Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up (to the tune of cold hard cash) to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy baseball on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.
Utilizing our projections as a guide and looking at the odds provided at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are some spots where you can find value today in the prop-betting market.
Here are some MLB player prop bets to make tonight.
Please note that betting lines and our game projections may change throughout the day after this article is published. Also, the weather may be an issue in some locations.
C.J. Cron To Hit a Home Run (+285)
Ryan McMahon To Hit a Home Run (+360)
The Colorado Rockies have an elite matchup for some power versus Josiah Gray.
A game at Coors Field is always great for home run props and scoring, which means this is at the top of the list today. Josiah Gray struggles with opposing power hitters, making this the ideal matchup to target.
Last season, Gray allowed a .598 SLG, 3.38 HR/9, 61.8% fly-ball rate, and 30.0% hard-contact rate versus left-handed hitters. Versus righties, he allowed a.412 SLG, 1.60 HR/9, 40.8% fly-ball rate, and 29.6% hard-contact rate. We'd like to see the hard-contact numbers a bit higher to target, but with this type of hitter's park, I'm very willing to roll with this matchup.
For C.J. Cron, he ended last season with a 114 wRC+, .354 wOBA, .209 ISO, 41.1% fly-ball rate, and 31.5% hard-contact rate versus right-handed pitchers. As always, I'm adding Cron To Record an RBI (-120).
Ryan McMahon finished with a 105 wRC+, .340 wOBA, .197 ISO, 32.1% fly-ball rate, and 41.5% hard-contact rate versus right-handed pitchers. I'll add McMahon To Record an RBI (+110) here, too.
Daulton Varsho To Record an RBI (+110)
The Toronto Blue Jays have a solid 4.65 implied run total tonight and are in a good spot for some offense.
They will be going up against Jordan Lyles, who allowed a .500 SLG, .365 wOBA, 4.55 xFIP, 1.75 HR/9, 41.2% fly-ball rate, and 31.5% hard-contact rate versus left-handed hitters last season. Lyles is not a pitcher we need to be worried about, and the offensive potential from the Blue Jays is something we should be looking to capture via player props.
This is where we turn to Daulton Varsho, who finished last season with a 121 wRC+, .345 wOBA, .244 ISO, 46.0% fly-ball rate, and 37.4% hard-contact rate versus right-handed pitchers. This is among the ideal matchup for Varsho, who is hitting in the three-hole for the Blue Jays today, putting him in a great spot to drive in a run.