Fantasy Baseball Picks, May 15, Top 4 Bargain Bats
DFS Fantasy Baseball value picks for Saturday's eight-game MLB slate at DraftKings
The new “typical” Major League Baseball Sunday schedule includes an 11:35 a.m. ET start on Peacock, while most of the games start two hours later around 1:35 p.m. ET. Today, there are eight games that get going between 1:35 p.m. ET and 2:10 p.m. ET, providing the main slate for DraftKings. There are several interesting matchups to consider as the series come to a close, and if you need help finding the top value hitters, check out my four best bargain bats below.
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I did preview the full Sunday afternoon slate on DraftKings Playbook, so you can find my thoughts on pitchers, expensive hitters and top stacks in that post. Here, we’ll focus on the cheap bats set to make an impact.
SS Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins vs. Cleveland Guardians, $2,300
Lewis has been a go-to option for me since he was called up from Triple-A to fill in for Carlos Correa (finger), and the 22-year-old is making a strong case to stick in the Majors. In his eight games, he has gone 9-for-29 (.310) with a home run and four RBI. He has a .348 wOBA and a 40.0% hard-hit rate while averaging 6.7 DKFP per contest.
He has hit safely in seven of his eight games and has found ways to get involved even though he typically hits ninth. As I mentioned on Playbook, I actually like the stack of him and Byron Buxton ($5,900) if Lewis is batting ninth followed by Buxton in the leadoff spot. He’s still so cheap and comes loaded with both long-term and short-term potential (which is really what matters for DFS).
1B Garrett Cooper, Miami Marlins vs. Milwaukee Brewers, $2,700
Cooper and the Marlins are a little bit of a sneaky stack option since Brandon Woodruff ($9,000) has been knocked around a little bit this year, allowing 20 runs in 28 2/3 innings including four home runs. He has let righties like Cooper post a .355 wOBA, so it looks like a good spot to target Cooper, who has been batting cleanup on a regular basis lately with a couple of games in the second or third spot as well.
He had a four-game hitting streak come to an end yesterday but has still hit safely in seven of his past nine games while going 9-for-36 (.273) with three doubles and a home run. On the season, he’s hitting .255 with two home runs which gives him a .331 wOBA. Both those home runs came against righties like Woodruff, who he has a .350 WOBA against.
OF Jose Siri, Houston Astros at Washington Nationals, $2,300
Siri was the value hero of the day on Saturday, producing 29 DKFP while costing just $2,400. It was his second straight start with double-digit DKFP after putting up 10 DKFP on Wednesday in Minnesota. On Saturday, his performance got a boost from hitting in the leadoff spot, but he’ll likely return to his typical spot lower in the order with José Altuve ($5,000) expected to return.
I still like Siri at this price, though, even batting later in the order. He has gone 6-for-21 (.286) in his six games this month with a triple and a home run. The speedster isn’t stealing many bases right now, but he brings excellent defense, which keeps him in a potent lineup in what should be a good matchup against Patrick Corbin ($5,400). Last season, Siri had good numbers against lefties in a small sample size, so don’t let this year’s struggles in a similarly small sample size scare you off. He brings a lot of potential for a player with a salary under $2,500.
OF Franmil Reyes, Cleveland Guardians at Minnesota Twins, $3,100
I don’t love the matchup for Reyes against Joe Ryan ($8,400), who has been excellent this season, but I do love the upside he brings at this salary, and he has been swinging a hot bat. Reyes has long been one of my favorite players to take a shot on at a cheap salary because he brings so much raw power potential.
In his third full season with the Guardians, Reyes has started the year hitting just .214 with three homers over his first 28 games. However, he has turned things around since the calendar turned to May, going 14-for-38 (.368) with a double, a home run and six RBI. He has a .411 wOBA and 66.7% hard-hit rate over that stretch, so he’s starting to find a nice groove. When he’s locked in, Reyes brings a high ceiling, so he’s worth taking a shot on if you’re looking to swing for the fences with an OF around $3K.
As usual, I’ll update these picks on Twitter @ZT_Sports if weather or lineups make a pivot necessary. I’d also welcome any feedback or input you have in the comments below or on Twitter.
Have a great Sunday and good luck!