3 MLB FanDuel Value Plays for Wednesday 9/13/23

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.

Tanner Houck, SP, Boston Red Sox ($6,900)

Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck isn't having his best season, but he will have a good opportunity to right the ship against a struggling New York Yankees tonight.

The Yankees have pretty much thrown in the towel on the season and have been giving their young players some reps in the Majors, meaning Houck could take advantage of his opponent's new, young lineup.

Houck has battled to a lackluster 5.28 ERA on the season, but his expected ERA actually comes in over a full point lower (4.24). While he still hasn't been great, it's worth noting that he has been getting unlucky.

His 4.27 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) would rank him towards the back end of starting pitchers this season, though it is worth noting that in his previous two healthy seasons, he posted stronger SIERAs of 3.28 and 3.61.

There's still some upside for Houck, and a matchup with the Yankees could help him tap into it.

The summer has not been kind to the Yankees. After battling without star slugger Aaron Judge for a significant part of the season, the team recently lost promising up-and-comer Jasson Dominguez to an elbow injury. Their team-wide 81 wRC+ over the last two weeks has ranked fourth-worst in the league during that span, meaning Houck should be able to capitalize on the matchup.

numberFire's models give the Red Sox the edge while the FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds list them as 1.5-point favorites. With decent run support behind him, Houck has a pretty solid chance of notching a win today and could be a value play at pitcher.

Tommy Edman, SS, St. Louis Cardinals ($2,900)

Tommy Edman and his St. Louis Cardinals will have an exciting matchup today against the Baltimore Orioles, who will be having right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson take the mound to open things up. This duel has the highest run total on the slate (10.5), so we're expecting Cardinals and Orioles batters to light up the stat sheet.

Gibson has been having a rough go of it, holding a middling 4.38 SIERA on the season. He had been keeping his ERA under 4.00 through the first two months, but the wheels have started to fall off for the 27-year-old down the stretch. After a brutal August, he's thrown for a 6.10 ERA over his last 59 innings pitched.

That puts the Cardinals in a good spot to put numbers on the scoreboard tonight.

Edman's $2,900 salary makes him a low-salaried way for exposure to a game with a high expected score. While the Cardinals have moved him all over the batting order this season, he does often hit near the top of the lineup and has speed upside (24 stolen bases).

Jake Burger, 3B, Miami Marlins ($2,900)

The Miami Marlins straight up did not have a good time against the Milwaukee Brewers last night, notching just two hits and going scoreless after the first inning. But things could be a little easier for them tonight, and slumping slugger Jake Burger will have a good chance to get back on track.

The Brewers announced that set-up man Trevor Megill would be their starter for tonight's tilt. The third-year, 29-year-old isn't likely to pitch more than just a couple of innings in his first career start, so the Marlins could find themselves batting against tired relievers for a good chunk of the game.

Burger has been slumping in recent games with just three hits across his last five starts, but he could correct course against the Brewers' bullpen today. He has otherwise been thriving in Miami's warmer climate, seeing his batting average climb from .214 with the Chicago White Sox earlier this season up to .288 post-trade deadline.

Even amidst his recent struggles his 112 wRC+ leads all Marlins hitters over the last 30 days, illustrating how the team has been banking on him for offensive production without Jorge Soler (oblique) in the lineup. If the Marlins are able to capitalize against the Brewers tonight, expect Burger to be at the center of things.

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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.