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All 30 MLB teams are playing on Tuesday, which means there are plenty of daily fantasy baseball options to choose from. However, you rarely can have a fantasy team full of superstars, so it’s best to figure out which players have the opportunity to outplay their value.

Below is a table featuring the top three players at each position for Tuesday, followed by a list of five players to consider when balancing your fantasy baseball budget.

Value Picks

Carlos Martinez, SP, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers ($9,300)

Martinez has been incredible for the Cardinals this season, and he has the opportunity to have a great outing against one of the worst teams in MLB.

While Martinez’s season as a whole has been impressive, he has struggled as of late. He has allowed at least three earned runs in each of his past four starts. However, he dominated against the Brewers in his last start against the team in a four-hit shutout on April 24.

Martinez hasn’t been himself in his past few starts but has a great opportunity to get back on track against the struggling Brewers. His reasonable value makes him a great pick given his previous start against Milwaukee earlier in the season.

Jonathan Schoop, 2B/3B, Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox ($4,000)

Schoop has been a solid player for the Orioles since returning from injury on July 5. He has recorded a career-high .291 batting average this season and has flourished over the past week.

The 23-year-old has demonstrated great patience at the plate with a .321 batting average over his past seven games. He has also showed off his impressive power with a .679 slugging percentage during that span.

Schoop and the Orioles will face Red Sox starter Joe Kelly, who has been dominant with a 7-0 record over his past seven outings. However, Schoop is a low-risk, high-reward pick given his recent streak of games and his improved hitting overall.

Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies ($3,600)

Seager is the No. 1 prospect in the Dodgers organization for a reason and has performed admirably since being called up to the big leagues on September 3. He is hitting .412 this season with an astounding 1.171 on-base plus slugging percentage.

Seager and the Dodgers will face struggling Rockies left-hander Chris Rusin on Tuesday. Through 18 starts this season, Rusin has recorded a 5-8 record with an abysmal 5.14 ERA. Seager is hitting .417 against left-handed pitching this season, which sets up a favorable matchup against Rusin.

While Seager is just 21 years old, he is producing at a high level despite his limited amount of professional experience. However, fantasy owners should take advantage of his low value while they can before he emerges as a top-tier shortstop option.

Rajai Davis, OF, Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins ($3,200)

The veteran Davis has performed well recently, which makes him a steal of an outfielder pick for daily fantasy baseball.

The 34-year-old is hitting .320 over his past seven games and has recorded an astonishing .760 slugging percentage during that span. He has hit safely in seven of his past nine games with three multihit games during his streak.

Davis will face Twins starter Phil Hughes on Tuesday, who has struggled with his command over his past few starts. Hughes has recorded a 5.08 ERA over his past seven starts, which presents an opportunity for Davis and the Tigers to have a great day at the plate.

Trevor Plouffe, 3B, Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers ($4,100)

Plouffe has had an up-and-down season with a .250 batting average and a .444 slugging percentage. However, his recent streak makes him a great fantasy option for Tuesday’s MLB action.

Plouffe is hitting .375 over his past seven games with a solid .464 on-base percentage during that span. Plouffe and the Twins will face Tigers starter Alfredo Simon on Tuesday, a pitcher who has recorded an atrocious 7.10 ERA over his past 15 outings.

Plouffe isn’t a great long-term option in fantasy baseball, but he has a great matchup against Simon on Tuesday. He should be able to keep up his hot hitting and outplay his depleted fantasy value.

All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

Follow Curtis on Twitter: @CalhounCurtis

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The regular season has less than three weeks left before the postseason begins, but there is still plenty of time left for daily fantasy baseball. Whether owners have already found success or finally build up a bankroll before the season ends, Monday night has options for any strategy.

Only a handful of top players can be targeted in order to build a balanced lineup. But with so many options at the top of the price sheet, here’s a look at the ones that are worth the price on DraftKings, along with a strategy for owners to thrive.

Top Pitching Target: Cole Hamels, Texas Rangers ($10,500)

Welcome back to Texas, Cole Hamels. Over his last two starts, the new ace for the Rangers has not been sensational, allowing a total of seven earned runs with 11 strikeouts. But both of those games were away from Globe Life Park.

