Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: MLB DraftKings Bargain Buys, Sleepers for Sept. 3 – Bleacher Report

There are only six games on the MLB schedule Thursday, one in the afternoon and five at night.  DraftKings daily fantasy players are faced with a limited number of options to choose from.

In a small field of pitchers, an uninspiring name like Jordan Zimmermann costs upward of $10,000.  Many mediocre hitters also boast inflated price tags, making it harder than ever to find low-cost sleeper picks for your lineup.

With that in mind, here are five bargain buys for September 3.

SP Taylor Jungmann, Milwaukee Brewers ($10,200) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Taylor Jungmann‘s salary is the most it’s been all season, but he still provides great value for the price.  Jungmann‘s average of 19.2 fantasy points per game is the highest of any pitcher on the board, even though he comes cheaper than both Zimmermann and Francisco Liriano.

The above video features highlights of Jungmann‘s major league debut in Pittsburgh on June 9, in which he surrendered only three hits and one run in seven innings while striking out five.  In a second appearance against the Pirates on July 19, Jungmann again struck out five in seven innings while yielding just one run.

The Brewers rookie has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 13 of his 15 big league starts, including 11 of the last 12.

2B/3B DJ LeMahieu, Colorado Rockies ($4,300) vs. San Francisco Giants

In a four-game stretch spanning the last three days, DJ LeMahieu has gone 3-for-5, 2-for-4, 1-for-1 and 3-for-5 again for a blistering .600 batting average.  On Tuesday, he launched what ESPN Stats & Info noted was the longest homer of 2015 by a Colorado player:

DJ LeMahieu: Longest HR by a @Rockies player this season

He topped his previous career-long HR by 42 feet! pic.twitter.com/s5RBVr4YTw

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 1, 2015

LeMahieu is now hitting .318 overall, sixth-best in the National League.  At Coors Field, he’s batting .340 with a .401 on-base percentage.  He’s also averaging 8.8 fantasy points per game at home as opposed to 6.7 per game on the road.

1B/3B Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals ($4,200) vs. Atlanta Braves

Few hitters in baseball are as hot as Ryan Zimmerman is at the moment.

Zimmerman slugged a pair of home runs Wednesday night, giving him four in three days.  In that time, he’s 7-for-14 with eight RBI and five runs scored.  Zimmerman has a total of 16 homers this season but seven in his past nine games.  He’s also driven in an astounding 19 runs in Washington’s last 10 contests.

The Nationals first baseman has 79 fantasy points in three games, as well as a 10-game average of 15.7.

OF Justin Upton, San Diego Padres ($4,100) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Players who provide more than two fantasy points per $1,000 are usually a solid value.  With an average of 8.4 points per game and a salary of $4,100, Justin Upton gives you plenty of bang for your buck.

However, his .500 batting average when facing Dodgers starter Mat Latos is what makes Upton a bargain.

In their only previous matchup this season, Upton went 2-for-3 with a home run against Latos on July 26.

OF Nick Markakis, Atlanta Braves ($3,400) at Washington Nationals

On Sunday, Nick Markakis saw an 11-game hitting streak come to an end.  After batting just .260 in July, Markakis hit .322 in August.  

Markakis has fared well in the past when opposing Jordan Zimmermann—he’s hitting .360 over 25 at-bats versus the Washington righty.  A great portion of that success is from this season, in which Markakis is 6-for-13 with a walk in 14 plate appearances against Zimmermann.

The veteran is also batting .320 on the road this year compared to just .275 at Turner Field.  At $3,400, Markakis is a relatively deep sleeper among outfielders, but he has an excellent chance to put up numbers on par with more expensive players at the position.

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.

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