MLB DFS Value Vault September 20: Vinnie Pasquantino is the Top Value Bat Tonight
Tonight’s slate is the same on DraftKings and FanDuel as they will both use an 11-game slate starting at 7:05 pm ET. Yahoo’s slate is very similar as it will start at 7:05 pm ET but use a 10-game slate. Starting pitching is headlined by AL Cy Young candidate, Dylan Cease, and he is expensive so pairing him with a cheaper SP2 like Joey Wentz could be pivotal. The top value bat is easily Vinnie Pasquantino, who is in a great spot today to find success. We don’t have any MLB weather concerns on this slate but make sure to check the weather center leading up to the first pitch. Lastly, don’t forget to check out MLB implied runs totals using our Vegas Odds link and use our MLB DFS lineup generator. Let’s dive into our MLB DFS picks today!
Pitchers
Joey Wentz, Tigers (DraftKings - $5700 / Yahoo - $28)
Wentz has been somewhat of a trustworthy play lately as he has scored 16.4, 27.2, and 11.4 DK points over his last three starts. Sure, the 11.4 isn’t anything special, but that was also against an Astros ball club that pounds left-handed pitching. Wentz has 15 Ks in 17.1 innings pitched and today he has a soft matchup against Baltimore. The Orioles are 22nd in runs per game this season and have the 12th highest strikeout rate in the league.
Luis Ortiz, Pirates (DraftKings - $6500 / Yahoo - $25)
Ortiz looked very good in his first career start last week, firing 5.2 shutout innings with just one-hit against and five strikeouts to finish with 20.4 dk points. He has a great K-rate in the minors and that is something we love for DFS. Today he faces an overrated Yankees lineup that can be exposed if he is able to get Aaron Judge out.
Hitters
Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals (DraftKings - $2700 / FanDuel - $2400 / Yahoo - $13)
Vinnie P. is getting hot right now as he is 5-9 over his last two games with a walk, two doubles, and four RBI, scoring 17 and 12 DK points. He has been fantastic at home this season, slashing .294/.384/.529 with a DK ppg of 7.3, compared to .250/.328/.362 on the road with a DK ppg of 5.7. Today he gets to face Bundy, who is simply just not a good pitcher as he has a 4.68 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and has given up 20 long balls. Bundy has been especially bad on the road as he has a 5.28 ERA and 1.30 WHIP when pitching away from Minnesota.
Harrison Bader, Yankees (DraftKings - $2600 / FanDuel - $2700 / Yahoo - $7)
Bader makes his return off IL today and I am willing to just go ahead and have him make his return to my DFS lineups as well at these prices. Bader was having a solid season prior to going down with an injury as he was hitting .256 with five home runs and 15 steals across 72 games. He was really bad at home in St. Louis, as he slashed .216/.266/.328 there, but was slashing .292/.336/.408 on the road, which works out great as he will now be playing his games in New York.
Bubba Thompson, Rangers (DraftKings - $2300 / FanDuel - $2100 / Yahoo - $9)
A “Vreeland favorite” Thompson just continues to be disrespected by these DFS sites and shouldn’t be this cheap at all. He is hitting .267 over his last 10 games with SIX steals. He now has a .274 batting average on the year with 16 steals in 40 games. He brings a ton of speed to the table, obviously, and that can be huge for DFS if he is able to swipe a bag of two today. He has been great at home this year, slashing .302/.323/.397, compared to .246/.324/.262 on the road.
Other Potential Value Plays
- Charlie Blackmon, Rockies (FanDuel - $3000 / Yahoo - $10)
- Michael Toglia, Rockies (FanDuel - $2600 / Yahoo - $12)
- Drew Waters, Royals (DraftKings - $2000 / FanDuel - $2100 / Yahoo - $7)
- Mark Vientos, Mets (DraftKings - $2000 / FanDuel - $2000 / Yahoo - $7)
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Player News
Cubs re-signed RHP Caleb Kilian to a minor league contract.
The 27-year-old hurler was released last weekend after being designated for assignment, but after exploring the open market he has decided that a reunion with the Cubs made the most sense. Kilian will continue to function as extra rotation depth at Triple-A Iowa for the time being.
Corey Seager went 2-for-3 with a homer and a walk to help the Rangers take down the Angels 5-3 on Thursday.
Seager had a bad first week and a half while dealing with a calf strain, but he’s collected 14 hits, including three homers, in his last eight games, putting him at .306/.368/.516 overall. Alas, it’s produced just six RBI, mostly because the Rangers are getting terrible production from the ninth and first spots in the order.
Kumar Rocker recorded his first MLB victory after pitching seven innings of three-run ball and striking out eight Thursday against the Angels.
Rocker walked none and surrendered just one double and four singles. Unfortunately, all five hits came in the first and fifth innings, resulting in three runs between them. Still, Rocker was terrific in needing just 78 pitches to get 21 outs. It’s the kind of performance that suggests he might offer mixed-league value at some point. We just wouldn’t trust him quite yet. His next start will come in Sacramento against the A’s.
Robert Garcia picked up his first save of the year with a perfect ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Garcia got the call tonight with Luke Jackson having pitched the previous two days and retired the Angels on five pitches. Even though he’s the better reliever of the two, he’ll likely resume taking a backseat to Jackson on Friday.
Jack Kochanowicz gave up four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Rangers on Thursday.
The surprising and misguided decision to pick Kochanowicz over Reid Detmers for a rotation spot at the end of the spring isn’t working out for the Angels. The team might reverse course soon, but Detmers hasn’t been used as a long guy and isn’t stretched out to start right away. Kochanowicz is now 1-2 with a 6.20 ERA, but at least he gets the Pirates next.
Joc Pederson went 0-for-4 with a strikeout Thursday, dropping his average to .060.
It’s mostly been hard grounders and routine flies from Pederson thus far, but given that his bat speed is unchanged from last year, we don’t have big concerns here yet. That said, this might not be the weekend he turns it around, given that the Rangers are set to face the Dodgers.