Welcome to the weekend, RotoBallers. While I enjoy celebrating my fifth anniversary with my lovely wife today, you all will be enjoying a full slate of Saturday baseball. You will also be raking in the dough on DFS, assuming you read this article of course. Since I want everyone to celebrate with me on this day, I will be doubling my value hitter recommendations, which will double your winning lineup options. Remember, these picks are not the absolute best plays of the day, but rather the best possible return on your investment (bang for your buck). If you can afford David Ortiz, he is 2-2 with a HR and 2B versus Trevor Bauer FYI, then by all means take him. But then proceed to use this cheat sheet in order to find cheaper studs to fill the rest of your lineup.
That is the purpose of this article -- to provide you with the best value hitters available each day.
Today I'll be bringing you thirteen value hitters for MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball on FanDuel and DraftKings for May 21st, 2016. Let's get rowdy.
DFS Hitters - Lineup Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings
Chris Iannetta, SEA (C)
FanDuel: $2,500/ DraftKings: $3,800
Against LHP this season, Iannetta is hitting .378/.500/.568 with 2 HR and a 9:7 BB:K ratio. The Mariners have scored more runs versus southpaws than any other team in the league. John Lamb is rocking a 5.79 ERA, while allowing a .414 wOBA to right handed hitters. Hell of a deal on FanDuel today.
Buster Posey, SF (C)
FanDuel: $3,400/ DraftKings: $3,000
Posey has slowly been heating up this past week, hitting .333 over his last four games. Coincidentally, he is also hitting .333 versus LHP for the season, and has four hits in 11 lifetime PA against Jon Lester. The Giants rank right behind the Mariners at the top of the league against lefties. Take advantage of Posey's low prices, especially on DraftKings, because we all know they won't last.
Mark Reynolds, COL (1B)
FanDuel: $3,200/ DraftKings: $3,300
Another hitter (and team) that's been feasting on southpaws, Reynolds is hitting an impressive .351 against them this season. Jon Niese owns a 5.99 FIP and a generous 24.4 HR/FB%, allowing nine bombs to right handed hitters. Over their careers, the two veterans have squared off 19 times. Reynolds has owned the match-up, boasting a .556/.579/.944 slash with two HR. First base is my favorite position to save a bunch of dough at, to spend elsewhere in my lineups, and Reynolds is the key to this strategy today.
Chris Davis, BAL (1B)
FanDuel: $3,800/ DraftKings: $4,900
If you prefer a safer choice at the prime fantasy position, Davis is your man today. He is priced much too low, especially on FanDuel, considering his 8 HR and .938 OPS versus RHP this year. Typically playing away from Camden Yards would lower his value, but so far this season he has hit five of his nine dingers on the road, along with a .310 BA. He will do battle with Matt Shoemaker and his eye-opening 8.49 ERA and 2.12 HR/9. Nine of Shoemaker's 15 XBH have been hit from the left side of the plate, and there's a very strong chance Davis will be adding to that total today.
Brian Dozier, MIN (2B)
FanDuel: $2,700/ DraftKings: $3,800
Dozier has been a disappointment so far in 2016, that is, aside from his time facing LHP. Against lefties he is hitting .429/.500/.714. Today he faces J.A. Happ, who in his last start gave up eight runs in only two innings to the Rays, and who has given up every one of his 15 XBH to right handed hitters this season. In his career, Dozier is hitting .429 with 2 HR in only eight PA versus Happ. Those are some steep BvP stats for only $2,700.
Adrian Beltre, TEX (3B)
FanDuel: $3,400/ DraftKings: $3,500
Beltre has hit two HR in his last five games, and five of his seven HR have been hit Away in 2016. Today the Rangers draw a road match-up with Mike Fiers, who is only striking out 6.25 per nine innings, and who Beltre has already taken deep once in his three career PA against.
