Fantasy Baseball Value Picks Today: Top DraftKings MLB DFS Bargain Plays for July 8

With just a week left before the All-Star break, Major League Baseball has seven games on the schedule on Monday with two early games preceding the five-game main slate on DraftKings. The featured contests will lock at 6:40 p.m. ET when the Tigers host the Guardians. That game is one of three divisional matchups on the slate, including the Twins-White Sox contest, also from the AL Central.

Even with only 10 teams in the player pool, several strong options are available that can help save salary but still bring good upside. My top three plays are all very recent call-ups to the majors, and these rookies are still very underpriced based on their potential upside.

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]

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SP Yilber Diaz, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Atlanta Braves $6,000

The cheap starting pitching options this Monday are all high-risk, but of the bunch, Diaz has the most upside available. The 23-year-old righty will be making his MLB debut and is in a tough matchup against the Braves, but he has shown a lot of upside in the minors this season due to his punchout potential. He started the year in Double-A with the Amarillo Sod Poodles and went 3-5 with a 4.33 ERA. However, he posted an impressive 77 strikeouts in 54 innings. After his promotion to Triple-A Reno, he went 1-3 in four starts for the Aces with a 3.27 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 22 innings. That kind of strikeout upside gives him a high ceiling even though he’s unproven and in a tough matchup. Diaz probably isn’t going to pitch deep into the game, averaging just over five innings per start in the minors, but his 33.2% strikeout rate is enough to make him the best bargain option on the slate. Ryan Feltner ($5,500) and Chris Flexen ($6,500) are much more known quantities, but Diaz’s pure stuff is better and that makes him a better option.

3B Brooks Lee, Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox, $3,000

Lee has been in the MLB for less than a week, but he’s already started to produce solid numbers for the Twins and fantasy players. In his five games, the Twins top prospect is 9-for-19 with a double, a home run and an impressive six RBI. He also owns a .486 wOBA and 222 wRC+. While his numbers have come in an incredibly small sample size, he clearly hasn’t been overmatched. In Triple-A before being called up, the 23-year-old hit .329 with seven homers and a .439 wOBA, and that power appears ready to have translated to the majors. Lee gets a good matchup on Monday against the White Sox and Chris Flexen, who is 2-7 with a 5.08 ERA, 5.18 FIP and 15 homers allowed in 18 games.

2B/OF Angel Martinez, Cleveland Guardians at Detroit Tigers, $2,800

Martinez started the year dealing with a foot contusion and a fractured hamate bone in his hand that landed him on the 60-day IL. He got a quick cup of coffee with the club in late June and then was recalled on July 4. Unlike the Twins, who have batted Lee at the bottom of the order, the Guardians have put the 22-year-old Martinez right into a high-leverage spot, batting second in the lineup in each of the last four games. His on-base skills have been impressive, as he has racked up eight walks and gone 4-for-9 (.444) with two doubles and four runs scored in his four games since being called up. At Triple-A, he hit .316 with five homers, two stolen bases and a .444 wOBA in his 26 games. While he isn’t on a Steven Kwan ($5,800) level yet, batting right after Kwan in front of the heart of the Guardians’ lineup puts Martinez in a great place to produce runs. He can fit at 2B or in the OF, and that added versatility should keep him in plenty of roster builds for as long as he’s priced under $3,000 and batting second in such a productive lineup.

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.