Now with an extra day of rest, Hamels can resume his superb season against a huge hit-or-miss team. The Houston Astros may be 11 games over .500, but they are also second in MLB in strikeouts (1,248) as a team. With Hamels getting closer to another 200-strikeout season, he’s a smart start on Monday with the price truly matching the production owners should expect.

Top Infielder: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks ($5,000)

Paul Goldschmidt was going through a slight slump last week before facing the Los Angeles Dodgers. Let’s just say Goldy got right against the Blue Crew, finishing with an average of 11.3 fantasy points per game with a homer and two doubles in the three-game series.

Now the Diamondbacks stay home against James Shields and the Padres. Sure, Shields might be an imposing starter, but Goldschmidt has enjoyed success against him. With three hits in five at-bats, including a homer, look for Goldschmidt to keep streaking for fantasy owners.

Top Outfielder: Yoenis Cespedes, New York Mets ($5,600)

Since being traded to the Mets, it’s hard to think of another player who has been as consistently hot as Yoenis Cespedes. The key trade piece in multiple deals over the last two seasons, Cespedes possibly landed in a perfect situation with New York.

Over his last 10 games, Cespedes has an average of 15.8 fantasy points per game. That also includes Sunday, when Cespedes got just one at-bat. Going with the hot hand seems like a wise option. When you consider he’s going up against a struggling starter on the mound and that he’s finally returning home, Cespedes should be the top option for any owner.

Strategy: Mashing Mets

Speaking of the Mets, Cespedes isn’t the only hot bat in that lineup. New York has pummeled starting pitching recently, averaging seven runs per game over its seven-game winning streak.

The aforementioned starter whom Cespedes and the Mets will be facing is the Miami Marlins’ Justin Nicolino, who surrendered five runs over 4.1 innings in his last outing. His first start against the new-look Mets should end in similar fashion if New York brings out the same lumber it did in the sweep of the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves.

With Cespedes coming at such a high price, David Wright ($4,300), Daniel Murphy ($3,500) or Curtis Granderson ($4,400) all seem like reasonable options. The Mets may have a 9.5-game advantage over the Nats, but this team isn’t slowing down before the playoffs.

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Before the NFL distracts everyone on Sunday, DraftKings savants can devote Saturday to a full MLB slate.

Eliminated from the postseason or too far down the standings to mount a comeback, many traditional fantasy baseball players have lost interest. Worn down and defeated by the grueling season, they’ll shift their attention to the gridiron, where a shiny new toy with a shorter schedule awaits.

This is usually where “But not in daily!” follows. Well, not necessarily. Filling out a lineup gets cumbersome in a six-month sport with no days off. Anyone who hasn’t profited from MLB action now sees a chance for redemption elsewhere.

But hey, the only way to get better is to keep working. Those players tapping out will miss a slate featuring several bargains. As Madison Bumgarner faces the San Diego Padres, surround the $12,200 ace with these discount plays. 

SP Yordano Ventura ($8,500), Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles

According to MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan, the Kansas City Royals have transposed their weekend rotation plans:

While the batted-ball gods have recently turned a cold shoulder to Johnny Cueto after years of friendship, Yordano Ventura has flourished. Even including his recent roadblock against the Minnesota Twins, the 24-year-old righty has allowed eight runs over his past six starts while significantly upping his strikeout game.

Despite his ERA increasing from 3.20 to 4.34, his expected fielding independent pitching (xFIP) has fallen from 3.74 to 3.67 due to a rise in strikeouts and ground balls. A day earlier than scheduled, the streaking hurler gets the struggling Baltimore Orioles, who rank No. 24 in weighted on-base average (wOBA) and No. 27 in strikeout percentage after the All-Star break.

Cheaper than Rick Porcello, Anthony DeSclafani and Ian Kennedy, Ventura is a strong value on Saturday.

SP Roenis Elias ($6,300), Seattle Mariners vs. Colorado Rockies

Roenis Elias isn’t very good. Saddled with a 4.30 ERA and 4.38 xFIP, there’s a reason the Seattle Mariners southpaw only costs $6,300.

