MLB DFS Value Plays April 4: Top DraftKings & FanDuel Picks
We have another 11-game MLB DFS main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel today after having the same number yesterday. You’re most likely going to be looking to spend-up on pitching today, with guys like Max Scherzer, Shane Bieber, Julio Urias, Framber Valdez, and Luis Castillo taking the mound, so it will be crucial to find value bats. 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
I don’t love our value options today, to be perfectly clear. On FanDuel, I would not go any lower than the top-five options. For DraftKings, I will provide a pair of risky SP2 options who are cheap and have upside.
Josh Fleming, Tampa Bay Rays (DraftKings: $6,100)
Felming has simply not pitched well over the last two year whatsoever. There’s no getting around that. He looked a little better in Spring Training, but this is still a very risky play. On the bright side, the Nationals lineup is one of the worst lineups in baseball, so that gives Fleming a better chance of having a successful day at the office.
Dylan Dodd, Atlanta Braves (DraftKings: $5,300)
Dodd pitched pretty well at the minor league level last year with a 3.36 ERA and 153 strikeouts across 142 innings of work. However, this is not an ideal matchup to start your MLB career, as the Cardinals boast one of the top offenses in the league. Just know that if you choose to roster Dodd tonight, it’s far from a sure-thing that he does well.
MLB DFS Value Hitters
Mike Zunino, C, Cleveland Guardians (DraftKings: $3,800 / FanDuel: $2,100)
Zunino is off to a great start, slashing .357/.471/.714 through his first four games with a home run, three RBI, two doubles, and five runs scored. He has smashed against lefties throughout his career (His home run this season was against a lefty too), so I like the cheap pricing for a hot bat, who crushes lefties, facing a weak lefty in Sears.
Ji Hwan Bae, 2B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates (DraftKings: $2,800 / FanDuel: $2,400)
Bae provides a nice speed element and already had a game with a pair of stolen bases. Today he has a lefty/righty matchup against Pivetta, who has a career ERA of 5.02. Over his last four seasons, base runners have successfully stolen 37 bags on 44 attempts, for an 84% success rate, which would be 11% better than league average.
Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Rangers (DraftKings: $2,600 / FanDuel: $2,700)
Jung is a cheap bat with power upside. He has already bashed a home run this season and he has a good matchup against Wells today. Wells pitched well in his first outing, but this is still a guy with a career ERA of 4.07. Wells also has major reverse splits for his career as righties have slashed .235/.437/.731 against him, compared to the .180/.216/.305 line that lefties have produced.
James Outman, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (DraftKings: $3,200 / FanDuel: $2,600)
Outman is off to a nice start, slashing .333/.500/.917 through five games with a home run, a steal, two triples, five RBI, and five runs scored. Today, he gets to face a bad pitcher in Marquez and there is no reason to believe that Outman and the Dodgers can’t have a big night against him.
Jordan Walker, OF, St. Louis Cardinals (DraftKings: $2,400 / FanDuel: $2,500)
Walker hasn’t set the MLB world on first yet by any means, but he is off to a solid start, going 5-16 (.313) with a double, steal, and three RBI through his first four games. Tonight, he faces a lefty in Dodd, who will be making his MLB debut and I think with Walker’s speed/power upside, he’s a good gamble at this price tag.
Garrett Mitchell, OF, Milwuakee Brewers (DraftKings: $2,400 / FanDuel: $2,300)
This is easily the riskiest play here today with Mitchell taking on Scherzer. However, I really like Mitchell overall as a player and think he has a lot of talent. He has some speed and he has some pop. He will go very low-owned in tonight’s contests, which is good for GPPs, especially if you're already fading Scherzer. I definitely would NOT consider him for cash games though.
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Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.
Endy Rodriguez (finger) had his splint removed this week.
Rodriguez suffered a lacerated right index finger on April 14th. Now that he is out of his splint, he “is playing catch and doing a slightly modified swing.” Once he can progress to taking full swings, we’ll have a better sense of the timeline for his return.