The Daily Duel: Flying High Again?

This article is part of our The Daily Duel series.

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. Remember 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

Travis d'Arnaud, $2,700 – The trip to Triple-A Las Vegas proved to be a good move for d'Arnaud, who has turned things around since returning to the Mets. He has six home runs over his last 16 games and his splits suggest he hits southpaws better than righties. D'Arnaud is a nice play the rest of the season with so many catchers hitting the DL, and he'll be a good sleeper in season-long formats next season.

First Base

Chris Davis, $3,000 – I've mentioned Davis a few times in this space over the course of the season due to how inexpensive he is compared to the top-tier first basemen. He may be finally turning the corner after hitting homers in two of his last three games, one of which was off Drew Smyly. Now is the time to take advantage of his low price tag, especially at home against righties.

Second Base

Dustin Pedroia, $3,200 – I'm not sure if it was the trip to Rogers Centre, or if Pedroia is finally coming out of a season-long slump. He's reached base safely in six straight games and went 4-for-14 with three home runs, six RBI and a stolen base over the three-game series with the Jays. That series may just be the confidence he needs to be an elite fantasy second baseman for the stretch run.

Third Base

Todd Frazier, $3,000 – I really didn't think I'd be writing about Frazier too much this season, but he's developed into a basestealer, a rare quality at the position. Frazier already has 22 home runs (a career-high) and stole his 18th base Thursday afternoon. On an interesting note, his batting average has alternated between good and bad over the last four years: .232, .273, .234 and .278. At 28, he's in the prime of his career and the speed element is an added bonus.

Shortstop

Zach Walters, $2,900 – Walters has more than lived up to his reputation as a power hitter, swatting nine home runs in only 98 plate appearances. He's a boom-or-bust play with a 35 percent strikeout rate, but he's shown the ability to crush left-handed pitching. Look for him to DH the rest of the season, but use him only against southpaws.

Outfield

Alex Gordon, $3,400 – Gordon is around the 20th priced outfielder and it's hard to ignore how hot he's been of late. Gordon has a 1.015 OPS over the last two weeks and has seven multi-hit games over his last 13. He's shown his power over his last 11 games with five home runs, and he continues to show better splits against left-handed pitching.

NEWBIES

Shortstop

Carlos Sanchez, $2,800 – Robin Ventura has turned to Sanchez to see if he can fill the void left by the departure of Gordon Beckham. He's only 22, and was putting a nice season together at Triple-A Charlotte with seven home runs and 16 stolen bases. It looks like he'll be in the starting lineup for the White Sox on a regular basis for the rest of the season.

Outfield

Jorge Soler, $2,200 – As with most rookies getting called up, Soler comes in at the rock bottom price you can find on FanDuel. He made an immediate impact with a home run in his first game, and he followed that up with a 2-for-4 performance Thursday with a double. Soler's numbers in the minors were quite staggering; between two levels he had 14 home runs and 20 doubles over only 207 plate appearances. He's struck out three times over his eight plate appearances with the Cubs, but showed good patience in the minors this season with a 29:41 BB:K mark. He's the perfect punt play in the outfield if you decide to spend on top-tier pitching.

Kevin Pillar, $2,300 – I hesitated writing about Pillar considering he has only a .573 OPS in limited time with the Jays this season. However, his minor league numbers here at Triple-A Buffalo tell a different story. Pillar has hit .323 with 10 home runs and 27 stolen bases in the International League, which is known as a pitcher's league. Pillar will likely get this last month to showcase his skills in what could be his last chance with Toronto. His ability to steal bases with the slight chance of some pop makes him an interesting GPP punt play when he starts.