The matchup, however, keeps him in consideration as a dirt-cheap hurler, best utilized as a contrarian tournament play. Scary on paper, the Colorado Rockies shrink into an exploitable offense when facing a lefty on the road. This weakness is reflected by their MLB-worst weighted runs created plus (wRC+) against lefties, a measure of offensive efficiency that takes ballparks into consideration:

Elias faced a similar situation on Monday, when Seattle hosted the Texas Rangers away from their hitter-friendly stadium. He allowed two runs and recorded six strikeouts during 5.1 solid innings, earning him 15.2 DraftKings points. Players will take that result on Saturday, and he’s in better shape to earn a victory with Yohan Flande pitching for Colorado.

C Miguel Montero ($3,400) and 2B/OF Chris Coghlan ($3,300), Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies 

One of several Philadelphia Phillies hurlers getting demolished, Jerad Eickhoff has yielded a 47.3 fly-ball percentage and 40.3 hard-hit percentage through four starts. Starting with the pricier corner-infield tandem of Anthony Rizzo ($5,300) and Kris Bryant ($4,900), the Chicago Cubs will make a popular stack.

Going the cheaper route, Miguel Montero is slugging .520 since the All-Star break and boasts a career .793 OPS against righties. Chris Coghlan holds an .822 OPS with all of his 15 homers and 11 steals versus righties, numbers that look much better with second-base eligibility.

Take a look at Chicago’s lineup card before locking into anybody. Javier Baez’s presence and Starlin Castro’s existence crowd the middle infield, but Coghlan hasn’t yet lost any playing time on his strong end of the platoon. 

OF Josh Reddick ($3,400), Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers

The bad news about Josh Reddick taking hacks in Texas? He won’t have “Careless Whisper” as his walk-up music. After returning to the ’80s ballad on Wednesday, the slumping outfielder snapped an 0-for-10 skid with a two-run homer. The Oakland Athletics’ Twitter page captured the triumphant return (of the song, not the homer):

He’ll sacrifice the smooth sax for a much better offensive park. He’s slugging .476 on the road, and Globe Life Park in Arlington rates No. 5 on ESPN’s Park Factors in terms of runs produced. More importantly, he holds an .823 OPS against righties compared to a .644 clip against lefties. 

Yovani Gallardo’s 3.16 ERA looks great. His 4.35 xFIP and career-low 15.0 strikeout percentage? Not so much. Look for Reddick to produce sweet music in the batter’s box.

OF Ryan Raburn ($2,500), Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers

Are the Cleveland Indians facing a lefty? Check. Are they facing a bad lefty? Sees Randy Wolf’s 6.55 ERA through four starts and 1.006 OPS against righties last year. Check.

A must-start in this situation, Ryan Raburn is hitting .314/.395/.584 against southpaws. He homered twice off Chris Sale on Monday, and Wolf is no Chris Sale. Lock Raburn in at a criminally cheap $2,500. 

Note: All advanced stats, updated as of Friday night, courtesy of FanGraphs. Pricing and scoring info via DraftKings.com.

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Although the NFL will now start taking away a lot of our attention, there is still money to be made in daily fantasy baseball. 

Friday’s contests feature some players to avoid, such as Dallas Keuchel ($13,400 is too much for a pitcher who often struggles on the road), as well as red-hot superstars to pounce on, such as Yoenis Cespedes ($5,100). Beyond that, here is a look at a few options you might have overlooked heading into the weekend.

Steven Matz, SP, New York Mets ($8,400)

While the New York Mets and their fans aren’t exactly excited to see Matt Harvey limited going forward, the return of Steven Matz certainly eases concerns. The rookie returned from the disabled list last week and produced 5.1 innings of two-run ball before coming out with a blister.

Fortunately, ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin reported this won’t affect the pitcher going forward:

In three career starts, Matz has a 1.90 ERA, .172 opponent batting average and an average of 23.8 fantasy points per game on DraftKings. Against an Atlanta Braves team that has struggled mightily down the stretch, the 24-year-old lefty should be able to keep up the good production.

