MLB DFS Value Plays September 12: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Another great day of baseball is upon us with a 10 game main slate on DraftKings and a nine game main slate on FanDuel following a schedule change for the Royals vs White Sox game. We have some elite arms in interesting spots on this slate and a ton of expensive hitters in great spots. The Chicago Cubs are in possibly their best spot on the season in Colorado against Chris Flexen and his 7.36 ERA while the red hot Houston Astros are matched up against Oakland's JP Sears who has allowed the fifth most home runs in the league. Let's look at some of my favorite value plays on the board that will help us afford as many of these bats as possible. Be sure to check out all of our tools including the MLB Lineups page, MLB DFS Projections – powered by FanJections – MLB DFS Ownership, and all of our tools HERE! Let’s dive into our favorite daily fantasy baseball value plays of the day.
MLB DFS Value Pitchers
Kutter Crawford, Boston Red Sox (DraftKings - 5,700)
Kutter Crawford is in a very interesting spot against the Yankees who over the last 30 days hold a league high 28.1% k-rate against right handed pitchers and are last in most offensive categories. The last time he saw the Yankees on 8/19 he went six innings and only allowed one run while posting 23.1 DK points. The fact 6.60 ERA Carlos Rodon is on the other side of this matchup should give Crawford some win equity and compared to all the other value pitchers on this slate, he should be in the best spot.
Zack Littell, Tampa Bay Rays (DraftKings - $6,700, FanDuel - $7,000)
With the Red Sox game not being on the DraftKings main slate, Zack Littell becomes an interesting value pitcher on FanDuel. He's coming off an eight inning one earned run performance against the Mariners and draws a matchup against the Twins who have the highest k-rate to right handed pitching on the year at 27.3%. I would likely not play him on DraftKings and found myself paying up for someone like Verlander on FanDuel, but Littell could be an interesting punt play if few players roster him.
MLB DFS Value Hitters
Nolan Schanuel, Los Angeles Angels (DraftKings - $3,400, FanDuel - $2,800)
Nolan Schanuel may not light up the stat sheet, but he has also had fantasy points in every game played this season. He's had at least one hit in 14 of his 17 games and is in a good spot here against Bryan Woo. Woo has been a decent pitcher but really struggles against left handed bats, allowing a .415 wOBA, .588 SLG, and 2.20 HR/9 on the year. The Angels may have a pretty depleted roster but Schanuel is a fairly priced leadoff hitter on this slate.
Willi Castro, Minnesota Twins (DraftKings - $3,100, FanDuel - $2,700)
In the seven games since Willi Castro has returned to the lineup, he's collected a home run, three extra base hits, two steals, and two RBI's. He doesn't hit for a lot of power, only having six homers on the year, but he does hold a .174 ISO against righties and Zack Littell is by no means a scary pitcher. Castro has 31 steals on the year and can easily pay off the price tag if he gets on base.
Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants (DraftKings - $3,400, FanDuel - $2,900)
Mike Yastrzemski has been heating up lately, having hits in five straight games. Over his last 10 games he is batting .448 with three home runs and seven runs batted in. He gets a decent matchup against Cal Quantrill who allows a .353 wOBA and .434 SLG to left handed bats on the year and looks to be a great value play given his price.
Player News
Giants released OF Vaun Brown.
Brown, a 10th-round pick in 2021, had a fantastic debut that summer and in hitting .346/.437/.623 with 23 homers and 44 steals in A-ball in 2022, but he never has managed to conquer Double-A since. He was hitting .247/.347/.282 in 32 games there this season.
MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo suggests that Mets RHP Nolan McLean “could play a key role in the upcoming pennant race.”
DiComo didn’t mention what role McLean would play, but with Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea coming off the injured list last week, it’s more likely McLean would help the Mets out of the bullpen. The 23-year-old has a 2.52 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 65/26 K/BB ratio in 60 2/3 innings at Triple-A Syracuse since being promoted after just five starts at Double-A to begin the season.
The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports that free agent RHP David Robertson is throwing for interested teams “within the next week.”
Robertson pitched for the Rangers last season, posting a 3.00 ERA in 72 innings with a 99/27 K/BB ratio. From 2022-24, the 40-year-old averaged 63 appearances per season with a 2.82 ERA, so he has proven that he still can be a quality reliever at the big league level. While many teams were interested in Robertson earlier in the season, the veteran held firm to his contract demands and, as Sammon reports, “clubs failed to meet his asking price.” With the season nearing a close, Robertson’s salary demands are likely to be more acceptable to contenders, so it would not be a surprise to see him sign with a team by the end of the month.
Jonny DeLuca (shoulder) is starting a rehab assignment on Tuesday in the Florida Complex League.
The outfielder had his rehab assignment moved to Triple-A Durham back on May 24th and then experienced a setback a few days later. It seems that the 27-year-old feels healthy enough the get back into game action. It will likely take a few weeks for him to get his rhythm and timing back, but with Jake Mangum, Josh Lowe, and Chandler Simpson all playing well, and both Jose Caballero and Christopher Morel filling in the outfield as well, it’s unclear what kind of role DeLuca might return to.
Athletics drafted RHP/DH Itsuki Takemoto in the 19th round of the 2025 MLB Draft.
Takemoto is an interesting story because, like his fellow countryman Rintaro Sasaki, he decided to skip the Nippon Professional League Draft in 2022 and leave Japan for the United States instead of playing professionally in college. Takemoto played two seasons at the University of Hawaii, posting a 5.16 ERA in 104 2/3 innings while also focusing on weight training and building muscle. While the results weren’t there for the 21-year-old in college, his ultimate result in being drafted could make this pathway more common in the future.
Keibert Ruiz (concussion) has begun hitting off a tee.
Ruiz was placed on the concussion IL on July 8 and had previously been on the concussion list in late June when a foul ball bounced off the back of the Petco Park dugout wall and struck him in the head. The catcher has shown signs of improvement, is working out with the team, and has progressed to hitting off a tee. There’s no word yet on an exact timeline, but he seems to be trending in the right direction.