MLB DFS Value Plays September 20: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Happy Wednesday! The postseason races are certainly heating up! The Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners are both only a half-game back of the Houston Astros in the AL West, with the Toronto Blue Jays a game up on them for the wild card. In the National League, we have the Maimi Marlins and Cincinnati Reds both within a game or less of the Chicago Cubs for the NL Wild Card, with the Arizona Diamondbacks only a half a game above the Cubs. Lots of postseason action today, as well as many other games, to grab our attention for building a winning MLB DFS lineup. Today we have a ton of early games with a 9-game slate on DraftKings starting at 12:20 PM EST, and while FanDuel doesn’t have that same slate, they do have an all-day slate that you can play to take advantage of today’s value plays. There are plenty of different ways to go about building a winning MLB DFS lineup today, so let’s dive into some of my favorite value options of the day!
MLB DFS Value Pitchers
Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants (DraftKings: $8,400 / FanDuel: $10,100)
Logan Webb has looked like an ace at times but has had some volatility. He is coming off a great start in Coors, in which he made it 8 innings, only giving up 1 run off 4 hits while striking out 6. He should be able to survive pitching in Arizona after getting through Coors with that good of a start and hopefully see a spike in strikeouts though I wouldn’t bet on him getting more than 6 which has been his ceiling over his last 11 starts.
Seth Lugo, San Diego Padres (DraftKings: $8,600 / FanDuel: $9,800)
Seth Lugo has been solid, albeit unspectacular, all season. While he did pick up the win and a quality start with 7 strikeouts in his last outing, giving up 3 runs and two homers isn’t exactly what you want against the Oakland Athletics. It was still a solid line, though, and am hoping he can build off that to give an even better outing today against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
MLB DFS Value Hitters
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 1B Cincinnati Reds (DraftKings: $3,200 / FanDuel: $2,800)
Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been fantastic recently, proving he is ready for the big leagues and is going to be a big part of the Cincinnati Reds young core going forward. Over his last 15 games, he has slashed .373/.396/.667 with 4 homers and a stolen base. He has looked comfortable at the plate, and I think he continues to produce but remains at an incredibly low price as we approach the end of the season.
Edouard Julien, 1B/2B Minnesota Twins (DraftKings: $4,100 / FanDuel: $3,000)
For a decent price, you get a leadoff hitter in a solid offense getting to play in the best home run park in the league in Cincinnati. Julien has hit 3 homers over his last 8 games, and I like the odds of him producing plenty today, even if he can’t grab himself another homer.
Noelvi Marte, 3B/SS Cincinnati Reds (DraftKings: $3,600 / FanDuel: $2,400)
Here we have another underpriced young Cincinnati Red. The Reds have a decent matchup at home against Bailer Ober, who has been struggling lately, and I love the opportunity to get both young bats for very cheap today. Marte has been equally great in his last 15 games with a .409/.458/.523 slash line, and I think we may see more power come through with him eventually as well.
Ryan O'Hearn, 1B/OF Baltimore Orioles (DraftKings: $3,500 / FanDuel: $3,000)
Ryan O'Hearn has 10 hits in his last 4 games, including a homer and two doubles. He gets a solid matchup today facing Cristian Javier, who has a 5.40 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in the second half. The Baltimore Orioles have been clicking as they are working on securing the AL East, and I expect some more solid production from Ryan O'Hearn today.
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Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.