Cody Anderson, SP, Cleveland Indians ($5,900)

With the exception of a few hiccups, Cody Anderson has had a strong rookie season with the Cleveland Indians. He doesn’t post high strikeout totals, but he has allowed only two runs or fewer in seven of his 11 starts.

In his last appearance, the right-handed pitcher amassed seven scoreless innings with only two hits allowed. His opponent in that win was the Detroit Tigers, and he faces them again Friday.

It’s possible the veteran hitters will learn from their mistakes, but the cost makes it a worthwhile bet that we see more of the same. 

Mark Canha, 1B/OF, Oakland Athletics ($4,200)

The middle of the year wasn’t great for Mark Canha, but the 26-year-old player is ending his rookie year on a high note. His .309 batting average in August led to a .313 mark so far in September, including a 10-for-24 stretch with three home runs during his current six-game hitting streak.

Playing in a hitter’s park against the Texas Rangers with a struggling Colby Lewis on the mound (11 earned runs and 17 hits allowed in his past two starts), Canha could be in for more success.

Brandon Moss, 1B/OF, St. Louis Cardinals ($3,600)

Although the consistency isn’t always there, Brandon Moss is always a threat to go deep.

Everyone on the St. Louis roster will have a strong chance of posting good numbers against Cincinnati Reds starter Michael Lorenzen, who has fallen apart as of late. After posting a 3.53 ERA in 14 appearances heading into the All-Star break, the youngster has accumulated a 10.43 ERA in seven starts since.

Stacking the lineup with Cardinals is a good plan, but in any case, you should start with a value play like what you can get from Moss.

Jedd Gyorko, 2B/3B, San Diego Padres ($2,800)

The San Diego Padres have been praying for Jedd Gyorko‘s power to return to what it was in his rookie season, and it seems the calls have finally been answered. The third-year player has been on an extra-base tear as of late to go with a consistent approach at the plate. He enters Friday with at least one hit in 12 of his last 13 games.

Even going on the road for a series against the San Francisco Giants shouldn’t stop you from taking advantage of this great value in your lineup.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Thursday’s slate of MLB action features two games in the afternoon and six at night.  Both early and late DraftKings contests contain small fields of available players to choose from.

Sleepers are more difficult to find than usual, especially when it comes to pitchers.  For example, plunking down $11,100 for Felix Hernandez is a much better value than hoping for the best with Jorge De La Rosa at $8,700.

However, there are still a few bargains to be found.  Here are five low-cost options likely to outperform their price tags on September 10.

Afternoon

2B/3B Jedd Gyorko, San Diego Padres ($2,800) vs. Colorado Rockies

In early contests with only four teams’ rosters available, Jedd Gyorko is a must-start.  The Padres infielder has four home runs and nine RBI in his last seven games.  He’s also hit safely in 11 of his past 12 contests. 

As Friar Figures pointed out, Gyorko has put up some big numbers against Colorado this year:

Even more importantly, Gyorko also owns a spectacular track record against De La Rosa—13 hits in 19 at-bats, with six of them going for extra bases.  Gyorko boasts a .684 batting average, a .760 on-base percentage and a 1.105 slugging percentage when facing the Colorado lefty.    

Evening

SP Jaime Garcia, St. Louis Cardinals ($9,900) at Cincinnati Reds

The above video contains highlights of Jaime Garcia’s most recent start, in which he struck out nine Pittsburgh Pirates over seven scoreless innings.

Garcia only has 100 innings pitched in 2015, so his stats don’t qualify among the league leaders.  But if they did, his 1.89 ERA and 0.95 WHIP would rank second-best and fourth-best in baseball, respectively.

The lefty hasn’t allowed more than four earned runs in a game all season, and he’s yielded more than two earned runs on only four occasions.  Since June 1, Garcia has held his opponents to one run or fewer in nine of 13 outings.  The last home run he gave up was back on July 28, eight starts ago.

With an average of 20.1 fantasy points per game and a salary of $9,900, Garcia gives you over two points per $1,000, a better ratio than each of the more expensive arms available.

