The Daily Duel: FanDuel Value Picks

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Updated on May 28, 2014 11:54AM EST

This column will focus on players that are good values in FanDuel's salary cap contests. Typically, I'll try to cover a player or two at each position every week throughout the season. A value here could be a minimum-priced player ($2,200) or a higher-priced option that is still undervalued based on expected production.

VALUES

Catcher

Dioner Navarro, $2,700 – Navarro was on a lot of sleeper lists to start the season because he's hitting in one of the better offensive lineups and hitter's parks in the game. Last season with the Cubs, he hit a home run in nearlly every 20 plate appearances, and owners hoped that would carry over to this season, but it hasn't yet. Navarro is hitting a respectable .271 and went yard for his second home run Sunday. That gives him three multi-hit performances in his last five games, and he could be finding his power stroke at the plate.

First Base

Mark Reynolds, $2,900 – It's tough to stomach all of the strikeouts, but it's also hard to ignore how many home runs Reynolds has hit over the last six and a half seasons. He has hit at least 21 home runs in each of the last six seasons and is already halfway there (11) this season. Oddly, this season, he has a .980 OPS on the road and only a .445 OPS at home. Reynolds makes for a great tournament play considering he has multi-home run potential every game.

Second Base

Howie Kendrick, $3,200 – I've beaten to death how disappointing the second base position has been this season, but Kendrick has put together a solid campaign. He already has nine stolen bases, which makes up for his lack of home runs (2). His batting average (.379) provides a high floor in the FanDuel format, and he holds a .948 OPS when hitting in the five spot this season.

Third Base

Kyle Seager, $3,000 – Seager has had some mixed results so far, hitting only .246, but he's also hit six home runs with 29 RBI. He's shown some signs of life at the plate of late, hitting .375 over the last week. Seager has never hit lefties well (.504 OPS this season) and should only be considered against righties (.873 OPS this season, and all six of his home runs). Another note on Seager: He is on pace to have a career-best ISO with a .179 mark.

Outfield

A.J. Pollock, $3,700 – Granted, the price here is nothing spectacular, but it's become too hard to ignore what Pollock is doing this season. He has a nice speed/power combo that daily fantasy owners love and is on pace for at least a 15/15 season. He's hitting in a good lineup and ballpark and has a .930 OPS against right-handed pitching. Consider using him whenever he has a nice matchup at home (.918 OPS).

Austin Jackson, $2,800 – Jackson is mired in a slump, hitting only .160 over the last two weeks. The good news is he's 6-for-21 (.285) over his last five games, including one home run. Despite being moved down in the order, Jackson has run a little more this season. He has six stolen bases already and only recorded eight all of last season. His BABIP (.302) is the lowest of his career, and he's lowered his strikeout rate by almost five percent. Look for him to turn the corner sooner rather than later.

NEWBIES

First Base

Adam LaRoche, $3,000 – This is just a friendly reminder that LaRoche is back from the DL and has hit the ground running. He's reached base three times in the two games back since he returned to the lineup, including a home run. LaRoche has a .941 OPS at home and a .971 OPS versus right-handed pitching this season in a limited sample size.

Shortstop

Erisbel Arruebarrena, $2,400 – The Cuban defector doesn't project to have a plus bat but should be capable of providing stellar defense. He was only hitting .208 at Double-A before getting called up and has been a regular in the Dodgers' lineup over the last few games.

Outfield

Oswaldo Arcia, $2,900 – Arcia was recalled from Triple-A Rochester where he posted a .962 OPS in 85 plate appearances. It's a little surprising to me it took this long for him to be recalled considering he hit 14 home runs last season despite only getting 378 plate appearances. Arcia promptly hit a home run Tuesday and should be a regular in the Twins lineup going forward.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Kevin Payne plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: Fanduel: kevinccp, Draft Kings: kevinccp, Yahoo: kevinccp.