3 MLB FanDuel Value Plays for Monday 4/15/24

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3 MLB FanDuel Value Plays for Monday 4/15/24

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

Ben Brown, P, Cubs ($6,000)

There's not an obvious value at pitcher tonight, but Ben Brown at $6K catches my eye.

The Chicago Cubs' righty has a relatively neutral matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Against righties, the D-backs rank 16th in wOBA (.315) and 18th in ISO (.144). They do walk at the second-highest rate (11.5%) and strike out at the fourth lowest clip (19.2%), but Arizona also sports the third-highest ground ball rate in the split (47.8%).

Brown, meanwhile, still has pretty ugly season-long numbers stemming from a disastrous debut, but he's since rebounded to put up 24.0 and 29.0 FanDuel points. Across 8 2/3 innings the last two times out, Brown's surrendered just six hits, two walks, and a single earned run. He struck out exactly five hitters in both starts -- notable considering his strikeout prop is set at 4.5 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Despite failing to get through the fifth inning in each of his first three starts, Brown remains viable in fantasy thanks to his strikeout potential. He leads all of today's probable starters with a 32.4% called plus swinging strike rate (CSW%) and ranks fifth with a 25.6% strikeout rate. Brown's 3.68 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) ranks fourth, so he's not solely reliant on Ks.

Brown will benefit from pitching at Chase Field -- a neutral park overall but one that ranks 23rd in park factor for left-handed batters. Notably, Arizona has put upwards of six lefties in the lineup when matched up against righties this season.

We shouldn't expect the world from Brown, but he's proven capable of flirting with 30 FanDuel points. His bargain-bin salary is helpful for those looking to load up on the top stacks for today's main slate.

Vinnie Pasquantino, 1B, Royals ($2,900)

It took a few weeks, but Vinnie Pasquantino is starting to heat up. He's exceeded 20 FanDuel points three times in his last four games, going 8 for 18 with a pair of homers, four runs, and nine RBI in that time. Expect him to keep adding to that in a plus matchup with the Chicago White Sox.

The Sox will turn to righty Nick Nastrini for his first career start. Chicago's No. 8 prospect isn't anyone Vinnie P should be too afraid of. Nastrini has a 7.71 ERA and 5.06 FIP through seven innings of Triple-A ball in 2024, though he has struck out 13. Still, he posted a 4.08 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across 114 2/3 innings of minor-league ball last season, so run prevention isn't his specialty.

That bodes well for Pasquantino, someone who has mashed righties in his young career. He owns a career-.345 wOBA and .196 ISO in the split, with 20 of his 21 career home runs coming against right-handers.

It helps that he's batting third for the 12th-highest-scoring team in baseball. With Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. off to hot starts ahead of him, Pasquantino should have a good chance to drive in more runs today. He has +120 odds to record an RBI on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Our projections peg Vinnie P for 12.5 FanDuel points, making him the second-best point-per-dollar value at 1B (4.31 FanDuel points per $1,000).

Jarred Kelenic, OF, Braves ($2,700)

The Atlanta Braves are perennially one of the top teams to stack in DFS. With so many strong batters in their lineup, value plays are few and far between. However, they're up against a righty today, so left-handed hitter Jarred Kelenic has some appeal at $2.7K.

Spencer Arrighetti lines up to make his second career start for the Houston Astros. Houston's 11th-ranked prospect lasted just three innings in his debut, surrendering seven hits, three walks, and seven runs. He struck out three.

Arrighetti registered a 4.40 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across Double and Triple-A last season, so his rough start in the majors isn't much of a surprise.

That bodes well for the Braves as a whole, and it makes Jarred Kelenic an intriguing value. He's stuck in a platoon with Adam Duvall, with the former starting against righties.

Still just 24-years-old, Kelenic -- a former top prospect -- has long struggled with strikeouts but had unquestionably the best year of his career in 2023. In a career-high 105 games, Kelenic pieced together a .321 wOBA, 11 home runs, 49 RBI, and 13 stolen bases.

He's gotten off to a strong start in Atlanta. Despite playing only against righties, Kelenic is running a .439 wOBA across 32 plate appearances. His .667 BABIP suggests he's bound to regress, but a 27.8% line-drive rate provides some hope he can continue to take advantage of the strong hitters around him.

Though his RBI numbers won't be great hitting from the nine-hole, batting in front of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies should give him plenty of chances to score. Kelenic to record a run is +110 on FanDuel Sportsbook. That becomes especially intriguing considering the Braves sport the main slate's second-highest implied total (5.04).

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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.