MLB DFS Value Vault April 21: Jordan Montgomery In A Good Matchup
Published: Apr 21, 2022
An afternoon full of MLB baseball is never a bad way to spend a day. The main slates for DraftKings and FanDuel kick off with the first games of the day at 1:10 PM ET. Yahoo’s slate also starts at that time, but it runs for the full day. The hope here is that you are profitable by dinner time and, in order to do that, we need to find some cost-effective options to build your rosters with. Let’s take a look at who those players might be.
Pitchers
DraftKings - $6,900; FanDuel - $7,800; Yahoo - $38
So far this season, the Tigers are ranked 25th in the league with a .207 batting average and they are only averaging three runs per game (27th overall). So, it's an offense I feel comfortable targeting. Jordan Montgomery didn’t do great in his last start against Baltimore but despite struggling with his control – only 43 of his 71 pitches were strikes – he only walked two batters and allowed three hits in five innings of work. There is concern that the Yankees won’t allow him to pitch too deep into the game, but the fact that he generated nine groundball outs and didn’t allow a run last outing is a positive.
FanDuel - $8,200
Joe Ryan went into Fenway Park in his last start and all he did was pick up the victory with six innings of one-run ball. The young right-hander scattered five hits while not walking a batter and striking out seven. The performance came after an uneven first start of the season in which he allowed two runs on two hits and four walks in four innings of work against Seattle. Ryan is a talented pitcher looking to take the next step in his career this season, and facing Kansas City this afternoon should allow him to continue on that path.
Hitters
DraftKings - $3,400; FanDuel - $2,700; Yahoo - $14
Aaron Hicks has grabbed a hold of the Yankees' lead-off spot lately and his price hasn’t completely caught up yet. The outfielder is hitting .303 on the season with a .417 on-base percentage, but he has yet to really get going with any of the counting stats (one home run, three RBI, four runs scored). It is a favorable matchup against Michael Pineda, who is making his first start of the season and will likely be limited at best – so that means a good offensive day for Hicks and the Yankees.
FanDuel - $2,200; Yahoo - $7
Leury García generally bats down in the order for Chicago, but we are looking to play the matchup game today. Garcia has five hits in 13 career at-bats against Zach Plesac, who will be taking the mound for Cleveland today. This play might not be for the faint of heart, though, as Garcia is batting .077 on the season without an RBI. Still, you are hard-pressed to find many cheaper options as the White Sox look to bounce back from a rough offensive performance yesterday.
DraftKings - $2,100; FanDuel - $2,300; Yahoo - $12
Perhaps we were just a day too early in targeting Kansas City, but we should have an opportunity to redeem ourselves with Zack Greinke on the mound today. All three of Nick Gordon’s hits this season have come against right-handed pitching and, historically, that is where he has had the majority of his career success. Gordon has had just 13 at-bats so far this season, but he does have five runs scored. He's certainly worth a look tonight and we get bonus points based on where he hits in the batting order. It's worth noting that Gordon is eligible at OF/SS on DraftKings, 2B on FanDuel, and OF on Yahoo.
DraftKings - $2,700; FanDuel - $2,700; Yahoo - $16
We often have to save some cash at the catcher position and, for now, Zack Collins allows us to do just that. Collins has picked up multiple hits in three of his last four games and he is now batting .400 with two home runs and four RBI in 20 at-bats so far this season. Against a right-hander today (Tanner Houck) I would expect to see Collins back in the middle of the lineup for Toronto, which means a prime run-producing spot.
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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.