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-salaried slugger is a lot more common than a total dud from a top-salaried 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-salaried play completely is somewhat unique.

Let's get right into it and take a look at the top value options on today's 12-game main slate, which locks at 7:05 PM Eastern.

Adam Wainwright, SP, St. Louis Cardinals ($7,700)

Even at 39-year-old, Adam Wainwright is still a viable fantasy option. The veteran has dropped at least 49 FanDuel points in four of his last eight starts.

Wainwright has been especially effective at home in recent years. Since 2019, he has a 2.73 ERA in 184.2 innings at Busch Stadium. He's held opposing hitters to an OPS of .677 and a wOBA of .291 during that stretch.

Luckily, the right-hander will benefit from a salivating matchup tonight. In 2021, the Cleveland Indians' 88 wRC+ versus righties ranks ninth-worst in the majors, and their 23.6% strikeout rate in that split is right around league average.

With so many excellent hitters on tonight's slate, spending only $7,700 at pitcher would certainly be a boost for your lineups.

Danny Santana, OF, Boston Red Sox ($2,200)

The second-highest implied run total on tonight's slate belongs to the Boston Red Sox (5.07), according to numberFire's Matchup Heat Map.

Boston will be squaring off against Houston Astros starter Jake Odorizzi. The righty has struggled mightily in 30 innings since the start of 2020, as he has an ERA of 6.90 and has ceded 2.4 homers per nine innings during that stretch. While his peripherals this season (4.45 SIERA, 4.59 xFIP) aren't as bad, he's unlikely to start seeing some correct at Fenway Park. FantasyPros, Fenway ranks as the third-friendliest park for hitters this season in terms of runs.

Danny Santana only has two hits in his last 27 at-bats, but he is batting leadoff tonight, and perhaps getting two days off allowed him to recharge his batteries. The switch-hitter has a .236 ISO against righties since 2019.

Albert Pujols, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers ($2,800)

At 5.03, the Los Angeles Dodgers' implied run total is not far behind Boston's as they take on Pittsburgh Pirates southpaw Tyler Anderson.

Through 61.2 innings this season, Anderson has racked up a 4.67 ERA while surrendering 1.46 dongs per nine innings.

Nine of the 10 homers Anderson has allowed this season have been to right-handed hitters, and that's where Albert Pujols comes in.

The future Hall of Famer has raked against lefties in 2021, which is likely why he's batting cleanup for Los Angeles tonight. In 58 plate appearances with the platoon advantage this campaign, Pujols has slugged 6 homers and driven in 15. The 41-year-old also sports a .364 ISO, 1.018 OPS, and 178 wRC+ in that split.

Jonathan India, 2B/3B, Cincinnati Reds ($2,900)

The highest implied run total on the slate belongs to the Cincinnati Reds, who are currently sitting at 5.19.

Cincy will be matched up with Brett Anderson, who hasn't exactly been stellar this season. Through nine starts, the Milwaukee Brewers left-hander has pitched to the tune of a 4.42 ERA, though his 4.89 SIERA and 8.58 xERA imply that his numbers could be a lot worse. Anderson's managed a mere 12.7% strikeout rate this campaign, and he is giving up an ugly 1.72 dingers per nine frames.

For the third consecutive game, rookie Jonathan India is hitting leadoff for the Reds, and he'll look to stay hot at the plate. Over his last 22 games, India has gotten on base at a .439 clip while posting a higher walk rate (14.6%) than strikeout rate (13.4%). During that stretch, the 24-year-old has amassed 4 homers, 10 RBI, 10 runs scored, and 3 swiped bags. He's been even hotter in his last 11 games, with a 1.170 OPS spanning 40 plate appearances.