3 MLB FanDuel Value Plays for Monday 8/14/23

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.

Grayson Rodriguez, P, Baltimore Orioles($7,500)

The Baltimore Orioles have the best record in the American League and are likely to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. They don't necessarily have the best pitching staff, but they have guys who get the job done.

One of those guys is Grayson Rodriguez. His rookie season hasn't been anything to write home about, but he does carry a solid 24.7% strikeout rate. He is due for some positive regression, as well, with his 5.07 expected ERA (xERA) being much lower than his 5.84 actual ERA. He also has an expected FIP (xFIP) of 3.88.

Rodriguez will face the San Diego Padres on the road tonight, and he'll benefit from pitching in one of the best pitcher's parks in baseball at Petco Park. The Padres are a fairly average team against right-handed pitchers, too, sporting a 104 wRC+ and 22.3% strikeout rate.

Carrying the third-best value rating in numberFire's model, Rodriguez is definitely a bargain at $7,500 on this slate.

Willson Contreras, C, St. Louis Cardinals ($2,700)

Willson Contreras joined the St. Louis Cardinals before this season, and now they are on track to have their first losing season since 2007. That's not to say it's Contreras' fault, though, as he's having a fairly good season for himself.

Contreras has a .348 wOBA this season, but his .370 expected wOBA (xwOBA) is the best of his career. He has especially excelled against lefties, as his wOBA goes up to .374 and his ISO is .259 with the platoon advantage.

The Cardinals will face the last place Oakland Athletics, and JP Sears will be on the mound for them. Sears gives up fly balls at a 55.8% clip and allows opposing batters to barrel the ball 12.7% of the time. That is a recipe to allow a lot of home runs, and Sears is tied for the fourth-most bombs given up (23).

Contreras should bat cleanup for the Cards tonight, and he carries the best value projection in numberFire's model for any hitter tonight.

Mike Moustakas, 1B/3B, Los Angeles Angels ($2,600)

There are some good options for a value hitter on tonight's slate, but we're going to look at one that could go under the radar in Mike Moustakas.

Moustakas joined the Los Angeles Angels in June and has had some decent results. He's been particularly good against right-handed pitching, with a .211 ISO and .356 wOBA. He tends to hit a lot of fly balls against righties, too, with a 44.4% fly-ball rate.

The matchup doesn't look good at first glance, but it's actually better than you might think. He'll face Max Scherzer, who despite being 39 is still an effective pitcher. However, Scherzer has allowed a lot of fly balls this season, which has resulted in giving up a bunch of homers. He's allowed a career-high 1.79 home runs per nine innings and also a career-high 9.6% barrel percentage.

It would be tough to fully stack the Angels tonight against Scherzer, but if you're looking for a home run at a low salary, Moustakas is a decent bet to fill in at either first or third base.

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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.