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TGIF and thank goodness for some value in this slate! I continue to see players that are too cheap on FanDuel, and there’s even a few on DraftKings that should easily return 2x or 3x value! Keep an eye on the weather, as some players below could be a PPD risk, so keep that in mind! Grab your coffee, your beer, your wine, your kombucha, your water, your gatorade or whatever your beverage of choice is, and let’s head down to the Value Vault!
Both Sites
Ryan O'Hearn , 1B KC ($2,300 FD/$2,900 DK) - O’Hearn has three hits in his last four games, including two home runs, and he’s posted a .541 wOBA through six career at-bats against Michael Pineda . The Minnesota right-hander has been good this year, but is coming off a weaker start against the Pirates of all teams. O’Hearn is very cheap, so he adds flexibility to your lineups, but obviously, he’s a GPP only play. He’s not a money saver for cash game lineups.
Gio Urshela , 3B NYY ($2,800 FD/$3,600 DK) - Urshela has hit safely in four of his last five games, notching two home runs and eight RBI during that span. The Yankee third baseman may only have a .273 average against lefties this year, no starting pitcher on the slate has been worse against right-handers (in terms of wOBA) than Detroit’s Tarik Skubal. Overall, Skubal has allowed a 55.2 percent fly ball rate and a 15.6 HR/FB rate, and as long as this game is played, he’s a threat to serve up a couple round trippers. I expect Urshela to get a piece of that pie, but keep an eye on the precipitation in the area.
DraftKings
Charlie Blackmon , COL OF ($3,500) - It’s been an incredibly slow start for Blackmon in 2021, as he’s hitting just .194 on the year with one home run. However, he could be turning a corner. In his last three games, he’s reached double-digit points on DraftKings twice, and he’s 5-for-11 in that span with two doubles and three RBI. For his career, he’s posted a .356 batting average and .388 wOBA against Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner . Sign me up!
FanDuel
Eddie Rosario , OF CLE ($2,700) - There’s a lot going for Rosario in this matchup. He’s 3-for-8 in his career with one home run against Dallas Keuchel . Solid. Keuchel has served up a .385 batting average to left-handed hitters and a .437 wOBA. Solid. Rosario has hit safely in four of his last five games. Solid. Overall, the results haven’t been great for Rosario, but this is a solid spot for him, and he’s always a threat on the base paths to add a couple more fantasy points to his ledger.
David Peralta , OF ATL ($3,200) - Peralta is no stranger to Jon Gray , as the two have squared off quite a few times over the years. For the large part, Peralta has won the battle, going 15-for-31 with a .469 wOBA against the right-hander. Peralta is too expensive on DraftKings, but he’s very affordable on FanDuel, coming in at $3,200. The veteran outfielder is hitting .289 with a .836 OPS against righties this year, and he’s hit safely in four straight contests with just one strikeout.
Randal Grichuk , OF TOR ($3,200) - Grichuk’s .288 average on the year is severely hampered by his .220 average against right-handers. However, and this comes into play today, because a lefty is on the bump, but Grichuk is hitting a cool .476 with a 1.238 OPS against southpaws in 2021! Sheesh! He has three homers in his last seven games, and has hit safely in all but one of them. Grichuk should be in the middle of the order today, and has great upside for a relatively cheap price on FanDuel.
Player News
Dodgers placed RHP Evan Phillips on the 10-day injured list with right forearm discomfort.
Phillips returns to the injured list just a couple weeks after making it back from last year’s tendon tear in his right rotator cuff. It’s a significant hit to Los Angeles’ high-leverage mix if he winds up requiring a lengthy absence. The 30-year-old righty has notched one save while tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings across seven relief appearances this season. There should be an update on his status in the coming days.
White Sox selected the contract of INF Nick Maton from Triple-A Charlotte.
The White Sox are bring back Maton for another stint instead of slugging prospect Tim Elko for reasons that are unclear. The 28-year-old returns to the big leagues with Andrew Benintendi hitting the injured list with a calf strain. He hit .173 (9-for-52) with two homers and four RBI in 23 games earlier this season before being removed from Chicago’s 40-man roster.
White Sox placed OF Andrew Benintendi on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 5, with a left calf strain.
Benintendi heads to the injured list for some extra time off after missing a couple games earlier this week due to a calf issue. No word on the severity of the strain, which will determine how much time he misses. There should be an update on his status at some point later this week. It’ll be Brooks Baldwin taking over in left field in his absence.
Rangers recalled INF Ezequiel Duran from Triple-A Round Rock.
Duran returns to the big leagues with veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar hitting the shelf with a back strain. The 25-year-old offers some versatility in a bench role, but he’s been a non-factor at the dish for the better part of the last two seasons.
Rangers placed OF Kevin Pillar on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain.
Pillar has been battling a lingering back issue the last few weeks and the Rangers are going to give him some extra time off to put the issue to bed. He’ll likely return in a couple weeks to his role as a reserve outfielder.
Jake Fraley is absent from Wednesday’s lineup with left calf tenderness.
Fraley will sit out Wednesday’s showdown at Truist Park in Atlanta with Reds manager Terry Francona telling reporters he’ll need to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the issue. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now, but there’s a chance he winds up requiring a trip to the injured list.