3 MLB FanDuel Value Plays for Friday 4/19/24

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Finding low-salary production is one way to get a leg up on the competition in MLB DFS.

Here are some value plays to target on FanDuel for today's main slate.

Advanced statistics courtesy of FanGraphs. Betting lines via the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. Betting odds as well as our projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- may change after this article is published.

MLB DFS Value Plays

Triston McKenzie, P, Guardians ($8,600)

I'll be honest: there are some legit reasons to be worried about Triston McKenzie. But a matchup with the Oakland Athletics combined with McKenzie's friendly salary puts me on the Cleveland Guardians' right-hander today.

The A's have mostly been what we thought they'd be, sitting 28th in wOBA (.276) with the second-highest strikeout rate (27.4%). They're pretty terrible offensively, and Oakland's 3.53 implied total is the slate's second-lowest clip.

As for McKenzie, he's been bad so far in 2024, struggling to a 7.78 SIERA and 8.1% K rate through his first 13 frames. There are really no positives I can pull from his three outings. However, we're obviously dealing with small samples, and we've seen McKenzie be a quality hurler in the past as he ended 2022 with a 3.57 SIERA and 25.6% strikeout rate across 191 1/3 innings.

It's a Coors slate, and we've also got high-salary offenses like the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers in good spots. Finding a low-salary pitcher who delivers the goods can be a huge help tonight. I'm willing to roll the dice on McKenzie.

Byron Buxton, OF, Twins ($2,500)

Talent has never been in question with Byron Buxton, so I'm not too worried about his shoddy start and will happily take him at this $2,500 salary.

While Buxton is struggling (.235 wOBA and 36.1% K rate), he's still making loud contact when he hits the ball, recording identical 41.7% hard-hit and fly-ball rates. That kind of contact will play today in Detroit as the wind is howling out, with gusts up to 30 MPH.

The matchup isn't one to fear, either. Buxton will see right-hander Jack Flaherty. In his first year with the Detroit Tigers, Flaherty is off to a dazzling start (3.06 SIERA) in this season's small sample, but over 180 1/3 frames across 2022 and 2023, Flaherty pitched to a 4.62 SIERA.

Buxton is going to snap out of this funk at some point, and with the wind blowing out in Minnesota, today might be the day. His +480 odds to hit a home run are the second-shortest in this game.

Adam Duvall, OF, Braves ($2,900)

Adam Duvall has long mashed southpaws, and he'll be up against lefty Andrew Heaney tonight.

In 2024, Duvall has been excellent with the platoon advantage, amassing a .408 wOBA, 50.0% hard-hit rate and 43.8% fly-ball rate in the split. That's over a tiny sample of only 24 plate appearances, so we can't get too carried away. With that said, Duvall ended 2023 with a 42.6% hard-hit rate and 59.3% fly-ball rate versus left-handers. He's lethal in this split.

Heaney can miss bats (11.2% swinging-strike rate), but righties have posted a 45.3% fly-ball rate against him so far this campaign. In 2023, he permitted 1.64 homers per nine in the split.

Atlanta is fully on the stacking radar tonight as they boast a 5.41 implied total, the slate's second-best mark. Duvall is an economical way to get in on the fun, and he's got the game's shortest odds to hit a home run (+300).

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.