Josh Donaldson, TOR (3B)
FanDuel: $3,700/ DraftKings: $5,500
Warning: the FanDuel price will make you spit out your coffee. The Blue Jays match-up today is stack-tastic. They are facing Pat Dean, a LHP, who Pitchf/x has topping out at 89 MPH on his fastball. Donaldson has hit .366/.469/.707 with 3 HR against lefties this season, and six of his ten HR have come on the road. Toronto hung 9 runs on 14 hits last night versus a previously hot Tyler Duffey. This game will get rowdy, and at a price that is $1,800 lower than on DraftKings, he should be in all your FanDuel lineups.
Aledmys Diaz, STL (SS)
FanDuel: $3,400/ DraftKings: $3,300
Diaz has been phenomenal for the Cardinals in 2016, flaunting a .372/.403/.636 line with 6 HR. Today he faces LHP Robbie Ray, who is allowing a .370 wOBA to right handed hitters. Last night we saw Diaz slide up into the number two hole for the Cards, and with another lefty on the mound, he should be up there again today. These are great prices for the production potential and high ceiling from Diaz.
Didi Gregorius, NYY (SS)
FanDuel: $2,100/ DraftKings: $2,800
Sean Manaea has had quite a forgettable debut stretch for the Athletics, owning a 7.91 ERA through his first four starts. He has been getting destroyed from the right side of the plate, allowing a .452 wOBA to right handed hitters. Enter Gregorius, who is hitting .318 over his last six games and .343 against LHP this season, and you have yourself a fantastic cheap option at the shortstop position.
Adam Jones, BAL (OF)
FanDuel: $3,100/ DraftKings: $4,100
Jones is enjoying some wicked reverse-splits this season, hitting all five of his HR against RHP, with a BA 100 points higher than against lefties. Like his teammate Chris Davis, he is also hitting much better Away than at Home (.283 vs. .224 BA). Rather than trying to understand these, let's just be happy as he faces Matt Shoemaker in Los Angeles today. I have already discussed the troubles of Shoemaker, and now I get to mention Jones has taken him deep twice in only six career PA.
Matt Kemp, SD (OF)
FanDuel: $2,900/ DraftKings: $4,600
Just like Josh Donaldson's case, someone at FanDuel must have made an typing error on Kemp's price today. He is not very good during the month of May for some reason, but he is good against southpaws. For his career, Kemp has hit .325 against LHP, including .282 with 4 HR this year. Alex Wood has been no exception- giving up five hits, including a dinger, in nine career PA to the Padres outfielder.
Ryan Raburn, COL (OF)
FanDuel: $2,500/ DraftKings: $3,100
Anytime the Rockies are facing a lefty, you should be searching to see if Raburn is in the starting lineup. If he is, put him in your lineup as well. For the season, he is hitting .320 with a 1.179 OPS and 3 HR versus southpaws. Lifetime against Jon Niese, Raburn is 3-5, with a 2B, 3B, and a BB. It is always smart to roster at least one super-value OF to help afford some big names like Mike Trout. Raburn can be that guy today.
Corey Dickerson, TB (OF)
FanDuel: $3,000/ DraftKings: $3,500
Dickerson is floating below the Mendoza line in 2016, but mostly because he is 1-24 against LHP. He still has hit a healthy 8 HR, all of which have come off right handed pitchers. Unlike previous seasons in Coors, he now has become a road warrior, hitting .278 with 6 HR and 15 RBI outside of Tropicana. This all lines up nicely today for Dickerson. He will be facing Michael Fulmer along with his 6.52 ERA, 25.0 HR/FB%, and 1.97 WHIP. The Tigers youngster is allowing a .446 wOBA to left handed hitters this season. The stars have aligned for a Dickerson bomb today.
Stephen Piscotty, STL (OF)
FanDuel: $3,600/ DraftKings: $4,200
Piscotty is just an amazing ball player. He's hitting .329 on the season, .421 over his last five games, and .400 versus LHP. He hit cleanup yesterday, and with Matt Carpenter, Diaz, and Matt Holliday ahead of him, he is going to fill the box score against Robbie Ray today- as he has done all year.
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