This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Welcome to my Daily Plays article for Tuesday August 11, 2015. There are plenty of aces to choose from with strong matchups, such as Madison Bumgarner, Matt Harvey, and Zack Greinke among others. Let's focus on some hitters with affordable price tags to be able to afford those high-priced pitchers. Let's get onto the picks.
Pitcher
Taijuan Walker, $6,900 - Walker has been inconsistent in his rookie year, but has dominated at times, and has been much better at home in Safeco Field. His price tag has decreased to a very affordable level, and he offers big time upside with his strikeout potential. Walker has a 4.20 ERA at home in 2015, and that number is inflated due to his horrid start to the year. He does have a very strong strikeout rate at home (62 strikeouts in 55 innings) and has allowed just a .220 batting average against at Safeco Field (.269 on the road). The Orioles present a difficult test for Walker, but they are not nearly as dangerous on the road, and they are prone to striking out (7th in MLB). Walker has double-digit strikeout potential, making him a very strong play at his currently reduced price tag.
Colin Rea, $3,000 - Rea is making his major league debut for the Padres, and gets the safety net of pitching at home in Petco Park. He is the minimum price on FanDuel for a pitcher, which is incredibly low compared to the other available pitchers. Rea was outstanding in AA (1.08 ERA and .185 batting average allowed), before a brief stint in AAA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He has the stuff be effective, and with the luxury of pitching in Petco Park, he has everything in his favor to be successful. He also faces the struggling Michael Lorenzen, so he might even get some run support from the Padres lineup. Fire up Rea at his bargain-bin salary, and load up on any hitters you want.
Catcher
John Jaso, $2,600 - Jaso leads off for the Rays and he is very good at getting on base. He has a .393 OBP in 2015, and is batting .333 against right-handed pitching. He has a nice matchup against Williams Perez of the Braves, who has been awful since returning from injury. Jaso could get one base a few times, and could score a few runs, giving him a high floor at a very reasonable price tag. Jaso makes an excellent value play at catcher, a position that lacks many appealing options on Tuesday.
First Base
Albert Pujols, $3,400 - Pujols has found new life in 2015, and has hit for power like he did when he was in his prime. Pujols has 30 home runs already in 2015, and with Mike Trout usually on base in front of him, has plenty of opportunities to drive in runs when he comes to the plate. He has a strong matchup as well, facing Carlos Rodon in U.S. Cellular Field, a home run hitting ballpark. Rodon has struggled at home recently, allowing 19 earned runs in his last three starts at home (including three home runs). Pujols has multi-home run upside, and makes a great value play at his current salary.
Second Base
Wilmer Flores, $2,400 - Flores has been very good against left-handed pitching in 2015, and has a nice matchup against Chris Rusin of the Rockies. Flores is batting .288 and slugging .521 against southpaws, and has hit eight of his eleven home runs at home in Citi Field. Rusin has a 4.66 ERA and has given up eleven home runs in twelve starts, so Flores has the upside for home runs at a near-minimum price tag, making him a strong value play at a tough position.
Third Base
Miguel Sano, $2,800 - Sano has crushed right-handed pitching in his rookie season, and has been a much better hitter at home in Target Field. He has been batting fourth or fifth in the Twins lineup, and has big time power. His numbers are very impressive, as he is batting .306 versus right-handers with five home runs in just 72 at-bats. He is also batting .315 and slugging an impressive .630 at Target Field. He gets to face Yovani Gallardo, who has really regressed in the second half, allowing 18 runs in his last four starts. Sano has big time upside, at a very affordable price tag, making him a strong value play at third base.
Shortstop
Jhonny Peralta, $2,600 - Peralta is one of the few shortstops with home run power, and is a steal at his current price tag. He also loves facing left-handed pitching, and has a nice matchup against Jeff Locke and the Pirates. Peralta is slugging .500 against southpaws, including nine home runs in just 118 at-bats. He bats in the heart of the Cardinals lineup, and is an excellent value play under $3k. Don't get cute at shortstop, and lock in Peralta.
Outfield
Rusney Castillo, $2,900 - Castillo has finally shown some flashes of his talent since his recent call up to the Red Sox, and will look to keep it going against the Marlins and left-hander Justin Nicolino. Castillo is batting an impressive .375 against left-handed pitching, and has been leading off for the Red Sox recently. Nicolino has been pitching in the minors primarily in 2015, and does not have overpowering stuff. Castillo has a nice blend of power and speed, and has a very good matchup, making him a great value play with significant upside.
Josh Reddick, $2,500 - Reddick might be a sneaky play on Tuesday due to his reduced price tag and ballpark boost. The A's are playing in Rogers Centre, a home run haven, and will face right hander Drew Hutchison. Hutchison has been very good at home in 2015, but Reddick loves facing right-handed pitching (.311 batting average with 11 home runs) and is a better hitter on the road (8 of his 13 home runs away from home). Batting in the heart of the A's lineup, he offers home run potential at a near-minimum price tag.
Stephen Piscotty, $2,400 - Piscotty is a talented Cardinal hitter that has taken over for the injured Matt Holliday. Piscotty has impressed so far in his rookie campaign, batting .328 so far with a .375 OBP. He has been better against left-handed pitching as well, with a .375 average against them, and faces the mediocre Jeff Locke at home, where he is batting .444. Look for Piscotty to hit his first major league home run on Tuesday, so get him in your lineup at his bargain-bin salary.
