3 MLB FanDuel Value Plays for Thursday 9/14/23

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

Thursday's main slate features a couple situations that could provide that low-salary production, most notably the Minnesota Twins clash with the Chicago White Sox.

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

Advanced statistics courtesy of FanGraphs. All projections via numberFire.

Kenta Maeda, P, Minnesota Twins ($7,600)

Taking the mound for Minnesota in their Thursday clash with the White Sox, Kenta Maeda is an excellent value pitcher to target. The Twins' pitcher is numberFire's third-best point-per-dollar option.

In 18 starts this season, Maeda has recorded a 4-7 record and is averaging 4.9 innings pitched per start. The righty has a respectable 3.83 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA), the 35th-best in baseball (minimum 80 innings pitched). His 4.20 FIP ranks 72nd, but he has a 25.8% strikeout rate, tied for the 22nd-best.

Chicago has a 56-90 record this season, and they enter this matchup with just 1 win in their last 5 games and 3 in their last 12. The White Sox rank inside the bottom 11 in both home runs (157) and strikeout percentage (23.6%). Their .295 wOBA is tied for last and their 84 wRC+ ranks second to last.

Against a struggling White Sox side, Maeda is a solid value option tonight.

Edouard Julien, 2B, Minnesota Twins ($2,800)

For our second value option, we stay in Minnesota.

Edouard Julien is expected to remain in the leadoff position for the Twins on Thursday. He has numberFire's 3rd-highest projection (13.8) despite having the 45th-highest salary, and he's the 2nd-best point-per-dollar option.

The 24-year-old rookie is having a solid debut campaign for the Twins, batting .270 with a .453 slugging percentage. His 134 wRC+ ranks second among rookies behind only his teammate, Royce Lewis, and he leads all rookies in OBP (.381).

He will face right-hander Jose Urena, who has a 0-5 record in six starts this season. Urena is making his second start for Chicago this season after starting the year with five difficult outings as a member of the Colorado Rockies. Among pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched, Urena's 6.62 SIERA ranks second-worst, and his strikeout percentage (10.7%) ranks fifth-worst. He also has the worst HR/9 in the league at 3.63.

The Twins have the second-highest implied team total (5.12 runs) on Thursday's main slate, and Julien should be a big part of that.

Luis Matos, CF, San Francisco Giants ($2,600)

For our final value play, we'll look to the team with the highest implied team total on the main slate, the San Francisco Giants (5.96 runs).

Facing the Rockies at Coors Field, the Giants implied team total is 1.73 runs greater than the third-highest team total (4.23) which belongs to the Baltimore Orioles.

Luis Matos has numberFire's 21st-highest projection (10.9) at a salary of just $2,600, making him the 6th-best point-per-dollar option.

The 21-year-old rookie is having a respectable debut campaign in San Francisco, batting .268 with a .371 slugging percentage. His 13.3% strikeout percentage ranks fourth among rookies.

Matos is expected to face right-hander Chase Anderson, who has a 0-5 record in 14 starts this season. Andeson has been well-below-average in several metrics this season, including SIERA (5.17), strikeout percentage (16.5%), HR/9 (2.25), and FIP (6.40). In his most recent start against the Giants last Saturday, Anderson recorded a 16.20 ERA, giving up 6 runs in just 3.3 innings pitched.

That game was in San Francisco. If a similar situation unfolds at Coors Field tonight, Matos will have an excellent opportunity to capitalize.

Note that the weather forecast is dicey in Denver, so keep close tabs before lock tonight.

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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.