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

Patrick Sandoval, P, Angels ($7,900)

Patrick Sandoval gives us the strikeout upside we always want while also freeing up salary.

On the year, Sandoval is sporting a 23.6% strikeout rate and 12.4% swinging-strike rate, helping him post an impressive 3.87 SIERA. Those are dang good numbers, especially for a hurler salaried under $8,000.

He's been on fire of late, as well, recording a 2.35 FIP, 25.5% K rate and 6.1% walk rate across his past four starts (24 innings). He's faced the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies in two of his starts in that span, so he's dealt versus tough foes, too.

Today, Sandoval will see the Cleveland Guardians. While Cleveland is just 15th in wOBA (.310), they do a nice job limiting strikeouts with a 20.1% K rate, tied for the sixth-lowest clip. But when we narrow the focus to Cleveland's numbers against southpaws, their strikeout rate jumps to 22.6%, the 12th-highest.

On a slate with four offenses carrying implied totals of at least 5.00, it's a nice day to allocate a lot of salary to your bats. Sandoval can help you do just that while still giving you a good shot to bag a solid FanDuel output from your pitcher slot.

Edouard Julien, 2B, Twins ($2,700)

The Minnesota Twins' 4.59 implied total is just the sixth-best clip on the slate, but I think they're a sneaky-great stacking option in their matchup with Jose Urena.

Since the start of 2023, Urena has struggled to a 5.07 SIERA, 14.6% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate over 83 MLB frames. He's got a mere eight total punchouts combined over his past three starts.

Edouard Julien will likely be atop Minnesota's lineup, something that in and of itself makes him enticing at this salary. But it's not just that -- Julien mashes righties, registering a .365 wOBA in the split over 506 plate appearances. At home versus righties -- which is the situation today -- Julien owns a .406 wOBA with 14 taters in 244 plate appearances.

The big negative with Julien is that he'll likely get yanked in favor of a pinch-hitter if he comes up against a lefty pitcher later in the game. But that's not a lock as Minnesota has given him 48 plate appearances versus southpaws so far in 2024.

Julien has -110 odds to record 2+ bases and +480 odds to hit a home run. He's a sweet value target tonight.

Tyler Stephenson, C, Reds ($2,600)

Much like Julien above, Tyler Stephenson is a low-salary bat who will likely hit in a great spot in the lineup, but there's more to it than that.

Stephenson is projected to be slotted fourth today in a home clash with left-hander James Paxton. This is a matchup Stephenson can take advantage of.

Through 44 1/3 innings in 2024, Paxton is posting career-worst marks pretty much across the board -- highlighted by a 5.86 SIERA, 13.0% strikeout rate and 13.0% walk rate. Right-handed hitters are striking out just 11.4% of the time against him this campaign while posting a 44.0% fly-ball rate.

Paxton's numbers mixed with Great American Ball Park should mean runs for the Cincinnati Reds, and their 4.55 implied total could be selling them a bit short.

Stephenson has superb numbers against left-handers, tagging them for a .382 wOBA and 54.8% fly-ball rate so far in 2024. He's already popped a pair of homers through just 26 home plate appearances versus lefties this year.

On a slate with so many quality first-base options, Stephenson will almost surely slip through the cracks, which only adds to his appeal. He has the shortest odds to record an RBI (+130) among Reds hitters tonight along with the second-shortest odds to hit a home run (+430).

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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.