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This article outlines the best daily fantasy MLB plays of the day at every position. We take a comprehensive look to uncover these core recommendations, factoring respective salaries into the analysis.
Please note, these player picks were organized early in the day. For MLB contests, always check lineups and weather closer to game time. Rain, wind, or unexpected managerial decisions could open up additional sources of value. Be sure to keep an eye on the MLB Headlines and Injuries desk.
We’ll focus on the 10-game main slate which excludes the Coors Field game. Some platforms include all 15 games in which case Colorado-based hitters dominate the top plays.
PITCHER
Top Play: Corbin Burnes – Brewers (vs Diamondbacks)
Burnes is a risky play at such stratospheric prices because he only averages 88 pitches a start. Fortunately, he frequently finishes six innings. He’s only once pitched into the seventh. He hasn’t been quite as sharp since returning from the injured list. The Diamondbacks offense is deceptively mid-tier. He still narrowly edges out Trevor Bauer (at Braves) as the top projection. Dylan Cease (vs Tigers) isn’t too far behind them. He’s sort of a random number generator – you never know what you’ll get, even with a very friendly matchup.
Pivot: Dane Dunning – Rangers (vs Rays)
Dunning also has a pitch count issue. He averages 74 pitches an appearance. In five of 11 starts, he failed to finish five innings. He’s also mixed in some gems including five outings that would qualify as a massive ROI on his paltry price tag today. The Rays feature an above average offense, but they also have a 27.3 percent strikeout rate.
Also Consider: Trevor Bauer, Sandy Alcantara, Dylan Cease, Brady Singer, Max Fried
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CATCHER
Top Play: J.T. Realmuto – Phillies (vs Austin Voth)
Unexpectedly, Realmuto has gotten little attention in this column (at least from me). Arguably the top-hitting catcher in the league. Realmuto has dealt with various minor injuries. When playing, he’s managed a fairly typical .287/.397/.457 batting line. Voth is a decent reliever or below average starter. The Nationals are expected to use him for about three to five innings in a bullpen game. Their relief corps isn’t deep.
Pivot: Austin Wynns – Orioles (vs Cal Quantrill)
Wynns might not draw the start. He’s a bat-first backstop with above average plate discipline, an adequate contact rate, and below average pop. He projects as roughly 20 percent below average as a hitter, but that’s still a bargain at his minimum price tag. Camden Yards helps add a sliver of home run potential as does facing an Indians bullpen game. Quantrill will probably last three to four innings.
Also Consider: Yasmani Grandal, Zack Collins, Salvador Perez, Will Smith, Ryan Jeffers
FIRST BASE
Top Play: Rhys Hoskins – Phillies (vs Voth)
Hoskins has adopted a more aggressive approach this season to mixed results. Most importantly, he’s retained his pull-side fly ball-based approach. It’s less extreme this year which means he has fewer wasted plate appearances. Voth is homer prone (career 1.82 HR/9), and he’s working the bottom of the zone this season – Hoskins’ nitro zone.
Pivot: Josh Bell – Nationals (at Vince Velasquez)
Across the aisle, Bell is sputtering along at a decent clip. He flailed early in the year which has kept his cost down through a spell of decent production. Since May 1, he’s batting .270/.318/.500 with six home runs in 107 plate appearances – mostly as the third or fourth hitting in the lineup. Not too shabby for one of the cheapest recognizable hitters. Velasquez remains extremely homer prone (2.04 HR/9).
Also Consider: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Freddie Freeman, Jose Abreu, Alex Kirilloff, Miguel Sano, Paul Goldschmidt, Yuli Guerriel, Nate Lowe
SECOND BASE
Top Play: Jose Altuve – Astros (at Steven Matz)
Altuve is a multi-hit machine backed by a potent lineup. An Astros stack isn’t the top choice today – there are weaker pitchers at friendlier ballparks to exploit. For that reason, a clutch of Astros led by Altuve could be a great play. Matz has produced mixed results – four clunkers and five gems in 11 starts. One of the two leftovers (neither good nor bad) was against the Astros on May 8.
