MLB DFS Value Vault August 2: Adam Wainwright Faces Chicago Cubs
It’s Tuesday so that means that we have a huge major league baseball slate on tap for tonight. The MLB world is already abuzz on trade deadline day and what better way to cap it all off than with 14 MLB DFS games on DraftKings and 13 contests over on FanDuel and Yahoo. The DFS slate starts at 7:05 pm ET on all three sites. Make sure to check our MLB Weather Center for any surprise storm pop us before lock as well as MLB Lineups, MLB Vegas Odds plus projections, and an MLB lineup generator on our Fantasy Alarm MLB Tools page. This slate has a few high-priced arms and top-dollar team stacks so you will need to find some value plays and that’s where we come in. I have spent the morning researching and coming up with the best point per dollar plays on the slate. So, let’s get right into it and open Tuesday’s MLB DFS Value Vault.
DFS Pitching Values
Adam Wainwright (STL) $7.5K DK / $8.5K FD
Yadier Molina is scheduled to return behind the plate tonight for his 317th start with Adam Wainwright on the mound. It is a plus for the veteran right-hander to have Molina back in his normal spot as Waino’s batterymate who is at his second lowest price point on the season on DraftKings. Tonight, he will be facing the Cubs at home and his home/away splits have been drastic this season. At Busch Stadium Wainwright has a 2.01 ERA/1.08 WHIP while on the road his ERA is 4.43 with a 1.32 WHIP and more than twice as many home runs allowed (nine to four at Busch). The Cubs may have unloaded Wilson Contreras and Ian Happ by the time tonight’s game is underway and if that happens Waino gets even more of a boost and ventures into SP2 cash territory as well as GPPs on all sites.
Lucas Giolito (CWS) $6.8K DK/$7.8K FD/$36 Yahoo
Lucas Giolito sub $7K on DraftKings?? Well, at least you can say he has earned the bargain basement price. He came out of the All-Star Break facing the Guardians- a team that he has dominated- and proceeded to get hammered by allowing six runs in only three innings. He was also shaky in his next start against the Rockies when he allowed three runs and walked four over five innings. So here we are today and Giolito is 6-6 with a 5.14 ERA/1.48 WHIP on the season with one bright spot- a 10.09 K/9. He just has not been consistent and there are not really any signs telling us that he is going to improve. He is, though, a proven major league pitcher and that has earned a bit of a “pass” from his struggles this season. Tonight, he gets to face the Royals who only have a team .134 ISO/.298wOBA and 23% K rate to right-handed pitching. The price may be calling you in, but I still suggest fading Gio in cash but is worth taking a shot in GPPs.
DFS Hitting Values
Kolten Wong (MIL) $3.9K DK/$2.9K FD
Kolten Wong is the hottest hitting second baseman in baseball over the last 15 days with a .419/.472/.677 slash and 1.150 OPS. After early season struggles, he has turned it on and over the last 20 games is hitting .290 with a .335wOBA. Tonight Wong should be in the middle of the order facing a bad right-hander – Bryse Wilson, who is 1-6 on the season with a 6.31 ERA/1.60 WHIP. Wong has been near elite on the split this season with a .210 ISO/.356wOBA and .375 BA. On the other hand, Wilson carries a weak 4.99xFIP, 15.6% K rate, and is allowing a .255 ISO/.444wOBA to left-handed bats. Wong is in play in all formats tonight.
Aledmys Díaz (HOU) $3.5K DK/$2.8K FD/$13 Yahoo
Diaz has been hitting in the clean-up spot lately for the powerful Astros and has eight hits in his last 13 at bats which includes three home runs. Over the last 15 days, he is slashing .361/.395/.722 with a 1.117 OPS. Tonight, he faces young Kutter Crawford and the Red Sox and has a solid .191 ISO on the reverse split with a 42.7% contact rate. Diaz is in play in GPPs and as a valuable piece in Astro team stacks.
Austin Hays (BAL) $3.8K DK/$2.9K FD/$12 Yahoo
Hays has struggled over the last month hitting only .220 but has a smash matchup tonight against right-handed Spencer Howard and the Rangers. Howard was a big-time prospect at one time in the Phillies organization but has just been getting raked all season – especially from right-handed bats. His xFIP is 5.23 with an 18% K rate and even worse is allowing a .250 ISO/.363wOBA with a 42% hard contact rate to righty bats. This is a perfect “get right” game for Hays who should be jumping up in the order to the #2 spot with the trade of Trey Mancini. Hays has crazy LvR splits with eight of his 12 home runs and 41 of his 47 RBIs coming against RHP putting him in play as a fine tournament value option tonight.
Other Top Value Plays
Ronaldo Hernández (BOS) $2K DK/$2K FD/$7 Yahoo - May make his MLB debut tonight at C
Daniel Vogelbach (NYM) $3.7K DK/$2.8K FD - .330 last 7 days and gets platoon advantage tonight
Jonathan Schoop (DET) $2.6K DK/$2.2K FD/$9 Yahoo - 16-for-44 6 HRs off Archer
Ryan Mountcastle (BAL) $2.9K DK/$13 Yahoo - See Hays above; Howard gets crushed by RH bats
Yermín Mercedes (SFG) $2.4K DK/$2.4K FD/$10 Yahoo - Raking LHP with a .342/.375/.526 slash
Eloy Jiménez (CWS) $2.7K FD - Too cheap on FD with a plus matchup against Brad Keller
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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.