The FantasyLabs MLB Player Models house numerous data points to help you construct your MLB DFS rosters.
They house our floor, median and ceiling projections for each player, but that’s just the beginning of what you’ll find inside. You’ll also find our Trends tool, stacking tool and more.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your teams for cash games or small-field tournaments.
Let’s dive into some MLB plays that stand out in our Player Models for today’s slate.
Bargain Rating Value Picks
You might be asking: what is Bargain Rating, and why should I care?
Bargain Rating shows how much of a bargain a player is on one DFS site versus others. If a player is significantly cheaper on one site than the other, they will have a favorable Bargain Rating on the site where they’re more affordable and a poor Bargain Rating on the site where they’re more expensive. It’s a straightforward metric, but targeting players at reduced price tags is almost always a strong strategy in DFS.
Bargain Rating strongly correlates with player value, which you can quickly see with our predictive projected Plus/Minus metric.
Seeing how Plus/Minus helps you project how many points a player is expected to score compared to what their salary implies them to score, this is a good company for Bargain Rating.
MLB DFS DraftKings Bargain Value
Victor Robles ($2,000): Outfielder, Washington Nationals
Salaries don’t get any cheaper than Victor Robles‘s on Wednesday, and the value isn’t worth passing up. The Nationals outfielder has been stroking the ball lately and projects as the top bargain option on DraftKings slates.
Robles is fresh off a 3-for-5 performance, scoring two runs and stealing one bag. That was his fifth straight game with a base knock and the third consecutive game in which he’s come around to score. Still, DFS platforms are short-selling the 25-year-old, not moving him off his paltry $2,000 salary.
We’ve also seen a modest boost in power from Robles, with two of his past six hits leaving the park. Although he’s struggled at times this season, his current .321 slugging percentage is off his career average of .366 and could indicate that more hard-hitting performances are expected.
Dodgers’ probable starter Andrew Heaney is making his first start in over a month, putting him at an immediate disadvantage against the hot-swinging Nats. Washington will be ready to welcome Heaney back to action, facilitating Robles’s post-All-Star break upward trend.
MLB DFS FanDuel Bargain Value
Eloy Jimenez ($2,700): Outfielder, Chicago White Sox
Even though interleague games are a more regular occurrence, it’s not very often the Chicago White Sox get to take advantage of the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. The White Sox claimed a modest 2-1 victory on Tuesday night, but we’re expecting more offensive on Wednesday. That starts with outfielder Eloy Jimenez.
Jimenez has just 87 plate appearances this season but is rounding into shape. The 25-year-old has hits in three straight games, with two of his four hits leaving the park. Over that stretch, Jimenez has elevated his slugging percentage to .386, and a couple of indicators suggest that further correction is anticipated.
First, the White Sox outfielder is below his career slugging percentage of .495. Second, his expected mark this season exceeds its current value, which indicates that progression is expected. Lastly, Jimenez is running hot this month, posting a .422 average through 13 games, and should continue to put together productive at-bats.
MLB-caliber pitchers aren’t standing in Jimenez’s way right now, so Antonio Senzatela doesn’t stand a chance. Jimenez is THE BAT X leader in Projected Plus/Minus and Points/Salary, making him our preferred bargain option for FanDuel lineups.
MLB DFS Ceiling Projection Picks
Pitcher
Corbin Burnes ($10,100 DraftKings, $11,300 FanDuel) vs. Minnesota Twins
There are some attractive pitching options on tonight’s docket, but none more so than Brewers’ ace Corbin Burnes. The reigning NL Cy Young winner is dealing and among our top-rated fantasy options on both platforms.
After a rough June, Burnes is back on top over his past four starts. Over that stretch, the former fourth-round draft pick is twirling a 1.42 earned run average with 30 strikeouts, hitting double-digits in two of those outings.
Of course, Burnes’s strikeout prowess isn’t limited to his recent performances, as he’s been one of the best in the majors this season. The hard-throwing righty ranks in the 90th percentile or better in strikeout percentage, chase rate, and fastball spin while also ranking better than 98% of pitchers in whiff rate. He leaves no hints as to what comes next with his six-pitch mix, resulting in a .264 expected weighted on-base average.
Somehow, Burnes has been even filthier at home, striking out 12.3 per nine innings compared to 10.2 on the road. According to our projections, he’s one of the top arms available and should reach his fantasy ceiling against the Minnesota Twins.
Hitter
Mookie Betts ($5,800 DraftKings, $4,200 FanDuel) vs. Washington Nationals
The Dodgers have been thoroughly embarrassed through the first two games of the series against the Nationals; however, they may be able to exact some revenge, salvaging one game of the series against southpaw Patrick Corbin. LA has several hitters that DFS players could turn to, but Mookie Betts has the most fantasy upside.
Betts has been a model batter atop the Dodgers’ lineup. The former MVP leads the team with 23 long balls, contributing to 52 runs batted in and a team-best 68 runs scored. Moreover, Betts has eight hits over his previous seven outings, including three dingers.
Analytically, Betts rates as a top hitter in the MLB. He sits in the 91st percentile in weighted on-base average while also delivering an impressive .460 expected slugging percentage and a 9.7% barrel rate. Wednesday’s pitching matchup is easily exploitable by Betts. His slugging percentage jumps to .598 against southpaws, and Betts has been much better at home than on the road.
Based on THE BAT X algorithm, Betts is near the top of the list in median and ceiling projections, which is substantiated by our in-house projections, which also rate him as one of the top options.
Top Stacking Pick from THE BAT X
One of the great features of being a FantasyLabs Pro member is the option to purchase additional items in the FantasyLabs Marketplace.
A new addition to our MLB projections is THE BAT from Derek Carty of RotoGrinders. With this purchase, you can use his projections alone or create aggregate projections within our Player Models.
The top five-man DraftKings stack from THE BAT using median projections belongs to the White Sox. When you load them into our Lineup Builder, you’ll have the option to hand-build the rest of your team or optimize the rest of it.
Chicago concludes their mini two-game set at Coors Field and can use the thin mountain air and ideal pitching matchup against Senzatela to set the standard for stacking options Wednesday.
Tim Anderson should be in his usual leadoff spot for Wednesday’s interleague matinee and fits the mold as one of the premier first batters in the MLB. The former Silver Slugger is just six runs shy of the team lead, despite playing in 26 fewer games than the top run-getter, Jose Abreu.
Abreu has been a prominent part of the White Sox lineup all season and is the pacesetter in many offensive categories, including hits, doubles, and on-base plus slugging percentage.
Sandwiched between Anderson and Abreu are Yoan Moncada and Andrew Vaughn. Low key, Vaughn has been one of the best White Sox hitters this season, ranking second in on-base plus slugging percentage and runs batted in, coming around to score the third-most runs.
Although Moncada has struggled at times this season, he sits in the meaty part of the lineup and should be expected to produce against Senzatela.
As previously noted, Jimenez has a tremendous amount of appeal against the Rockies. He has been the White Sox’s best hitter out of the All-Star break and is projected to bat fifth today.
The White Sox lead our projections and are the top stacking option on both platforms.
