With production being highly variable on a night-to-night basis, daily fantasy baseball plays a bit differently than other sports.

An 0-for-4 dud from a chalky high-priced slugger is a lot more common than a total dud from a top-priced NBA player or even than a stinker from a top quarterback or running back.

That means that it's not uncommon for value plays to end up doing the heavy lifting in carrying your lineup. The fact that they can be the difference between a good and a great lineup isn't much different than other sports, but value plays being able to make up for a whiff on a high-priced play completely is somewhat unique.

Let's get right into it and take a look at the top value options on today's slate.

Josh VanMeter, 1B, Cincinnati Reds ($2,700)

Since Joey Votto was placed on the injured list, Josh VanMeter has been given everyday starts against right-handed pitching. In 136 plate appearances against righties this season, VanMeter has a .877 OPS, compared to just a .548 OPS against lefties.

VanMeter also makes exceptionally hard contact against right-handed pitching. His 53.8% hard-hit rate and 33.3% line-drive rate in the split are both marks that should make us feel great about using him in lineups whenever he’s starting against a right-handed pitcher -- especially when he’s still priced down due to not having consistent playing time.

VanMeter faces Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller tonight. Keller has prospect pedigree but has really struggled in the majors with an 8.86 ERA and 2.02 WHIP in 21 1/3 innings. Keller is not as bad as those numbers say he’s been, but it remains a matchup VanMeter should be able to take advantage of.

J.D. Davis, OF, New York Mets ($2,800)

Speaking of being priced down, J.D. Davis is a great value today at just $2,800. Even after last night’s 0-for-3, Davis is still slashing .374/.423/.626 over his last 111 plate appearances.

Tonight, Davis faces off against Atlanta Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz. Foltynewicz’s biggest problem in 2019 has been the long-ball. After surrendering 17 home runs in 183 innings a season ago, Foltynewicz has given up 19 in just 75 1/3 frames this season. With Davis red-hot and Foltynewicz struggling, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Davis add to that lofty home run total tonight.

Mike Brosseau, 2B, Tampa Bay Rays ($2,300)

In the short side of a platoon with Eric Sogard, Michael Brosseau is always a pretty solid play against left-handed pitching given his cheap price and solid numbers.

His production doesn’t pop off the board, but in 64 plate appearances versus lefties, Brosseau has a .290/.313/.468 slash line with three home runs. It’s been enough to earn him consistent playing time against southpaws, and tonight’s matchup has me wanting him in all of my lineups.

Brosseau faces Baltimore Orioles starter Ty Blach. Blach has never been a very good pitcher across his four-year career, but he seems to have taken a nosedive in 2019. In his 15 2/3 innings this season, Blach has a 12.06 ERA, 10 walks, four home runs allowed, and he has allowed righties to hit for a 1.041 OPS off of him. Yes, that's a small sample, but we can expect this to be a good night for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Brosseau’s opportunity against Blach tonight at one of the cheapest prices on the board makes him a great option if he's in the lineup.

C.J. Cron, 1B, Minnesota Twins ($3,000)

Marwin Gonzalez. OF, Minnesota Twins ($2,800)

I'm putting these two together for tonight because they both have a great chance for a huge night. C.J. Cron and Marwin Gonzalez will likely both be in the back half of the Minnesota Twins' lineup, but both represent a big chance to take advantage of a great matchup.

The Twins will be facing off against Detroit Tigers starter Drew VerHagen. VerHagen has been extremely bad in this year's small sample. Over 29 2/3 innings in the majors, VerHagen has a 6.67 ERA, and he has struggled mightily with his command, walking 16 and holding a 1.820 WHIP.

There’s a chance the Tigers utilize VerHager as an opener, but if that’s the case, it would likely be a bullpen game for Detroit. That would also be helpful for a Twins stack, because since trading away their best relief pitcher, Shane Greene, the Tigers have a 5.18 bullpen ERA with a 5.36 xFIP.

James Kohout is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, James Kohout also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username jt2115. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.