5 Daily Fantasy Baseball Value Plays for 9/5/19

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.

Hanser Alberto, 2B, Baltimore Orioles ($3,000)

As a simple rule, if you see Hanser Alberto is facing a left-handed pitcher, you want him in your lineup. Alberto is now hitting .418 with a 1.007 OPS in 195 plate appearances in the split, and he has established himself as the leadoff hitter when the Orioles face a left handed pitcher.

Tonight, Alberto faces Texas Rangers starter Kolby Allard. Allard has posted mediocre numbers since his call-up, as shown by his 4.33 ERA and a rate of 9.00 strikeouts per nine in 27 innings, but given how long of a sample we have of Alberto dominating lefties, I feel confident having Alberto in my lineups.

Ji-Man Choi, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays ($2,800)

Nate Lowe, 1B, Tampa Bay Rays ($2,500)

Avisail Garcia, OF, Tampa Bay Rays ($3,100)

This is 100% a matchup play, as these three Tampa Bay Rays hitters all have consistently been in the middle of the Rays lineup, and given the matchup tonight, they all represent a pretty big value to me.

The Rays' matchup against Toronto Blue Jays starter Trent Thornton. Since the end of June, Thornton has been absolutely awful. In his last 46 innings, Thornton has allowed a 7.28 ERA, 12 home runs, and a .937 OPS to opposing batters. After flashing strikeout ability in the beginning of the season, that has waned, as well, with a 6.89 strikeouts per nine innings in his post-June stretch.

Thornton has also been dominated by the Rays in his sample against them. Obviously, it’s a small sample, so view it with a grain of salt, but in three games against Tampa this season, Thornton has a 11.12 ERA, 2.56 WHIP, and has allowed six home runs.

Starting with Ji-Man Choi, Choi is a solid play against right-handed pitching. In 337 plate appearances against righties in 2019, Choi has a solid .822 OPS, while showing good plate discipline with a 42-to-70 walk-to-strikeout ratio (BB:K). He’s also consistently stayed in the middle part of the Rays' lineup against righties.

Nate Lowe was just recalled as he ended a spectacular Triple-A season. Lowe had a .929 OPS in the minors with a 72:82 BB:K ratio in 406 plate appearances. Lowe has also hit well in his short run in the majors, posting an .889 OPS in his first 123 MLB plate appearances. His price is so low most nights that when he starts he’s a value, but that's especially true with a great matchup tonight.

The last part of this mini-stack is Avisail Garcia. Garcia is consistently in the meat of the Rays lineup, and while his numbers on the season aren’t great, he’s shown enough ability for me to feel confident that he can take advantage of today’s matchup.

Garrett Cooper, 1B, Miami Marlins ($2,700)

If you want to stay away from a Rays stack or need a cheap option at first base, Garrett Cooper is a great value.

After going through an extended cold stretch, Cooper has shown signs of getting out of it, as he has back-to-back games with a home run and a double, and tonight’s matchup is going to give him a chance to stay hot.

Cooper’s matchup is versus Dario Agrazal. Agrazal continues to look like one of the luckiest pitchers in all of baseball. In 54 innings, Agrazal has a 4.50 ERA and a 6.09 FIP, and he has one of the lowest strikeout rates in all of baseball, at just 4.5 K/9. The way he’s been beat is the long ball as he’s allowed 11 home runs in those 45 innings. I would love a stack against him tonight if there were more Miami Marlins hitters I trust, but with Cooper at his price, he's a great one-off play.

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.