top Play: Carlos Correa - Houston (at Baltimore)
At the moment, Correa might be the hottest hitter from this Houston stack. The Astros’ shortstop has racked up 10 hits with three doubles, three homers, nine runs, and six RBI over his last seven games. He has an excellent opportunity to keep crushing in this beautiful matchup against Baltimore LHP Akin and the Orioles’ bullpen.
Pivot: Kyle Farmer - Cincinnati (at Minnesota)
Farmer is a cheaper option if you need some salary relief at shortstop or your utility spot. He’ll be hitting down in Cincinnati’s lineup, but the righty/lefty matchup against Happ is one to target. Farmer has come through with five hits in his last three games, so we might be catching him at the perfect time here.
Also Consider: Luis Urias
OUTFIELD
Top Play: Nick Castellanos - Cincinnati (at Minnesota)
Castellanos is an obvious choice through all DFS formats tonight. The struggles of Minnesota LHP Happ have been well documented throughout this article, and Castellanos is the primary candidate to take advantage. Pairing him with fellow outfielder Aristides Aquino, who has a very cheap salary, helps soften the blow of his expensive price tag.
Top Play: Chas McCormick - Houston (at Baltimore)
McCormick and Myles Straw are two cheap(er) stacking extensions of this well-aligned Houston offense. McCormick has shown signs of DFS upside over the past few weeks, racking up four multi-hit performances in his last eight games. The salary is still cheap and he should hold a premium lineup spot against a vulnerable lefty tonight.
Pivot: Alex Kiriloff - Minnesota (vs. Cincinnati)
Cincinnati RHP Tyler Mahle has looked pretty decent this season, but he still carries a .354 wOBA split against left-handed bats. I don’t believe Minnesota will go wild against him, but there’s a chance that Alex Kiriloff, Luis Arraez, Jorge Polanco, or Max Kepler find some success. Of that group, Kiriloff has a nice blend of power and contact - so I’ll keep the rookie in mind as an interesting tournament diversifier.
Also Consider: Christian Yelich, Aristides Aquino, Max Kepler, Myles Straw, Cedric Mullins