This article will outline the best daily fantasy MLB plays of the day at every position. We will take a comprehensive look at FanDuel and DraftKings 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.
Editor’s Note: Stay ahead of the competition from wire to wire with rankings, customizable projections, trade evaluator, exclusive columns and more in our Season Pass. And start using optimized lineups on Yahoo!, DraftKings and FanDuel with our DFS Toolkit!
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We will be looking at the nine-game main slate starting at 1:05 ET. This means that five late afternoon games and the evening contest will not be included in the following write-ups.
PITCHER
J.A. Happ – New York Yankees (vs Baltimore)
Happ is the chalk option on this slate, and I’m not looking anywhere else for my cash game contests. He checks in with a massive -300 moneyline designation, and his opponent (Baltimore) subsequently holds the lowest run-scoring projection of the day. Happ has posted four-straight quality seasons with an ERA of 3.65 or lower, and now he’s looking to keep that momentum while wearing pinstripes. He should take a step in the right direction while facing a Baltimore team that carries a bottom-five lineup.
Also Consider: Carlos Carrasco, Jon Gray
CATCHER / FIRST BASE
Greg Bird – New York Yankees (vs Baltimore)
Bird was recommended in this article on Opening Day, and he ended up with a solo home run. We didn’t expect it to come in a lefty/lefty matchup, but I’ll gladly accept the fantasy points any way I can get them. Bird is still cheap on both DFS sites while looking at another encouraging draw against Baltimore RHP Dylan Bundy and his .401 wOBA split to left-handed bats last season. Throw in the hitter-friendly dimensions of Yankee Stadium (especially for lefty power), and you have an excellent value opportunity with Bird.
Also Consider: Luke Voit, Yonder Alonso, Danny Jansen (DraftKings)
SECOND BASE
Kolten Wong – St. Louis (at Milwaukee)
The second base position is somewhat uninspiring on today’s main slate. You can pay up for Whit Merrifield in a favorable matchup, but Wong represents a genuine fallback option if you don’t want to shell out the big bucks. Wong is having himself a nice opening series in hitter-friendly Miller Park, going 6-10 with two homers, four runs, and four RBIs in three games. There’s a chance he’ll keep the momentum while facing inexperienced RHP Corbin Burnes.
Also Consider: Whit Merrifield, Yoan Moncada, Adam Frazier
THIRD BASE
Jung Ho Kang – Pittsburgh (at Cincinnati)
I love Kang as a bargain in this spot. He’s looking at a park upgrade in Cincinnati while stepping into an encouraging matchup against Reds’ RHP Sonny Gray and his .364 wOBA split to right-handed bats. Kang has flexed some power upside over the years, and this situation seems like the perfect time for him to flex that. He’s hitting sixth with significant RBI potential this afternoon, and I also like teammate OF Starling Marte as a way to expose Gray’s reverse-splits to right-handed bats.
Also Consider: Travis Shaw, Brandon Drury
SHORTSTOP
Adalberto Mondesi – Kansas City (vs Chicago White Sox)
Second base and shortstop are the two positions giving me trouble when building lineups. The scarcity of this position has me looking to take a high-end option with meaningful upside. Enter Adalberto Mondesi. The Kansas City speedster can do it all with multiple hit, run, stolen base, and homerun upside. He’s facing one of the worst starting pitchers from last season in Lucas Giolito of the White Sox. I can find enough savings at the other positions, so I don’t feel bad spending top dollar on Mondesi.
Also Consider: Paul DeJong, Tim Anderson
OUTFIELD
Giancarlo Stanton – New York Yankees (vs Baltimore)
The Yankees are head and shoulders the top projected offense of this slate, and that shouldn’t surprise anyone. I’ll be looking towards the entire New York outfield of Aaron Judge, Brett Gardner, and Giancarlo Stanton. Of that group, Stanton is somewhat cheaper than Judge with similar upside, so he’s the guy finding my lineups more often. Don’t be afraid to stack the Yankees this afternoon!
Teoscar Hernandez – Toronto (vs Detroit)
Hernandez hasn’t done much to begin the season, but that could change on Sunday. He steps into a beautiful righty/lefty matchup against Detroit LHP Matt Moore and his .392 wOBA split to right-handed bats. Moore posted a 6.79 ERA last season, so there’s clearly an opportunity for Toronto righties to post some numbers here. Playing in Toronto’s hitter-friendly park doesn’t hurt either. Due to all of this, Hernandez checks in as one of my favorite mid-range picks of the day.
Also Consider: Starling Marte, Randal Grichuk, Brett Gardner, Scott Schebler, Leury Garcia (value filler)
