3 MLB FanDuel Value Plays for Friday 9/15/23

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.

David Peterson, P, Mets ($8,000)

On a slate where we've got some appealing high-salary offenses, including a game at Coors, I am very interested in the idea of saving salary at pitcher. Plus, it's a fairly weak pitching slate overall, so it's not a bad time to roll the dice on a value arm.

Enter David Peterson, who has some things working in his favor.

He's at home versus a Cincinnati Reds offense that is struggling mightily of late. Across the past 30 days, Cincy's active roster sits 22nd in wOBA (.306) with the eighth-highest strikeout rate (23.9%). Their right-handed bats have been producing right in line with those numbers (.304 wOBA and 23.6% K rate), which is noteworthy for the left-handed Peterson.

Peterson's 5.34 ERA masks the fact that he's been pretty decent this year, with his 4.08 SIERA, 3.76 xFIP and 24.5% strikeout rate painting a more accurate picture. He's got a 27.8% K rate over his past three outings, fanning eight twice in that span.

It's also a big boost that this game is in New York and not at Great American Ball Park.

All in all, Peterson is a quality value option on a slate where I think it makes a lot of sense to go with a low-salary pitcher.

Edouard Julien, 2B, Twins ($2,900)

The Minnesota Twins are a handy team on Friday. Not only do the Twins boast a 5.01 implied total, the night's third-highest clip, but Minnesota also comes with a few modest-salaried bats as only one Twins hitter is above $3,200.

Minnesota will take its hacks against righty Jesse Scholtens, who has recorded a 5.05 SIERA and 15.3% strikeout rate while allowing a 40.4% fly-ball rate. Scholtens is pretty much exactly the kind of pitcher we want to pick on.

Edouard Julien is projected to hit atop the Twins' lineup, and he's got some eye-catching numbers against right-handers, including a .390 wOBA and 13 dingers in 305 plate appearances in the split. This comes after he shredded Triple-A pitching this year to the tune of a .416 wOBA.

The Twins are a great offense to turn to for cap relief, and Julien is an ideal way to get exposure to Minnesota. numberFire's model ranks him as the third-best point-per-dollar hitter.

Jeremy Pena, SS, Astros ($2,700)

The Houston Astros are another offense you're going to want pieces of, and Jeremy Pena is an economical way to get in on the fun.

Pena and the Astros are facing veteran Zack Greinke, who is at the end of the road of his superb MLB career. In 2023, Greinke has lost his swing-and-miss stuff, posting a 15.8% strikeout rate and 7.3% swinging-strike rate. He's allowing a career-worst 1.78 homers per nine. In his last two outings, he's been tagged for seven earned runs and two taters over 7 1/3 frames.

In addition to the dreamy matchup, Pena's appeal is largely tied to the expectation he'll hit second in the order -- something he's done in nine consecutive games. Since August 23rd, Pena has been swinging it really well, mashing his way to a .385 wOBA across 89 plate appearances while striking out only 11.2% of the time.

By numberFire's projections, Pena is the best point-per-dollar hitter on the slate as he's forecasted to score 14.0 FanDuel points.

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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.