Fantasy Baseball Picks, May 4, Top 4 Bargain Bats
DFS Fantasy Baseball bargain hitters for Wednesday's 7-game MLB slate at DraftKings
The MLB has brought balance to the split schedule this Wednesday with six games in the afternoon window and seven games taking place under the lights. While I can’t cofirm whether the balance is in honor of Star Wars Day of not, I can say it’s a great day to get in a doubleheader if you want to build a lineup for both sets of contests. For this post, I’ll be foucusing on the later slate that starts at 7:05 p.m. ET. Weather could be a factor in several spots tonight, so keep a close eye on the situations in Baltimore, Boston and Colorado. None look like must-avoid spots coming into the day, but each has some weather risk, so you’ll want to double-check the forecast before first pitch.
Yesterday, I had to unforutnately pre-empt by daily picks due to other unexpected obligations, but I’m back with my 4 best bargain bats today. My goal with these picks is to give you solid low-cost plays that can help you build your lineups around the bigger bats you believe in for the ideal blend of elite production and some low-cost surprises. They often come with more risk than more expensive plays, but hopefully, some of these picks deliver big returns at low cost this Wednesday. To keep up with these picks and other Fantasy 4 content, click subscribe below or follow @ZT_Sports on Twitter.
I’ll update these picks on Twitter if the weather or the lineups shift available opportunities leading up to the cotest lock time at 7:05 p.m. ET this Wednesday night.
Here are the four bargain bats I like the most coming into the day.
1B Alfonso Rivas, Chicago Cubs vs. Chicago White Sox, $2,700
Rivas seems to be moving into an everyday role with the Cubs, and the 25-year-old has hit leadoff in their two most recent games. While he has only gone 1-for-6 in those two games he has drawn a pair of walks as well, and his on-base skills could make him well-suited for the role despite a lack of stolen base potential.
In his 10 games with the Cubs this season, Rivas is 9-for-24 (.375) after going 7-for-13 (.538) to start the season in Triple-A. He also has a home run and and a double, giving him a decent .167 ISO to go with a strong .447 wOBA. Even in a below-average matchup against Lucas Giolito ($9,500), Rivas makes sense as a bargain play if he’s hitting atop the Cubs’ lineup. The lefty has yet to collect a hit against a lefty this season, but he is a good play in this matchup with a righty.
OF Trevor Larnach, Minnesota Twins at Baltimore Orioles, $2,500
Another young lefty batter with upside on this slate is Larnach, although you will need to closely monitor the weather to be sure this game isn’t impacted. Larnach has played 19 games for Minnesota this season, going 16-for-56 (.286) with eight doubles. All those two-baggers do give him a nice ceiling even though he hasn’t homered yet this year after hitting seven long balls in his first MLB action last season in a span of 79 games.
Larnach has gone 8-for-22 (.364) over his past seven games with five doubles, a .227 ISO and .440 wOBA. After not starting Tuesday against a lefty, he should be back in the lineup for this contest against young Orioles’ starter Kyle Bradish ($5,500).
2B/3B Hanser Alberto, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants, $2,200
Alberto is the only right-handed hitter in my bargain bats for this Wednesday, and he’s stuck in the Majors mainly as a result of his ability to hit against left-handed pitchers. After spending time with the Rangers, Orioles and Royals, he landed with the Dodgers for this season and has been a super-utility player off the bench who often enters the lineup against lefties.
This season, he is 6-for-21 (.286) overall and 4-for-15 (.267) against lefties. In his career, he has hit .331 against southpaws with a .124 ISO and .343 wOBA. While he doesn’t usually hit near the top of the order or offer elite power, he is a very cheap way to get a piece of a productive lineup and even brings a little flexibility with multiple position eligibility.
3B Mike Moustakas, Cincinnati Reds at Milwaukee Brewers, $2,000
In many ways, Moustakas has been a shell of his former self this season, but as a middle-of-the-order bat at the minimum salary, he still does bring upside. He has been limited by injury the past few seasons and is a far cry from the hitter who hit 35 homers in 2019 in his one full season with the Brewers, who he’ll face in this matchup.
Returning to Milwaukee did seem to bring some positive vibes for Moose in the first game of this series, as he went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and 21 DKFP. Those were his first extra-base hits of the season, and he had gone just 7-for-30 (.233) over his previous nine contests. He has been limited by injury again this season, but when he’s healthy, he’s still one of the Reds’ best options. He’ll look to post another strong showing in this matchup with Freddy Peralta ($8,900) in a decent opposite-hand matchup for the veteran lefty.
Good luck on whichever half of the split slate you decide to play this Wednesday. As lineups come out for the early window, I’ll try to highlight some of my favorite cheap plays in those contests on Twitter, so be sure to follow @ZT_Sports, where I’ll also update these picks if necessary before contests lock tonight.
Have a great Wednesday!