MLB DFS Value Vault July 26: Mike Clevinger Against the Detroit Tigers
We have a huge 13-game major league baseball main slate on tap for tonight and that means lots of MLB DFS. The DFS slate starts at 7:05 pm ET on all three sites- DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo and we have some weather issues. Make sure to check our MLB Weather Center before lineup lock as well as MLB Lineups, MLB Vegas Odds plus projections, and an MLB lineup builder in our DFS 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 VALUE PITCHERS
Mike Clevinger (SDP) $8,100 DraftKings / $8,100 FanDuel / $46 Yahoo
Upper-tier pitching is loaded tonight so I consider Mike Clevinger a borderline value play. His 2-3 record is disappointing, but he has struck out 48 in 46 innings with a 3.50 ERA while being saddled with a limited pitch and inning count over the first half of the season after a second Tommy John surgery. Clevinger now heads into the second half a much stronger and healthier pitcher that is showing much more command on the mound. With a 3.75 SIERA, a 24.7% strikeout rate, and a 7.7% walk rate he faces a Tiger offense that we have picked on all season. He is in a pitcher’s park (Comerica) and Detroit is striking out 23.6% to RHP with a low team .114 ISO/.271wOBA.
Ethan Small (MIL) $5,300 DraftKings / $25 Yahoo
The Brewers are struggling to find the right arm to fill the fifth spot in their starting rotation. Two of the most recent pitchers to see time in the rotation- Jason Alexander and Chi Chi González- have been optioned to Triple-A and designated for assignment. Now it’s southpaw Ethan Small’s turn. Small is the Brewers top pitching prospect per MLB Pipeline (#8 overall in the organization) and got off to an amazing start to the 2022 season in Triple-A. That earned him a call-up in May, but he was plagued by his greatest flaw- inconsistent control- in that start as he walked four in just 2.1 innings again the Cubs. Since returning to AAA he has a 4.98 ERA and 5.17 FIP in 34 1/3 innings, issuing 19 walks against 32 strikeouts, and overall has posted a 3.34 ERA and 4.10 FIP in 15 starts. This is a pure punt play and should only be used if multi-entering GPPs as Small will face the Twins tonight. The Twins are not a big strikeout team (17.3% to LHP) but they are only hitting a team .116 ISO/.300wOBA and will face this prospect for the first time.
DFS VALUE HITTERS
Raimel Tapia (TOR) $2,500 DraftKings / $2,800 FanDuel / $15 Yahoo
When Raimel Tapia was traded to Toronto for Randal Grichuk earlier in the season many people were skeptical about the deal. I constantly argued that the Blue Jays made out just fine by getting a left-handed contact hitter in a righty-heavy lineup with some speed that could spell all three Blue Jay starting outfielders at any time. After a slow start, Tapia took off in June by putting the ball consistently and showing pop in his bat. Since June 1st, Tapia has amassed a .916 OPS with 12 doubles, four home runs, and 22 RBI through 115 at-bats. He is coming off a huge weekend against the Red Sox that started with an inside-the-park home run and a 3-for-7 night on Friday and followed it up with a 3-for-5 day on Sunday where he hit a bases-clearing triple to go along with four more RBIs. He should be in the lineup tonight at a near minimum price with the platoon advantage over right-handed projected starter Andre Pallante.
Eric Hosmer (SDP) $2,400 DraftKings / $2,400 FanDuel / $11 Yahoo
This is Eric Hosmer’s second straight appearance in the Value Vault. July has historically been Hosmer’s best month (.794 OPS) and he has kicked it into gear after the All-Star break again this season. He is 7-for-16 over his last four games and is now slashing .293/.359/.379 with a .738 OPS after a dismal June that saw a slash of only .202/.248/.319 with a .567 OPS. Tonight, he is near minimum price yet has the platoon advantage over right-handed Garrett Hill of the Padres. Hosmer has a .155 ISO/.333wOBA over the last three years on the split while Hill is allowing a poor 5.80xFIP with a low 12% strikeout rate and extremely high 52% hard contact. Oh, and DraftKings reduced his price by $100 from yesterday!
Nolan Gorman (STL) $2,900 DraftKings / $2,600 FanDuel / $10 Yahoo
Nolan Gorman came up to the big leagues earlier in the season and made an immediate impact. He is one of the better prospects in baseball but has quieted it down a bit as of late which has driven his price down to sub $3K on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Gorman leads the Cardinals team with a .203 ISO, which means a lot of power comes out of his bat and he has a 40.5% hard contact rate against right-handed pitching. José Berríos has been solid over his past few starts but still struggles mightily against left-handed bats. He is allowing a .361wOBA/.240 ISO with a 42% flyball/39% hard contact rate to the left side.
OTHER TOP VALUES
Max Muncy (LAD) $2.4K FD/$12 Yahoo
Austin Slater (SFG) $3.3K DK/$2.5K FD/$15 Yahoo
Darin Ruf (SFG) $3.2K DK/ $2.6K FD/$15 Yahoo
Jarren Duran (BOS) $3.4K DK/$2.5K FD/$14 Yahoo
Yermín Mercedes (SFG) $2.0K DK/$2.3K FD/$12 Yahoo
Fantasy Alarm is the home of all things Fantasy Sports. Bringing you the best Fantasy Football content all year long. Be sure to also check out the best fantasy promo codes on offer today!
Dominate your MLB DFS contests this week with our DFS Playbook, Core Plays, Podcasts, Heart of the Order Video, Lineup Generator, Player Projections, & Draft Percentage Forecaster
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.