Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: DraftKings Strategy, DFS Rankings for September 8 – Bleacher Report

All 30 MLB teams are in action Tuesday night, allowing DraftKings daily fantasy players a wide array of big names to choose from.  Deciding on a few stars like Clayton Kershaw and Josh Donaldson is the easy part—the challenge lies in filling out the rest of your roster with more affordable options who can still produce.

Below are rankings for the top three players at each position, followed by five low-cost selections likely to outperform their expectations.

Value Picks

SP Michael Wacha, St. Louis Cardinals ($9,900) vs. Chicago Cubs

There are five pitchers with higher price tags than Michael Wacha‘s, but he could well be the best arm going outside of Kershaw.

At 87-50, the Cardinals have the top record in baseball by a large margin.  KSDK’s Dan Buffa noted Wacha is one of the key reasons why:

Pitching MVP for #stlcards is Michael Wacha. Leads team in ERA, WHIP and BAA. Steady.

— Dan Buffa (@buffa82) September 6, 2015

Wacha has given up a total of four earned runs over his past six outings.  He’s lasted at least six innings on each occasion and struck out an average of 5.8 batters per appearance.  The 24-year-old is also putting up 23.1 fantasy points per game during the stretch. 

Through 25 starts this season, Wacha has never failed to pitch at least five innings.

SP Raisel Iglesias, Cincinnati Reds ($8,700) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

The above video features highlights of Raisel Iglesias‘ most recent trip to the mound, in which he struck out 10 batters in seven innings.  It was the rookie’s third outing in a row with double-digit strikeouts, as well as the fourth consecutive time he’s tossed seven full innings.

Iglesias‘ last three fantasy scores are 36.2, 26.2 and 28.2, which make him look exceedingly cheap at under $9,000.  He also owns a streak of seven straight games with at least six innings pitched and no more than three runs allowed.

His run of quality starts began on August 1 with a 4-3 victory in Iglesias‘ only previous matchup against the Pirates.  He struck out five and surrendered just four hits in 6.2 innings to pick up the win. 

3B/SS Jed Lowrie, Houston Astros (3,600) at Oakland A’s

Jed Lowrie has only eight home runs this year but three in his last seven games.  He’s also hit safely and scored at least one run in each of those seven contests.  Lowrie’s numbers during the stretch are outstanding:

Over that time, Lowrie has raised his season batting average from .218 to .255.

On Monday, Lowrie went 1-for-1 in an at-bat as a pinch hitter.  In his previous six games, Lowrie scored an average of 15.2 fantasy points.

OF Melky Cabrera, Chicago White Sox ($3,300) vs. Cleveland Indians

Melky Cabrera saw a modest four-game hitting streak come to an end with an 0-for-4 showing on Monday.  However, Cabrera’s value on Tuesday has everything to do with his past success when facing Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco.  Cabrera has reached base nine times in 17 career plate appearances versus the Cleveland righty:

In their last meeting on July 25, Cabrera went 1-for-2 with an RBI single before Carrasco was lifted from the game.

There are roughly 80 outfielders who cost more than Cabrera does, making him an excellent bargain if he can put a few points on the board.

SS Starlin Castro, Chicago Cubs ($2,700) at St. Louis Cardinals

Like Cabrera, Starlin Castro boasts a favorable pitching matchup.  Castro has eight hits in 17 at-bats against Wacha, including two doubles, a home run, three RBI and three runs scored.

Castro is also swinging a hot bat at the moment with four hits in his last two games.  As MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat pointed out, the Cubs shortstop has shown significant improvement at the plate after losing his job as an everyday player:

#Cubs Starlin Castro was batting .236 on Aug. 6. Since he was “benched” on Aug. 7, he’s batting .333 (19-for-57) in 23 games

— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) September 6, 2015

His salary is a reflection of his diminished role, but if Castro is in Tuesday’s starting lineup, he’s a steal at $2,700.

All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is an MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.

DraftKings is hosting one-day MLB contests! Claim your free entry by clicking on the link and making a first-time deposit!