MLB DFS Value Plays April 18: Top DraftKings & FanDuel Picks
Tonight’s MLB DFS main slate is an 11-gamer on both DraftKings and FanDuel that starts at 7:05 pm ET, excluding a few games that start earlier in the day. We do have Coors Field on the slate, so keep that in mind when setting lineups as it’s usually a good idea to have some exposure there. Starting pitching is headlined by Spencer Strider, Clayton Kershaw, Jordan Montgomery, and Marcus Stroman. A nice thing about this slate is that it currently appears that we have no mlb weather concerns. Let’s dive into some of my favorite value options of the day and some we can fit into our cash and tournament lineups!
MLB DFS Value Pitchers
Two of the mid-tier pitching options on tonight’s slate are great values and we have one cheaper option, who has plenty of upside.
Marcus Stroman, Chicago Cubs (DraftKings: $8,800)
Stroman has been lights-out to begin the year with a 1.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. He has 20 strikeouts across 18 innings pitched and is averaging 24.4 dk points per game thus far. He should be able to carry that momentum into a start against the A’s, which have a weak lineup (27th in runs per game thus far) and play at a home ballpark that is great for pitchers. He should be a pretty safe bet for another strong outing and has a good shot at a win. (For comparison, he is the TOP priced pitcher on FD).
Sonny Gray, Minnesota Twins (DraftKings: $8,600 / FanDuel: $9,800)
Gray has also been elite to start the year, pitching to a 0.53 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. He has a 2-0 record and 19 strikeouts across 17 innings pitched. He is averaging 24 dk points per game thus far and now gets to take on a pretty weak Red Sox lineup. I don’t see any reason why he won’t continue to pitch well and post another strong DFS day.
Bonus: Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox (DraftKings: $7,500 / FanDuel: $7,700)
On the flipside of Gray, we have Sale. Sale has been rocked and has a 11.25 ERA through three starts, but he is still striking guys out at an elite rate with 19 punch-outs across 12 innings of work. That gives him upside. In his start against the Tigers he gave up three runs across just five innings and still managed to score 19.1 DK points. The Twins are 24th in runs per game and have the 4th highest strikeout rate thus far. He is worth a shot in GPPs.
MLB DFS Value Hitters
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies (DraftKings: $2,900 / FanDuel: $2,600)
Tovar has been pretty bad to this point but, on the bright side, he has been far better at home thus far; he is hitting .241 with four doubles and five runs scored at home (8 games), compared to .130 with zero doubles and one run on the road (7 games). Tonight’s game is at Coors and he is facing a bad pitcher in Vince Velasquez, so I have no problem taking a chance on Tovar at this price tag.
Tucupita Marcano, 2B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates (DraftKings: $2,000 / FanDuel: $2,500)
If Marcano is in the lineup, it’s hard to not like him. Anyone who is the minimum price playing at Coors field is easy to like, especially when they are facing Jose Urena. I don’t think Marcano is overly a good player, but there’s so many runs produced at Coors Field, it probably doesn’t even matter. The Pirates offense is nothing special and still managed to score 14 runs in last night’s game.
Jarred Kelenic, OF, Seattle Mariners (DraftKings: $3,500 / FanDuel: $3,400)
Kelenic is a little pricier than my normal value plays that I list, but he’s still very cheap and he’s way underpriced right now. He is nearly averaging double-digit DK points per game this season and is hitting .333 with four home runs and three stolen bases. He is better against righties and tonight he faces Colin Rea, who I still don’t buy as a big-league pitcher, despite a strong season debut his last time out.
Corey Julks, OF, Houston Astros (DraftKings: $2,600 / FanDuel: $2,300)
Julks is someone who caught my eye quickly in the season and he continues to impress me. He homered yesterday, his second in the past three games, and he is now hitting .310 on the year with five RBI. He has scored 20+ DK points in two of his past three games. Tonight he faces Chris Bassitt, who has mostly struggled to begin the season, so I really like Julks as a cheap GPP option.
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