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 tiny four-game main slate.
Jameson Taillon, SP, New York Yankees
FanDuel Salary: $8,100
We have a minuscule four-game slate today and one of the games -- the bout between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs -- has some serious weather concerns, so let's just say that we won't be loaded on options. If you don't want to pay up for one of the top guns, Jameson Taillon is quite an enticing play.
Taillon will face a Kansas City Royals squad whose 85 wRC+ against right-handed pitching this season ranks fifth-worst in the majors, per FanGraphs. Kansas City's play hasn't improved recently, as their 82 wRC+ since the start of July is second to only the Texas Rangers for the worst mark in baseball.
Matchup aside, it's worth talking about the right-hander's current form. Over his last eight starts -- a stretch that coincidentally started with a matchup against these very same Royals -- Taillon has amassed a 2.20 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 22.8% rate across 49 innings of work. He has equaled or surpassed 38 FanDuel points five times during that eight-start stretch. Not too shabby.
Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox
FanDuel Salary: $2,000
This one's pretty easy, huh? Luis Robert has been activated ahead of tonight's meeting with the Minnesota Twins, and he'll be at the minimum salary for his first game in over three months.
The 24-year-old outfielder was hitting at a .316 clip through 103 plate appearances prior to his injury, and he has showcased the ability to rack up fantasy points utilizing both power and speed so far in his young career.
The Cleveland Indians will start with southpaw Sam Hentges tonight, which is great news for Robert, who has a .210 ISO and 137 wRC+ in 71 career plate appearances against lefties. Hentges might only toss a couple of innings tonight, but Cleveland's pen isn't one to shy away from unless they get to the late innings with a lead.
Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
FanDuel Salary: $2,900
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. For a majority of the last four seasons, rostering Christian Yelich would've required a chunk of your salary cap well north of $3,500, and now he can be had for less than $3,000.
By his standards, the former MVP has struggled mightily since the start of 2020, but that doesn't render him completely useless from a fantasy perspective. Against right-handed pitching this season, Yelich has gotten on base at a .401 clip, which should be enough to keep him in consideration tonight, especially when taking into account the matchup.
Tonight, the Brewers will travel down the I-94 to take on the Cubs and right-hander Alec Mills. Mills has been mediocre this season, but his recent numbers against opposite-handed hitters leave a lot to be desired.
Since 2019, lefties have tagged Mills for a .896 OPS, .383 wOBA, and 1.8 homers per nine frames. His 5.28 xFIP and 15.7% strikeout percentage in that split don't exactly paint a prettier picture.
Rowdy Tellez, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers
FanDuel Salary: $2,900
If this game looks like it's a go (weather-wise), Rowdy Tellez should join Yelich in any Milwaukee stacks.
We've already noted Mills' struggled against lefties, but Tellez's numbers in a Brewers uniform makes him all the more intriguing.
Since joining the Brewers in an early-July trade, Tellez has garnered a .318 average, .994 OPS, .273 ISO, .412 wOBA, and 157 wRC+. Yeah...that'll play.