SP Alfredo Simon, Detroit Tigers ($5,700) at Cleveland Indians

Alfredo Simon is the third-cheapest pitcher on the board, but there’s good reason to believe he can put forth a quality performance.

Simon was outstanding in two of his last four trips to the mound.  He threw a one-hit shutout on August 20 and tossed seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball on September 5.  However, in the two outings in between, he was torched for a combined 14 earned runs in only 9.1 innings.

MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian noted that Simon’s opponent Thursday is a cause for optimism:

The veteran right-hander is also 4-0 in four starts versus the Indians this year.

OF Rajai Davis, Detroit Tigers ($3,000) at Cleveland Indians

Rajai Davis is a part-time player, something that helps keep his cost down.  But if he’s in the Tigers lineup, Davis is a great buy.

The 34-year-old has just seven homers all season but three in his last two games.  In that time, he’s 4-for-9 with five RBI.  Davis also tripled, scored a run and logged an RBI two days earlier, giving him a three-game total of 61 fantasy points.

In addition, Davis has great numbers in his career when facing Indians starter Danny Salazar.  He’s reached base eight times in 17 plate appearances against Salazar with two stolen bases and three runs scored.

SS Andrelton Simmons, Atlanta Braves ($2,800) vs. New York Mets

Andrelton Simmons is 5-for-12 with a double and two RBI in his last three games.  What makes him a bargain, though, are his torrid stats when opposing Bartolo Colon, most notably a .529 career batting average:

So far in 2015, Simmons is 5-for-7 against Colon with two doubles, a triple and four RBI.

Playing at home has also been good for Simmons’ fantasy value this season—he’s averaging 6.4 points per game at Turner Field and only 4.9 per game on the road.  

All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is an MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.

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It’s OK to leave some money on the board in MLB DraftKings contests on Wednesday.

The best players aren’t the most expensive ones on the schedule. In fact, there’s one game in particular that looks like a good bet to produce a fair number of offensive standouts from budget-friendly position players.

Stack the O’s and Yanks

The pitching matchup in this game features a pair of former All-Stars who have seen better days. The Baltimore Orioles’ Ubaldo Jimenez will face the New York Yankees’ C.C. Sabathia. Both men have been inconsistent all season and have ERAs up over four.

Historically, both opposing lineups have swung the bats well against the hurlers. 

The current O’s lineup is hitting .284 against Sabathia, and the Yankees on the 2015 roster have hit .280 against Jimenez. Specifically, DK players should target the Yankees’ Jacoby Ellsbury ($4,200) and Dustin Ackley, ($2,000) and the Orioles’ Nolan Reimold ($2,000) and J.J. Hardy ($2,400).

Ellsbury and Ackley have done major damage to Jimenez in their careers. Combined, they are 13-for-22 against the 31-year-old Dominican. Ellsbury has hit .636 and slugged .909, while Ackley has an average of .545 and a slugging percentage of .818.

While Hardy and Reimold haven’t feasted on Sabathia quite as much as Ellsbury and Ackley have on Jimenez, there’s no question the duo has gotten the better of the Yanks’ big, 35-year-old veteran.

Hardy has hit .323 against Sabathia with a home run and five doubles in 31 at-bats. Reimold hasn’t had a great season in 2015, but that just means he hasn’t faced Sabathia enough. Reimold has hit .367 with two home runs, two doubles, a triple and five RBI in 30 at-bats against Sabathia in his career.

With so many players seemingly in line for big days at the dish, DK players would be wise to draft a lineup stacked with Orioles and Yankees on Wednesday. Check out the list of optimal picks:

Elsewhere

You have to love the Cincinnati Reds’ Brandon Phillips ($4,100) on Wednesday. Phillips has 12 hits in his last 25 at-bats, and he has hit Pittsburgh Pirates starter J.A. Happ very well.

In 14 career at-bats, Phillips is hitting .500 against Happ with three home runs, two doubles, seven RBI and three walks. As mentioned by Cincinnati Reds Zone, Phillips still has wheels to rack up fantasy points on the basepaths as well:

Unless Happ has somehow cracked the code against Phillips, the latter is poised to put up more solid numbers against the Pirates left-hander.