Pivot: Jonathan India – Reds (at John Gant)
Besides 145 Double-A plate appearances in 2019, India skipped the upper minors. He impressed so much in Spring Training that the Reds made room for him by moving Eugenio Suarez to shortstop. After a scalding first week of the season, India slumped to a .107/.239/.196 line over his next 67 plate appearances. Since mid-May, he’s hitting .328/.446/.574 in 74 plate appearances with more walks than strikeouts. It appears he’s made a critical adjustment. He’s also recently taken up residence as the leadoff hitter.
Gant is a neutral matchup. He’s best described as effectively wild, slinging a 1.60 ERA in 50.2 innings despite truly terrible peripherals. One thing he does well is limit home runs.
Also Consider: Jorge Polanco, Jazz Chisholm, Jean Segura, Brandon Lowe, Whit Merrifield, Tommy Edman, Luis Urias
THIRD BASE
Top Play: Jose Ramirez – Indians (at Jorge Lopez)
This is a snap pick, an elite hitter against one of the worst starting pitchers in the league. Lopez has grown in some ways this year, but it’s not enough to counteract his many weaknesses. His ground ball tendencies feed right into Ramirez’s fly ball-oriented swing. He has a one-in-three chance to homer.
Pivot: Brad Miller – Phillies (vs Voth)
Over the years, Voth has performed especially poorly against left-handed hitters, a fact which shouldn’t escape the Phillies as they prepare their lineup. Miller is a solidly above average hitter (career .246/.326/.445 vs RHP) who should fly under the radar. He rates as one of the top combinations of ceiling and value at third base. Besides closer Brad Hand, the Nationals have limited left-handed options in the bullpen – just Sam Clay who’s both below average and running on fumes after pitching four times in six days.
Also Consider: Yoan Moncada, Alex Bregman, Justin Turner, Nolan Arenado, Josh Donaldson, Hunter Dozier, Luis Urias, Starlin Castro, Austin Riley
SHORTSTOP
Top Play: Trea Turner – Nationals (at Velasquez)
With Fernando Tatis Jr. not included in the slate, there was no competition for the top spot. Only Ramirez and a couple outfielders from this game (discussed below) outshine him. The Nationals leadoff man has a one-in-four chance to homer. He also projects as the likeliest to deliver a hit of any kind today which, by extension, marks him as the top multi-hit threat.
Pivot: Willy Adames – Brewers (vs Caleb Smith)
When Adames was traded to the Brewers, part of the talk was about his performance at Tropicana Field. Or more specifically, his lack of performance. The rumor is he can’t see well at his old home field. It’s plausible, I can personally attest that I felt like a half-blind man when playing college games at the Metrodome. Since joining Milwaukee, he’s hitting a robust .271/.364/.500 with three home runs in 55 plate appearances. Much of his success came in a four-hit game. He’s bounced between the top and bottom of the lineup and rates as a bargain if batting second today.
Also Consider: Tim Anderson, Jorge Polanco, Carlos Correa, Bo Bichette, Jazz Chisholm
OUTFIELD
Top Plays: Juan Soto – Nationals (at Velasquez)
Bryce Harper – Phillies (vs Voth)
These are the aforementioned superior outfielders. Soto isn’t quite in a grove, but he’s still performing well including three home runs in his last five games. This Velasquez matchup is maximally juicy. Harper is a bit of a mystery box. Surprisingly, he was activated prior to yesterday’s game. He went 1-for-4 with a stolen base. It’s unclear if he’s actually healed from his wrist injury or simply couldn’t stand to watch from the sidelines any longer. He claims to be 100 percent.
Pivots: A.J. Pollock – Dodgers (at Max Fried)
Khris Davis – Rangers (vs Michael Wacha)
Trevor Larnach – Twins (at Singer)
Pollock remains criminally underpriced for an above average veteran hitter in an elite offense. The matchup against Fried takes some of the value out of the equation. Pollock is still a one-in-five chance to homer with plenty of other ways to provide value. Davis is starting to show signs of awakening. He homered at Coors Field on June 1 and 3. He also set his season-high 110.9-mph exit velocity on May 28. That’s better than anything he managed during his miserable 2019 and 2020 seasons – though still short of his previous benchmarks. Larnach is a patient hard contact machine set to face a good but inconsistent right-hander.
Also Consider: Ronald Acuna, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Schwarber, Eddie Rosario, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Avisail Garcia, Nick Castellanos, Jesse Winker, Jorge Soler, Starling Marte