The FantasyLabs MLB Player Models have 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 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
Nick Gordon ($2,000): Outfielder, Minnesota Twins
If you need a minimum salary filler to round out your lineup, Gordon is an interesting option. In his second MLB season, he is batting a respectable .277 with a .750 OPS.
Over the last 10 games, Gordon has a +4.89 Plus/Minus rating, but his salary has not jumped up to match his production.
A multi-home run banger is not in the cards for Gordon, but he could certainly put up double-digit fantasy totals against Patrick Sandoval and the Angels.
MLB DFS FanDuel Bargain
Paul Goldschmidt ($4,200): First Baseman, St. Louis Cardinals
Always underrated, Goldschmidt leads the National League with a .332 batting average, .415 SLG, and 1.031 OPS.
A consistent threat, he had one of his best games of the year last night in Colorado, going 3-for-5 with a home run, double, and three RBI.
Goldschmidt has an incredible .621 wOBA against lefties and faces Brewers left-hander Eric Lauer tonight. The air may not be as thin in St. Louis, but he is a high-upside play to make good on his moderate price.
MLB DFS Ceiling Projection Picks
Pitcher
Mac Scherzer ($10,900 DraftKings, $11,400 FanDuel) vs. Philadelphia Phillies
The future Hall of Famer is having one of the best seasons of his stellar career. He is 8-2 with a 1.98 ERA in 15 starts.
After returning from injury on July 5, Scherzer has averaged 28.33 DraftKings points in seven outings. On the season, he has a +6.07 Plus/Minus rating and has not given up more than two earned runs since early May.
Maybe the most consistent pitcher in baseball, Scherzer is worth fantasy lineup consideration in every start. He is worth the price tag if you can make the salary work.
Hitter
Mookie Betts ($5,600 DraftKings, $4,300 FanDuel) at Kansas City Royals
Betts made his sixth All-Star team in 2022 and currently leads the National League with 81 runs scored. He is among league leaders with a .375 wOBA, according to Baseball Savant.
Over the last 15 games, Betts has scored double-digit DraftKings points in 10 games and notched two 20+ point performances.
The Dodgers have a plus matchup against Royals left-hander Daniel Lynch, who is 4-7 with a 4.79 ERA in 2022. Betts has a .383 wOBA against lefties, so he should be able to take advantage.
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 projected points in our stacking tool belongs to the Padres. 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.
Note: There is precipitation projected in the forecast for this game. Be sure to monitor the status of this game leading up to lock.
After being recently traded, Juan Soto will take on his former team as the Padres head to the nation’s capital tonight for a weekend series with the Nationals.
Soto should have some extra motivation tonight in his old stomping grounds. In eight games with the Padres, he is batting .357 with a 1.078 OPS. Expect fireworks tonight from the 23-year-old superstar.
Manny Machado stroked the ball the last two nights against the Giants, going 5-for-9 with a home run, two doubles, and five RBI. He has a +1.65 Plus/Minus over the last 10 games.
The other piece heading to San Diego in the Soto trade, Josh Bell also returns to Nationals Park tonight. He is batting .231 with .644 OPS since joining the Padres, but he’s a much better hitter than those numbers indicate.
The stack rounds out with outfielder Jurickson Profar and second baseman Jake Cronenworth who are both happy to see a right-hander on the mound. Profar has a .335 wOBA and .173 ISO against right-handers. Cronenworth edges him out slightly with a .344 OBA and .184 ISO.
Cory Abbott makes a spot start for the Nationals tonight. In 12 career major league appearances, Abbott is 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA. The Padres’ implied team total of 5.7 runs is tied for the top non-Coors mark on the slate.