On the mound, there’s another low-cost, high-reward player to consider. The Boston Red Sox’s Joe Kelly ($6,300) has a tough assignment against the explosive Toronto Blue Jays, but Kelly has been awfully good of late.

He has won seven straight decisions and lowered his ERA in each of his last six starts. Per Boston Sports, the win streak matches a club record:

Don’t be scared off by Toronto in this one. Kelly is locked in and should provide six-plus innings of solid work with no more than two runs allowed.

The other pitching slot is one of the most expensive players available on the day. The Houston Astros’ Collin McHugh ($10,800) will take on the Oakland Athletics. He has pitched well against the A’s this season and in his career.

Current A’s hitters are batting just .188 against McHugh, and his ERA is 2.29 against Oakland in two starts so far this season. We didn’t go big in many spots of the lineup, but McHugh should prove to be worth the investment on Wednesday.

DraftKings salaries are listed in parentheses, and per DraftKings.com

Stats per ESPN.com

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Due to Labor Day weekend, MLB‘s Saturday schedule contains more afternoon matchups than usual. DraftKings divides the action into separate slates, allowing gamers to pick their poison.

More of an early riser? Take a look at some of the best values over the six afternoon games. Rather sleep in or watch college football during the afternoon? Fine, scroll past the early bargains for evening discounts.

Want to play both? Cool. Either way, both slates feature high-priced aces (Jake Arrieta and David Price early, Felix Hernandez and Danny Salazar later) worth a look. Anyone building around those expensive studs will need to pinch pennies elsewhere, and these guys will greatly help the cause.

Afternoon

SP Nathan Eovaldi ($7,300), New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays

On one hand, Nathan Eovaldi is the world’s luckiest pitcher, sporting a meaningless 14-2 record despite his 4.12 ERA. Then again, the New York Yankees righty also carries a superb 3.43 fielding independent pitching (FIP), more aptly represented by a 3.32 ERA over his past 13 starts.

Several daily players probably turned his way against the Atlanta Braves, and he betrayed that trust by surrendering five runs. But before abandoning the hard-thrower, he is finally generating some whiffs, striking out 22 batters through his last three outings.

He’ll get another crack at conquering an easy opponent, as the Tampa Bay Rays place No. 25 in weighted on-base average (wOBA) against righties. Oddly enough, Eovaldi has shined inside Yankee Stadium, posting a 3.08 ERA and .283 wOBA at home. He’s the best mid-tier starter to pair with Arrieta or Price.

Stack: Philadelphia Phillies at Boston Red Sox (LHP Wade Miley)

Heading into their joust with Wade Miley, the Philadelphia Phillies have a dirt-cheap trio of sluggers who have torched lefties in small sample sizes:

Cameron Rupp has at least garnered some attention for clubbing seven homers since the All-Star break, but he’s still affordable given the recent power barrage. A .942 OPS hasn’t, however, drawn much notice to Andres Blanco. 

Darin Ruf is the purest platoon play, which is why he’s a near minimum-price option at $2,200. Possessing a 4.57 ERA and .784 OPS against righties, Miley is a vulnerable target these hot Phillies can rough up on the road.

OF Chris Young ($2,700), New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are turning back to Matt Moore, who issued a 8.78 ERA in six starts before getting demoted. Chris Young, registering a .600 slugging percentage against lefties, will gladly welcome back the southpaw at Yankee Stadium.

Despite falling back to earth in August, the outfielder is too cheap to not target with a matchup firmly in his favor. 

Evening

SP Derek Holland ($7,200), Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels

The Los Angeles Angels used to be good, right? Even after scoring 20 runs in a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics, a once-dangerous offense has been one of baseball’s worst over the last 30 days. 

They’ve also struggled against lefties all year, ranking No. 27 in wOBA. What great timing for Derek Holland, who is coming off a complete-game shutout against the Baltimore Orioles. ESPN Stats & Info noted the rarity of his gem:

In three starts since returning from the disabled list, the Texas Rangers southpaw has collected 20 strikeouts to one walk. Coming off the best start of his career, Holland is worth a roll of the dice on the road at $7,200.

