MLB DFS Value Vault June 23: Jesus Aguilar Swinging a Hot Bat
Today's slate is inconsistent across the board as DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo will all be using different slates, but are all starting at 12:10 pm ET. DraftKings is using a six-game slate, FanDuel is using a seven-game slate (adding the Mariners vs. A’s game), and Yahoo is using a full all-day 10-game slate. I will be honest — the value plays on this slate, specifically on the mound, are not great. Really, the pitching on this slate is just pretty bad in general.
On the bright side, it appears that we have no MLB weather concerns to worry about, which is amazing, but still keep up with the weather center leading up to first pitch. Lastly, don’t forget to check out MLB implied runs totals using our Vegas Odds link and to use our MLB DFS lineup generator. Let’s dive into our MLB DFS picks today!
DFS Value Pitchers
FanDuel - $8600 / Yahoo - $32
Alex Wood has been pretty steady, scoring double-digit DFS points in five straight. He has a 4.32 ERA with five wins and 64 Ks across 66.2 innings of work. Surprisingly, he’s been better on the road this season with a 4.25 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, compared to a 4.40 ERA and 1.44 WHIP at home. The Braves are a tough team to limit the damage against, but they have the second-highest strikeout rate in baseball, which means there is a lot of upside in facing them.
DraftKings - $6100 / Yahoo - $31
Zach Plesac isn’t an amazing pitcher by any means and his low strikeout rate (44 punch-outs in 67.1 innings) limits his upside a bit, but he can get the job done at this price tag. The Twins are a pretty mediocre offense as they are 14th in runs per game this season, so it’s not the scariest of tests. With how cheap Plesac is on DraftKings, it won’t take too much for him to provide decent value as your SP2.
DFS Value Hitters
DraftKings - $2600 / FanDuel - $2800 / Yahoo - $13
Jesús Aguilar is swinging a hot bat right now, slashing .293/.293/.561 over his last ten games with three home runs and 15 total R+RBI, bringing his totals for the year up to a .256 average with nine home runs and 53 total R+RBI in 60 games. He has been far better at home this year, slashing .313/.344/.443 in Miami, compared to .196/.266/.402 on the road. And on top of all that, he has crushed this head-to-head matchup, going 6-for-11 (.545) with THREE home runs against Freeland in his career.
FanDuel - $2600
Patrick Wisdom had a huge game last night, going 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs scored. He has homered in back-to-back games and scored at least 27 FanDuel points in both. He has been much better on the road this season, slashing .243/.339/.505, compared to .212/.295/.441 at home. Wisdom has also been a completely different hitter against southpaws this year, slashing .274/.357/.516 against lefties, compared to .210/.300/.455 against righties. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes it three straight games with a dinger today.
FanDuel - $2600 / Yahoo - $11
Oscar Gonzalez has been very impressive thus far in the big leagues as he is slashing .337/.367/.511 through his first 23 games in the majors with two home runs (both of which have come in the past three games – worth noting), TEN doubles, and 23 total R+RBI. Right-handed bats have accounted for ALL seven home runs that Semltzer has given up this season as well as ALL four doubles. This is good spot for Gonzalez to keep his momentum going.
DraftKings - $2500 / FanDuel - $2400 / Yahoo - $12
While I do like Plesac today as a value arm, I think Alex Kirilloff is a very solid play at this price if you are fading Plesac. Kirilloff was recently called back up to the Twins and over his last four games, he is 5-for-16 (.313) with three doubles, five RBI, and two runs scored. He has scored at least five DraftKings points in all five of those games. Plesac isn’t some big-time pitcher and he is prone to some damage, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Kirilloff stays hot today.
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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.