This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Welcome to my Daily Plays article for Tuesday June 30, 2015. Monday was an interesting start to the week, as there were no top pitchers on the mound to choose from. There were plenty of games in hitters parks, however, and Tuesday offers a similar schedule. Let's get on to the picks!
Pitcher
Ian Kennedy, $7,400 - Kennedy has pitched very well in his past few starts, and will look to keep it going at home versus the struggling Mariners. Kennedy has a 2.40 ERA in five June starts, and has a strong strikeout rate with 65 strikeouts in 69 innings in 2015. He also gets the benefit of pitching at home in Petco Park, where the Mariners will be without a DH. With all of the big name pitchers costing over $10K, Kennedy provides similar upside with a better matchup, for a fraction of the cost.
Ryan Vogelsong, $6,900 - Vogelsong is another value priced pitcher that has pitched better as the season has progressed. Vogelsong struggled in April, but has been solid ever since, with an ERA under 2.50 and six wins since May 1. He gets the benefit of facing the Marlins without their best player, Giancarlo Stanton, in pitcher friendly Marlins Park. In his previous start against the Marlins in 2015, Vogelsong went seven innings and struck out five batters, allowing only a single run. Vogelsong makes a solid value play based on his salary, matchup, and recent production.
Catcher
Matt Wieters, $3,300 - Wieters got the day off on Monday, so he should be rested and back in the lineup for Tuesday's dream matchup with Colby Lewis. Wieters is batting .342 versus right handed pitching in his small 2015 sample size, but also gets the benefit of hitting at home in Camden Yards. Lewis has been prone to the long ball in his career, and has a 4.59 ERA on the road. The Orioles are one of the top home offenses in baseball, and Wieters bats in the heart of their lineup, making him an excellent value play at his current salary.
First Base
Adrian Gonzalez, $3,100 - Gonzalez' price is simply too cheap to ignore, and he has an ideal matchup versus Rubby De La Rosa in Chase Field. The Dodgers have hit De La Rosa hard in 2015, piling up 14 earned runs and four home runs in 2 starts off of the right-hander. Gonzalez loves facing right-handed pitching as well, with a .309 batting average and 12 of his 13 home runs against them, making him a top value play at any position with his depressed price tag.
Second Base
Rougned Odor, $2,700 - Odor is an excellent play on FanDuel, where his price is still under $3K, and he has a nice matchup in hitter-friendly Camden Yards as well. Odor struggled early on in 2015, but has really produced since returning to the Rangers lineup (.395 batting average in June). Odor has also moved up to the top of the Rangers batting order, and has swiped four bases this month as well, giving him even more upside. Fire him up again at his current salary.
Third Base
Kris Bryant, $3,500 - Bryant is another hitter with big time power that has seen his price tag decrease recently. He has really started to hit left-handers hard, with a .308 batting average and .692 slugging percentage off of them, including four home runs in 39 at-bats. His opponent, Jon Niese has pitched well, but has allowed 10 home runs in 83 innings in 2015, and has a 4.25 ERA at Citi Field. Bryant has multi-homer upside, and at his current salary makes a strong play regardless of position.
Shortstop
Ian Desmond, $2,300 - This choice is primarily based on Desmond's near-minimum salary, but he has also started to swing the bat better recently. Desmond has two home runs in the past week, and is still one of the top hitting shortstops in baseball. His matchup isn't great, as Shelby Miller has pitched well in 2015, but with a lack of appealing options at his position, Desmond offers salary savings and home run upside.
Outfield
Joc Pederson, $3,500 - Pederson is another Dodger worth firing up versus Rubby De La Rosa on Tuesday night. Pederson has hit 16 home runs off of right handed pitching (including one off of De la Rosa earlier in the year) and leads off for the potent Dodgers offense. At his price ytag, he is one of the top value plays available, and has big time upside with his power and run scoring ability. The Dodgers should score plenty of runs on Tuesday, and Pederson will ignite their offense. His teammate Andre Ethier, $2,200, is also in play at the minimum price on FanDuel.
Michael Brantley, $3,100 - Brantley is simply underpriced and bats at the heart of the Indians lineup. Brantley is batting .302 on the road, and has a nice combination of power and speed. He is facing Erasmo Ramirez, who has pitched well in 2015, but is still capable of allowing a lot of runs on any given day. Brantley is hot, with nine hits in his past five games, and is an attractive play at his current price tag.
Shin-Soo Choo, $2,400 - Choo has had an inconsistent 2015 so far, but is a very streaky hitter and his near-minimum price tag makes him very appealing. He bats in front of Prince Fielder in a very potent Rangers lineup, and is very good at getting on base, especially versus right-handed pitching. Choo has a .356 OBP and has hit seven of his eight home runs off of right-handers, including one on Monday night. His matchup is prime, facing Miguel Gonzalez in Camden Yards. Along with Odor above, they make an excellent pair at the top of the Rangers lineup at very inexpensive prices.