Stack: Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels (RHP Jered Weaver)

Since June 1, Jered Weaver has relinquished 39 runs and nine homers through 58 innings. Lefties are slugging .502 against the deteriorating Angels veteran, but Texas sluggers remain cheap:

After missing five games with an injured finger, Rougned Odor returned to the lineup Monday. That’s more than enough time to remember the second baseman is hitting .323 with 10 homers since getting called back up June 15. 

Mitch Moreland offers a .875 OPS against righties, and Shin-Soo Choo doesn’t trail far behind at .874. These guys would all warrant price tags north of $4,500 at home, so take the considerable discounts away from Arlington.

If he starts, rookie bopper Joey Gallo is also a low-risk tournament gamble at $2,800. He has racked up an astronomical 48 strikeouts in 105 plate appearances, but when he makes contact, it’s solid (51.1 hard-hit percentage). 

1B Justin Morneau ($3,600) and/or 1B/OF Ben Paulsen ($3,400) Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants

For cheap Coors Field exposure, check the Colorado Rockies’ lineup to see which left-handed first baseman starts against Jake Peavy. Whether it’s Ben Paulsen or the returning Justin Morneau, there’s great value to attain.

Replacing Morneau, who’s been out since May with a concussion, Paulsen has posted an .851 OPS at home and .837 OPS against righties. When both factors align, it’s his time to shine.

Those days, however, could be over with the former MVP playing Friday night. Before getting sidelined, the 34-year-old was hitting .390/.419/.610 at Coors a year after utilizing the hitter’s park to a .327/.363/.515 slash line. Colorado may not play him in back-to-back games so soon, so keep an eye out for the lineup card. 

If the Rockies stick Paulsen in left field for the second straight night, go ahead and play both.

Note: All advanced statistics are courtesy of FanGraphs. Prices obtained from DraftKings.com.

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Even if you have been playing daily fantasy baseball all season long, there are still new players who can surprise you with big-time efforts. This is especially true in September with young studs getting their first glimpses of the majors.

Here is a look at the top options for September 4 with players who might have been a bit off the radar to this point.

Luis Severino, SP, New York Yankees ($9,400)

Although he has only made five career starts for the New York Yankees, Luis Severino has been a model of consistency. He has yet to allow more than three earned runs in a single game, and he has reached at least 20 fantasy points on DraftKings in four of his five appearances.

Even with a recent surge, the Tampa Bay Rays are still near the bottom of the league in runs scored this season. This represents a great matchup for Severino to try to improve his already outstanding 2.17 ERA.

J.A. Happ, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates ($6,600)

He’s not a new name, but he is probably someone you have rarely considered to be a quality fantasy option this season. J.A. Happ is 7-7 with a 4.10 ERA this season, but most of the struggles came in 21 games with the Seattle Mariners. In five starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the lefty has excelled to the tune of a 1.98 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 27.1 innings.

Over his last three starts, the pitcher has allowed only a single run and 11 total hits.

While the St. Louis Cardinals are ordinarily an intimidating matchup, they only have a .237 batting average as a team against left-handed pitchers (compared to .264 against righties). With players like Jason Heyward, Matt Carpenter and Kolten Wong effectively neutralized, Happ can put together another quality outing.

Franklin Gutierrez, OF, Seattle Mariners ($4,500)

At the age of 32, Franklin Gutierrez is in the midst of one of the best stretches of his career. Injuries have limited the outfielder to just 44 games this season, but since the All-Star break, he has 10 home runs with a .323 batting average. His OPS of 1.092 in this stretch ranks fourth in the majors among players with at least 100 plate appearances.

Although he is starting to get pricey on DraftKings, his recent production more than justifies the cost.

Ryan Goins, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays ($2,900)

It seems that any player the Toronto Blue Jays put in their lineup ends up hitting. Ryan Goins is the latest example, as the 27-year-old utility player has been on a tear in recent weeks.

He is currently in the midst of a 12-game hitting streak, which includes a walk-off home run earlier in the week. Considering how many opportunities for runs and RBI this lineup provides, Goins is a great cheap option for Friday’s contests.

