This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Welcome to my Daily Plays article for Tuesday August 25, 2015. There are plenty of solid pitching options to choose from, but not too many weak pitchers to pick on. Let's focus on some hitters that have both upside and are reasonably priced. Let's get onto the picks.
Pitcher
Stephen Strasburg, $10,000 - Strasburg has the best matchup of all the expensive pitchers, and is the only one pitching at home. He faces the Padres, who have struggled all year against right-handed pitching, and are amongst the league leaders in striking out. Strasburg has been very sharp since returning from injury in early August, posting three consecutive strong outings, including a gem in Coors Field. He has allowed just three earned runs in those three starts, while striking out 25 batters in 20 innings. When he is on his game, he can be dominant, and has double-digit strike out potential. He has also pitched much better at home, with an ERA nearly two runs lower at Nationals Park than it is on the road. Strasburg has the best matchup, and the most upside of anyone pitching on Tuesday, making him the top choice at pitcher on FanDuel.
Josh Tomlin, $5,700 - There are two interesting cheap options at pitcher, with Tomlin getting the slight edge based on his opponent, the Brewers. John Lamb, $5,100, is the other bargain-priced pitcher with a strong strike out rate, but he faces the Dodgers who are a much tougher opponent than the Brewers. Tomlin has pitched very well since being called up, allowing just three earned runs in two road starts, with 11 strike outs in 13 innings. The Brewers have struggled mightily in 2015, especially on the road, and do not strike fear in opposing pitchers anymore. Tomlin is in a great spot, pitching at home against a weak opponent, making him an excellent choice at his current price tag.
Catcher
Miguel Montero, $2,800 - Montero has been red hot at the plate over the past week, and has found his power stroke as well, with an extra-base hit in five straight starts. Montero got the day off on Monday, so he should be back in the lineup for Tuesday's matchup with the struggling Matt Cain. Montero is batting .421 over the past week, with six extra-base hits, and should have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs batting sixth in the streaking Cubs lineup. His price tag has not caught up to his production yet, so fire him up at catcher while he's still affordable.
First Base
Freddie Freeman, $3,200 - Freeman has been out of the Braves lineup due to injury for much of 2015, but when he has been in the lineup he has hit. Freeman had hits in four straight starts entering Monday night's action, and his price tag on FanDuel is at a very affordable level. He also has a dream matchup with Chad Bettis of the Rockies, who has a 4.88 ERA, and hasn't pitched in over a month. Freeman is batting .301 at home in 2015, and has hit thirteen of his fourteen home runs off of right-handed pitchers. He makes a great value play at his current salary, so get him in your lineup.
Second Base
Jason Kipnis, $3,200 - Kipnis is another great hitter that has recently returned from injury and has a depressed salary. This will be his first game back home in Cleveland since his return to the lineup, and he is batting .376 at Progressive Field in 2015. He also loves facing right-handed pitchers, batting .357 and slugging .515 against them. He has a rare combination of power and speed for a middle infielder, and a great matchup facing Wily Peralta of the Brewers, who struggles with left-handed hitters. Kipnis has big time upside at a depressed price tag, so take advantage of his current salary and get him in your lineup.
Third Base
Todd Frazier, $2,800 - Frazier has been in a slump since the All-Star break, and his salary has decreased significantly as a result. He has shown some signs of life in the past few games, notching three doubles in the past week, and has a nice matchup facing Alex Wood of the Dodgers. Wood is a solid pitcher, but Frazier is at his best when he faces a left-handed pitcher at home in Great American Park. Frazier has 13 home runs in 120 at-bats against southpaws, and is batting .291 at home (compared to .233 on the road). He has multi-home run upside, along with speed (11 stolen bases), making him an excellent value play at third base for under $3k.
Shortstop
Jhonny Peralta, $2,400 - Peralta is curiously priced near the bare-minimum on FanDuel, and has a great matchup in a hitter's ballpark. He is one of the few shortstops with power, he bats in the heart of the Cardinals lineup, and he has been productive in 2015 (.285 batting average, 16 home runs). Peralta also has a great matchup, as he faces left-hander Robbie Ray, who has struggled in his past few starts. Peralta has nine home runs in 127 at-bats against left-handed pitching, good for a .504 slugging percentage. Lock in Peralta at shortstop, a bargain at his near-minimum salary.
Outfield
J.D. Martinez, $3,400 - Martinez is another power hitter with a curiously low salary in relation to his production. Martinez has hit 33 home runs in 2015, has a .288 batting average, and has driven in 84 runs. He should be priced closer to other stud outfielders like Nelson Cruz and Jose Bautista, but he is a fraction of their cost. He also is a better hitter against right-handed pitching (.294 batting average, 26 home runs), as well as a better hitter at home (.927 OPS at home, .866 on the road). He faces Jered Weaver, who has pitched well since returning from injury, but Weaver has always pitched better at home in Anaheim, and this game is being played in Detroit. Martinez has multi-home run upside, and is an excellent value play in the outfield.
Avisail Garcia, $2,900 - Garcia is hot right now, with hits in seven of his past eight games (four multi-hit games in that stretch). He has moved up to the heart of the White Sox batting order, and has a strong matchup facing Wade Miley at home in U.S. Cellular Field. Garcia is batting .292 against left-handed pitching, and has hit eight of his eleven home runs at home. He also has four home runs in August. Miley gave up seven earned runs last month when he faced the White Sox, so the matchup is ripe for a big night.
Michael Conforto, $2,700 - the Mets have been tearing the cover off the ball in the past week, and they have another juicy matchup facing Jerome Williams in Citizens Bank Park. Conforto has an extra base hit in each of his past three games, and is slugging an impressive .509 versus right-handed pitching. All of the Mets left-handed bats are in play against Williams, who gave up eight earned runs in his last start, so make sure to get some exposure to their streaking lineup. Conforto is a very talented rookie, with home run power, and an excellent matchup.
