3 MLB FanDuel Value Plays for Wednesday 8/16/23

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.

Jon Gray, P, Texas Rangers ($8,600)

The Texas Rangers are one of just five teams in Major League Baseball with more than 70 wins so far this season. If it weren't for the Atlanta Braves and their ridiculous production at the plate this summer, the Rangers would be able to boast of having the best offense in the league.

Averaging 5.6 runs per game, the Rangers are able to provide their pitchers with nigh-unparalleled run support. That should work in Jon Gray's favor tonight as the Rangers take on the Los Angeles Angels. numberFire gives Gray a 40% chance of notching the dub to go with the Rangers' 62.6% win probability.

Gray has been striking out batters more often over his past three starts -- over a K per inning in that span -- and while his recent performances against the Miami Marlins and Houston Astros left much to be desired, he is coming off of his best start of the season. The veteran shut down the San Francisco Giants last Friday, pitching seven innings without allowing a run and finishing with an impressive 0.29 WHIP.

He'll look to build on that performance against an Angels offense that has been ice-cold in the month of August, yielding just a 54 wRC+ since the trade deadline (29th of 30 teams).

Eugenio Suarez, 3B, Seattle Mariners ($2,700)

Last night, Seattle Mariners slugger Eugenio Suarez launched his first home run since August 3rd in a game against the Kansas City Royals, and he's got a solid shot to go yard again tonight.

Suarez has a .390 slugging percentage this season, well below his career average of .458. MLB Savant's StatCast data has him with an expected slugging percentage (xSLG) of .442 this season, so he's been a little unlucky in that regard; only nine other batters across the league have a higher discrepancy between their actual SLG and their xSLG.

The Royals are expected to deploy some combo of rookies James McArthur and Alec Marsh tonight. So far in the majors, those two are giving up 1.5 and 2.87 home runs per nine innings, respectively. That's a recipe for success for Suarez.

Marcell Ozuna, OF, Atlanta Braves ($2,700)

We mentioned it earlier, but the Braves have been white-hot since the All-Star break. The whole team has a combined .908 OPS since they came back from the break, making them a wellspring of FanDuel points.

Marcell Ozuna has benefitted greatly from the team's heater, notching 9 RBI in the last week alone. He was personally responsible for three of the team's five runs in last night's victory over the New York Yankees and could have a repeat performance today versus presumed starter Randy Vazquez, a rookie.

The Braves show no signs of slowing down and have an implied run total of 5.75 runs in this evening's contest -- the second-highest on the slate. Ozuna often hits right in the heart of the Braves' lineup and is in a prime position to knock in more runs this evening.

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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.