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 300 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 main slate.
Bargain Rating 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
Emerson Hancock ($5,500): Pitcher, Seattle Mariners
Making just his second major league start, the model likes Emerson Hancock as the highest bargain value on the pitching slate.
Hancock threw five innings against the Padres in his first start on August 8, giving up one earned run and striking out three. In 20 minor league starts this season, he went 11-5 with a 4.32 ERA and 1.32 WHIP.
PlateIQ shows a decent matchup against Kansas City today for Hancock. The Royals’ projected lineup has a respectable .155 ISO and .309 wOBA but also an elevated 23.1 K% and a relatively low implied run total.
Kyle Isbel ($2,200): Outfielder, Kansas City Royals
Returning to the Royals lineup on June 27, Kyle Isbel has been much better in his second major league stint of the season. In July, Isbel swatted .284/.312/.486 and is batting .270/.282/.351 so far in August.
Isbel has a +2.08 Plus/Minus over his last 10 games. His ceiling is a bit capped with just four home runs in 2023, but for the low price tag he can easily surpass expectations. Isbel has five double-digit DraftKings performances in his last 12 games, including two 20+ point games.
The Royals face right-hander Emerson Hancock for Seattle, who is making his second big league start. Hancock allowed one run in five innings during his first start.
MLB DFS Ceiling Projection Picks
Pitcher
Zack Wheeler ($11,600 DraftKings, $10,800 FanDuel) at Toronto Blue Jays
Zack Wheeler sits eighth in the National League with 155 strikeouts on the season and continues to boast one of the lowest walk rates in the majors. Those numbers should help him manufacture a strong fantasy outing today in Toronto.
On the season, Wheeler is 9-5 with a 3.74 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Since the All-Star break, he has excelled with a 2.76 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in five starts.
The Blue Jays have one of the lower implied run totals on the slate today. Wheeler is a solid option for fantasy owners to use his 27.0 K% toward fantasy success today.
Hitter
Ronald Acuna Jr. ($6,800 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel) vs. New York Yankees
Ascending toward the National League MVP Award, Ronald Acuna Jr. continues to have a special season in 2023. Acuna Jr. is batting .337/.423/.572 on the year while leading the National League with 55 stolen bases.
The Braves superstar provides both high-upside games and consistent production for fantasy owners. Since July 1, Acuna Jr. has had three 30+ DraftKings point performances to complement 20 double-digit fantasy outings. Even if he doesn’t have a boom game, his speed, and scoring potential provide a high floor.
The Braves take on the struggling Yankees and Luis Severino today in Atlanta. Severino is 2-7 with an 8.06 ERA in 13 starts this season. His 1.88 WHIP will have Acuna Jr. and the Braves licking their lips today at the plate.
More MLB DFS Hitters and Pitchers
One of the great features of being a FantasyLabs Pro member is the option to purchase additional items in the FantasyLabs Marketplace.
In addition to our in-house MLB projections, THE BAT X from Derek Carty of RotoGrinders is available in our marketplace. With this purchase, you can use his projections alone or create aggregate projections within our Player Models.
For this example, we created a 50/50 blend with THE BAT X and the FantasyLabs projections to pinpoint some hitters that are standing out with this blend.
Pitcher
Bailey Ober ($10,200 DraftKings, $10,300 FanDuel) Vs. Detroit Tigers
Bailey Ober has been a solid starter for the first place Minnesota Twins this season. He is 6-6 with a 3.40 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 19 starts.
The Tigers projected lineup does not spark fear for fantasy owners. They have a .142 ISO with a .300 wOBA and 23.7 K%. Ober should be able to take advantage of a lineup with only two High wOBA and two High ISO hitters.
His price tag is a bit elevated today with the enticing matchup, but Ober will need to pitch better than his last few starts to make good on that value. He has allowed 28 hits and 12 earned runs over his last 14 innings pitched.
Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Boom Fantasy has to offer with promo code LABS for a $100 deposit match.
Hitters
Michael Harris II ($4,100 DraftKings, $3,200 FanDuel) vs. New York Yankees
Fantasy owners should look to stack Braves hitters today with a prime matchup against the struggling Luis Severino and the New York Yankees.
Michael Harris II has been streaking lately with a +2.06 Plus/Minus over his last 10 games. He also excels against righties with a .338 wOBA and eight of his 11 home runs on the season.
Harris II is batting .288/.339/.455 in 2023 with seven double-digit DraftKings point totals in his last 12 games. Find a way to get him in your lineups today in all formats.
Julio Rodriguez ($5,600 DraftKings, $3,800 FanDuel) at Kansas City Royals
In his sophomore season, the 22-year-old outfielder continues to hit the ball hard. He lands in the top 5% of all hitters in both average and max exit velocity.
Overall, Julio Rodriguez is batting .257/.319/.435 with 19 home runs and 71 RBI. He has six multi-hit games in his last nine, with two homers and 13 RBI in that span.
The Mariners face right-hander Jordan Lyles today with a 3-13 record. Lyles has a 6.13 ERA and 1.27 WHIP on the season and has allowed at least three earned runs in each of his last four starts.
