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
Jake Fraley ($2,500): Outfielder, Cincinnati Reds
The former Mariners outfielder has played in just 33 games this season with the Reds. He has torn it up over the last couple of weeks with an impressive +8.84 Plus/Minus in his last 10 games.
His .253 batting average this season is well above career marks, and he has excelled against righties with a .384 wOBA and .273 ISO.
He faces a right-hander tonight in Noah Syndergaard. After starting the year with the Angels, Syndergaard is 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA since being dealt to the Phillies.
MLB DFS FanDuel Bargain
Jeffrey Springs ($8,000): Pitcher, Tampa Bay Rays
A career reliever, Springs has cemented himself into the starting rotation for the Rays this season. The 29-year-old lefty has posted a 5-3 record and 2.52 ERA in 16 starts.
His price tag puts him well into bargain territory for the potential production with his +5.00 Plus/Minus rating on the season. He has three straight 19+ DraftKings point games.
Take a shot on Springs as a cheaper pitching play tonight and make room for another top-end bat in your fantasy lineup.
MLB DFS Ceiling Projection Picks
Pitcher
Julio Urias ($10,000 DraftKings, $10,400 FanDuel) vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Urias is well on his way to matching last season’s 20-game win total. He currently sits at 13-6 with a 2.40 ERA in 2022.
With the second-highest salary on the slate, Urias will need to hit high expectations for your lineup. The good news is he has continuously reached those expectations throughout the season with a +3.74 Plus/Minus rating and has exceeded his projected points 74% of the time.
Tonight, Urias faces a Brewers team with one of the lowest implied run totals on the slate. He feels pretty safe to deliver again on his high expectations.
Hitter
Matt Olson ($4,600 DraftKings, $3,800 FanDuel) at Pittsburgh Pirates
Olson may not be a familiar high-ceiling play, but the Atlanta first baseman has delivered some solid fantasy numbers this season for his price.
With the most plate appearances in the National League, Olson has produced three 20+ DraftKings point performances since August 13 and holds a +2.97 Plus/Minus over the last 10 games.
Cheaper than the top-end ceiling players like Ronald Acuna Jr. and Trea Turner, Olson has similar upside potential against right-hander Roansy Contreras and the Pirates. Contreras is 3-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 10 starts this season.
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 Phillies.
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.
The Phillies continue their home stand tonight with the first of three games against the Reds. Right-hander Luis Cessa will take the mound for Cincinnati in only his second start of the season. In 37 appearances this season, Cessa is 3-1 with a 5.50 ERA. Expect frequent changes on the mound for the Reds.
Kyle Schwarber leads the Phillies stack with seven double-digit DraftKings performances in his last 12 games. Always a hit-or-miss proposition, Schwarber has shown a power resurgence in his first season in Philadelphia. He leads the National League with 34 long bombs.
Though he prefers left-handed pitching, first baseman Rhys Hoskins showed his ceiling potential last week against this same Reds ball club. He scored 42 DraftKings points on August 16 with two home runs and five RBI.
Also in his first season with the Phillies, Nick Castellanos is well below the 2021 numbers that earned him his first All-Star appearance. He does have a +1.89 Plus/Minus over his last 10 games, including a 28-point game on that same August 16 shellacking of the Reds in Cincinnati.
Third baseman Alex Bohm and shortstop Bryson Stott round out the stack. Bohm produced his best game of the season last night with two home runs and 39 DraftKings points. Stott has been in and out of the lineup but has a +2.04 Plus/Minus over his previous 10 games.
Look for the Phillies to take advantage of the spot start from Cessa and get deep into the Reds bullpen.
