This article is part of our The Daily Duel series.
This column will focus on players who are strong value plays in FanDuel's salary cap contests. Typically, I'll try to cover a player or two at each position each week of the season. Remember, a value here could be a minimum-priced player ($2,200) or a higher-priced option who is still undervalued based on his expected production.
Catcher
Jonathan Lucroy, $2,900 – With the catcher's position, the strategy seems to be taking the plunge and paying up for Victor Martinez or Buster Posey or finding a cheaper alternative. Lucroy's price is depressed for reasons unknown, as he's a .300 hitter on the season and boasts a .987 OPS over the last week. His strikeout-to-walk ratio (67:55) is outstanding, and his 50 doubles lead the league and are double what he had last season (25). Lucroy is a steal at this price and has historically torched southpaws.
First Base
Matt Adams, $2,700 – A look at Adams' numbers over the last month will reveal nothing special, as evidenced by his .678 OPS. However, he's started to heat up this week, smacking two home runs and two doubles with seven RBI. Despite playing in a pitcher's park, Adams has always hit better in St. Louis than on the road. That's exactly where he'll be this weekend as the Cardinals welcome the Rockies to Busch Stadium.
Second Base
Ben Zobrist, $2,900 – Zobrist recently reached the 1,000-hit mark and has a .417 OBP over the last week, including a four-walk game against the Orioles. Zobrist also has multi-hit games in three of his last seven and has been elevated to the leadoff spot. The move to the top of the lineup won't hurt, as he should see a few extra at-bats for the remainder of the season.
Third Base
Kyle Seager, $3,200 – Seager always seems to be flying under the radar, playing in a below average offensive lineup and an extreme pitcher's park. He's overcome both of those obstacles again this season, belting a career-best 23 home runs to go with 88 RBI – also a career-high. The key with Seager is using him against right-handed pitching (.882 OPS) and avoiding him against lefties (.699 OPS).
Shortstop
Xander Bogaerts, $2,900 – Bogaerts appears to be figuring out big-league pitching and has been one of the hottest players in the league over the last week. He has multi-hit games in four of his last six and entered Thursday night with a home run in consecutive games. The strikeouts are still a concern (23.4 percent), but Bogaerts appears to have the skill set that made him a top prospect in the Red Sox organization.
Outfield
Ryan Braun, $3,400 – It will be interesting to see if Braun undergoes surgery on his thumb during the offseason or admits it was the cause of his mediocre season. Braun's .794 OPS is on pace to be the worst of his career, but he could be turning things around this late in the season. He hammered a home run against Nathan Eovaldi early in the game Thursday night and is at his lowest price in a quite some time on Fanduel. Considering most elite outfielders are priced around $1,500 more than Braun, he's a bargain at $3,400.
NEWBIES
First Base
Matt Clark, $3,000 – Typically, career-minor-leaguers are ignored in this column, but Clark is an exception. He's hit home runs in consecutive games entering Friday night's contest, and the Brewers need some type of spark to help end their freefall over the last month. At 6-5, 230 pounds, Clark is a big guy who has legitimate power, posting 20-plus home runs at every level of the minor leagues. Use him as a GPP play for the next couple of weeks, hoping he makes a Shane Spencer type of run.
Third Base
Maikel Franco, $3,600 – Franco is the top prospect in the Phillies organization and will get regular playing time for the rest of the season. He hit 31 home runs last season between two levels in the minors and had 16 home runs at Triple-A Lehigh before his promotion to Philadelphia. Perhaps the biggest obstacle for Franco will be adjusting to major league breaking and off-speed pitches. He struck out in his first two at-bats against Francisco Liriano Thursday night and should see his price go down until he shows he can handle high-level pitching.