Jason Bourgeois, OF, Cincinnati Reds ($2,500)

The Cincinnati Reds have been awful this season, but there is fantasy value in hitting leadoff in front of Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Todd Frazier. That’s where Jason Bourgeois finds himself as of late as the team’s newest full-time center fielder.

Since getting regular work in mid-August, Bourgeois has raised his average from .175 to .260 entering Friday. This includes three multihit games in his last five starts.

Against Milwaukee Brewers starter Matt Garza, who has allowed 19 combined earned runs in his last three outings, the journeyman outfielder has a chance to be productive.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Wednesday’s plethora of MLB games allows DraftKings participants to make the most out of low-value offensive options. Pitching aces such as Max Scherzer, Matt Harvey and Clayton Kershaw are a few of the upper-tier pitchers set to take the mound on Wednesday.

With a focus set on bargain positional players in order to make room for high-quality pitching options, here are the best DraftKings fantasy baseball picks for Wednesday.

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The key to success in daily fantasy baseball is fielding a lineup with the right mix of high-priced talent and low-budget players who may outperform their expectations.  Tuesday night’s MLB schedule has all 30 teams in action, allowing for a wide variety of options to choose from in DraftKings contests.

Below are the top three names at each position, as well as five bargain picks to help fill out your roster.

Value Picks

SP Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers ($9,700) at Kansas City Royals

Justin Verlander is cheaper than five other starting pitchers, but lately he’s looked a lot like the player who won both a Cy Young and an MVP in 2011.  The above video features highlights of Verlander’s most recent start, in which he took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before finishing with a one-hit shutout.

Verlander has allowed one earned run or fewer in six of his past seven games.  Spanning his last four appearances, he’s surrendered just one earned run in 29 innings, while striking out 31 batters and lowering his season ERA from 5.05 to 3.45.

The Tigers righty is also averaging 28.3 fantasy points per game over his past six outings.

SS Didi Gregorius, New York Yankees ($3,300) at Boston Red Sox

Didi Gregorius has hit safely in five straight games, while driving in at least one run in each contest.  He’s a ridiculous 13-for-21 during the stretch, with two homers, four runs and 11 RBI.  Not only that, but after starting the evening 4-for-4 in a loss in Boston Monday, Gregorius narrowly missed a go-ahead grand slam while flying out on the game’s final at-bat. 

WNYT’s Mike Gwizdala pointed out how close it was:

There are 15 shortstops with higher salaries than Gregorius’ on Tuesday, but he’ll take the field hotter than any of them.

C Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals ($3,200) vs. Detroit Tigers

Salvador Perez owns a four-game hitting streak, with a run scored in three of his last four contests.  However, that modicum of recent success pales in comparison to what he’s done in his career against Verlander.  Perez has 18 hits in 38 at-bats when facing the Detroit veteran.

In their only previous matchup this season, Perez went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBI on August 4.

With a price tag of just $3,200, Perez comes cheaper than 16 other catchers.

2B Scooter Gennett, Milwaukee Brewers ($3,000) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

The 25-year-old second baseman has seven hits and six runs in his last five games.  On Saturday, Scooter Gennett went 4-for-5 with three RBI.  As Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted, the four hits equaled Gennett‘s career best:

It’s likely a wise move to stay away from most Brewers hitters versus Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole, but Gennett has actually fared quite well against him, notching seven hits in 14 career at-bats.

The left-handed-hitting Gennett was out of the lineup Sunday when the Brewers took on a lefty starter, but he should be back Tuesday for the right-handed Cole.

SS/OF Eduardo Escobar, Minnesota Twins ($2,900) vs. Chicago White Sox

Eduardo Escobar is a career .267 hitter when facing Chris Sale—while that’s not a reason to play him, it doesn’t mean Escobar needs to be avoided, either.

The Twins utility man has scored a run in nine straight contests, slugging .853 in that time with nine extra-base hits.

Among a relatively weak field of shortstops, Escobar represents a much better value than several of the pricier choices available.  He can also fill your last outfield spot if you’re running low on cash.

All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is an MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.

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