Fantasy Baseball Picks, May 9, Top 4 Bargain Bats
DFS Fantasy Baseball value picks on Monday's nine-game MLB slate at DraftKings
After taking a break for the weekend from my bargain bats, I’m back and ready to get back on the search for the best cheap DFS fantasy baseball options to provide premium production at a small salary. To start a new work week, we get a nice nine-game slate that looks to be clear of any weather issues, which will be a nice change after a very soggy weekend that resulted in multiple cancelations. The action does start a little earlier than normal since the main contest includes the two games that start just after 6:30 p.m. ET.
I previewed the entire slate on DraftKings Playbook, where I also have a new athlete profile scheduled to debut today, with another one on tap later this week. Each day in this post, I try to focus on the cheapest bats that are expected to be in lineups and can be used at a very low salary enabling you to spend up for the stars you want as your ace starting pitchers or expensive sluggers. If you want these picks delivered to you daily, subscribe below, and thank you for sharing this post to keep the Fantasy 4 fam growing.
There are some very attractive matchups to attack on this slate, and these are the four bargain bats I like the most coming into the day. If weather, matchups or batting orders force me to shift these picks, I’ll tweet out the adjustments on Twitter @ZT_Sports, where I’ll be hanging out most of the day and am happy to take any questions or feedback you have as well.
OF Manuel Margot, Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Angels, $2,900
Margot is off to the best start of his career and producing great fantasy numbers from the middle of the Rays’ batting order. I highlighted his recent rampage in my Playbook preview along with a couple of other values that I also think are strong plays. I won’t duplicate them all here, but Margot is too hot to overlook at under $3K.
He’s hitting .325 on the season with three home runs, three stolen bases and a .390 wOBA. He has really picked things up since the calendar flipped to May, and he comes into the day with an eight-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 13-for-28 (.464) with all three of those home runs and a .610 wOBA. Margot and the Rays continue their West Coast trip with a matchup against Noah Syndergaard ($7,900) as they stop for a series against the Angels. Margot has double-digit DKFP in seven straight contests and will try to keep rolling on the road.
OF Alek Thomas, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Miami Marlins, $2,000
If you want an even cheaper option in the outfield, Thomas is available at the minimum but still brings plenty of upside. The 22-year-old lefty is one of the top prospects in the Majors, randed No. 18 by MLB Pipeline coming into the season. He went 1-for-3 with a double and 7.0 DKFP in his debut on Sunday while batting eighth. Thomas will likely continue to get plenty of playing time and a chance to establish himself as ready to stay at the Major League level.
He split last season between Double-A and Triple-A, hitting .313 with 29 doubles, 12 triples and 18 home runs while adding 13 stolen bases. He didn’t have a great Spring Training but hit .277 with four homers and three stolen bases i his 24 games in Triple-A. He gets a very favorable matchup against Elieser Hernández ($8,500), who has struggled against lefties, so get Thomas in one of your OF spots to enable spending elsewhere and still getting good potential from the prospect with a high ceiling.
3B Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies at Seattle Mariners, $3,400
Bohm had a rocky start to the season with the Phillies’ fans, but they seem to have forgiven him and moved on, which makes sense since he has been so productive. The 25-year-old who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft has earned his way into a regular role as the second hitter in the order and has gone 7-for-22 (.318) with two doubles, a .322 wOBA since moving up to a premium position.
On the year, the young right-hander is hitting .312 with a .351 wOBA and a pair of home runs. He is a contact-first option that only flashes power at times, but he is in a great spot near the top of the order in a Phillies’ batting order that has been pretty solid lately and gets a good matchup against Chris Flexen ($5,300) and the Mariners as they start their road trip.
2B Leury GarcÃa, Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians, $3,000
The White Sox are just getting back from their road trip as they host the Guardians to open the week. GarcÃa is hitting a pretty gross .182 on the year with two homers and one stolen base, but he has been doing much better lately while helping to fill in for multiple White Sox injuries. He has hit safely in five straight starts, going 7-for-19 with apair of doubles, a home run and a .417 wOBA.
GarcÃa is 5-for-15 with a double against Cleveland’s starter Zach Plesac ($7,700), and he’s a solid low-cost option at 2B that still offers decent production after averaging 10.2 DKFP per game over his five most recent starts. I also always prefer cheap plays from productive lineups like the White Sox, making GarcÃa an option to consider.
I’ll update these picks if needed as batting orders are released and situations change. I will be at Little League practice but should be able to at least hit Twitter to give an update @ZT_Sports (reception is best along the 1B line).
Have a great start to the week and good luck this Monday!