The App is Back! Don’t forget to download the NBC Sports EDGE app to receive real-time player news, mobile alerts and track your favorite players. Plus, now you can check out articles and player cards. Get it here!
This article outlines the best daily fantasy MLB plays of the day at every position. We take a comprehensive look to uncover these core recommendations, factoring respective salaries into the analysis.
Please note, these player picks were organized early in the day. For MLB contests, always check lineups and weather closer to game time. Rain, wind, or unexpected managerial decisions could open up additional sources of value. Be sure to keep an eye on the MLB Headlines and Injuries desk.
[[ad:athena]]
PITCHER
Top Play: Nate Eovaldi – Red Sox (vs Rays)
Eovaldi is fairly consistent about finishing five or more innings with more than a strikeout per frame. He faced the Rays four times this season, delivering three absolute gems and a stinker. Eovaldi projects as a slightly better play than Dylan Cease in all the categories that matter. And he costs a tad less.
Pivot: Drew Rasmussen – Rays (at Red Sox)
In a two-game playoff slate, the least popular pitcher is almost automatically the pivot. Rasmussen is unlikely to pitch deep into this game. We should view five innings and five strikeouts as an effective ceiling. For him to be the right pick, he’ll need some help in the form of rough outings from the other three pitchers. That said, he does have interesting stuff. He has a reliever’s approach, wielding a 97-mph heater and a sweeping slider.
Also Consider: Dylan Cease, Luis Garcia
Editor’s Note: Dominate daily with our premium DFS Tools that are packed with our lineup optimizer, a salary tracker, projections and much more. And don’t forget to use promo code SAVE10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
CATCHER
Top Play: Yasmani Grandal – White Sox (vs Garcia)
As the only catcher with a mid-lineup role in this slate, Grandal is gruesomely obvious as the top backstop. It’s not just the potential run production in Grandal’s favor. Both he and Garcia have similar average launch angles which favors power outcomes for the hitter.
Pivot: Kevin Plawecki – Red Sox (vs Rasmussen)
Plawecki is a roughly league average hitter with a contact-oriented approach. Rasmussen doesn’t induce a ton of swing-and-miss so we’re likely to see balls in play from the Red Sox catcher. There’s substitution risk if he comes to the plate in a big spot. Especially if one swing from Bobby Dalbec could salvage a win.
Also Consider: Mike Zunino, Martin Maldonado
FIRST BASE
Top Play: Jose Abreu – White Sox (vs Garcia)
Abreu will probably hit third. His swing path isn’t quite as optimized as Grandal’s for Garcia, but it’s not too far off ideal. Abreu is second likeliest in the slate to homer with better than one-in-four odds. He’s also second-best in expected run production.
Pivot: Ji-Man Choi – Rays (at Eovaldi)
Choi probably needs Eovaldi to make a misplay or two in order to tap a power swing. The Rays first baseman prefers elevated pitches. Eovaldi can work north to south as needed, though he’s most comfortable keeping the ball down. As long as he sticks to his strengths, Choi will probably tap ground balls. Even in such a case, Choi is a tremendous dollar-for-dollar value. It’s too bad we don’t need value in this slate.
Also Consider: Kyle Schwarber, Yuli Gurriel, Gavin Sheets
SECOND BASE
Top Play: Jose Altuve – Astros (at Cease)
Altuve is among the slate-leaders in multi-hit, home run, and run production potential. This broad-based, all-around profile means his position-best median projection is easier to reach without sacrificing ceiling.
Pivot: Christian Arroyo – Red Sox (vs Rasmussen)
Also Consider: Brandon Lowe, Enrique Hernandez, Cesar Hernandez, Leury Garcia
THIRD BASE
Top Play: Rafael Devers – Red Sox (vs Rasmussen)
In a normal slate, I’d probably note Devers is overpriced and go with a more cash efficient pick like Alex Bregman or Yoan Moncada. At least on DraftKings, these postseason slates rarely require the full budget. In GPPs, you actually have to deoptimize your lineup to spend everything. Devers has a solid initial matchup, and the talented Rays bullpen is almost exclusively right-handed. If we see Josh Fleming arrive, it probably means Devers and friends already won the game.
Pivot: Joey Wendle – Rays (at Eovaldi)
While we can fool ourselves into hoping for power from Choi, Wendle is purely a bottom-lineup contrarian play. He has decent multi-hit potential, but the real draw is to pair him with an off-brand wraparound Rays stack. Since Eovaldi should be the chalk, betting against him is a well-leveraged play.
Also Consider: Alex Bregman, Yoan Moncada
SHORTSTOP
Top Play: Wander Franco – Rays (at Eovaldi)
Franco generally keeps the ball on the ground so it’s unlikely he’ll benefit from a visit to the Green Monster. He projects as the likeliest to deliver multiple hits and also has decent run production potential. Perhaps Eovaldi or a reliever will make a mistake up in the zone where Franco can generate lift. Otherwise, power outcomes are unlikely. Consider him as part of that aforementioned offbeat wraparound.
Pivot: Tim Anderson – White Sox (vs Garcia)
Anderson is next-best after Franco when it comes to multi-hit projection. He also has decent homer odds at just under one-in-five for a dinger. Although a talented pitcher, Garcia’s inability to consistently induce flies or grounders stands as an exploitable weakness for the Pale Hose.
Also Consider: Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa
OUTFIELD
Top Plays: Yordan Alvarez – Astros (at Cease)
Kyle Tucker – Astros (at Cease)
Luis Robert – White Sox (vs Garcia)
When we discussed Abreu a moment ago, it was implied one hitter had a better projection. It’s Alvarez. He has a one-in-three shot to homer of Cease and Associates to go with slate-best projected run production. Tucker isn’t far behind. In fact, he could rate higher than Alvarez if they magically had the same lineup role.
Robert isn’t efficiently priced which could almost work in his favor. He costs more than the Astros outfielders even though he’s certainly a slightly lesser option. Even so, Robert is a dynamic hitter with considerable multi-hit, power, and run production potential. Count him among the top five bats in the slate.
Pivots: Austin Meadows – Rays (at Eovaldi)
Jose Siri – Astros (at Cease)
The Rays as a group are somewhat susceptible to low-and-glove side pitches. If Eovaldi settles into a rhythm, it’s possible he’ll make the mistake of pitching down and in to Meadows where he thrives. The key to retiring the left-handed slugger is to work up in the zone.
Whether it’s Siri, Chas McCormick, or Jake Meyers, the Astros center fielder will count as the fourth-best Houston outfielder and thus should go close to unsubscribed. Siri seemingly matches well against Cease in a max-volatility sort of way. Meyers is probably the highest-floor alternative if the Astros are feeling protective of their 2-0 series lead. Siri also happens to have strong off-the-bench skills as a pinch runner.
Also Consider: Kyle Schwarber, J.D. Martinez, Hunter Renfroe, Alex Verdugo, Eloy Jimenez, Leury Garcia, Nelson Cruz, Randy Arozarena, Kevin Kiermaier, Michael Brantley