MLB

3 Under-the-Radar MLB FanDuel Plays for 6/10/19

When being contrarian in daily fantasy sports, there's a fine line between taking a calculated risk and being reckless. But differentiating your lineups from everyone else is the name of the game if you plan on taking down one of those highly lucrative DFS tournaments. Whether it's because of Vegas totals, other options at a given position, or some gem you've found that everyone is overlooking, we can always find potential under-owned plays if we look hard enough.

Here are three such players to consider branching out for on FanDuel's main slate

Michael Wacha, P, Miami Marlins

FanDuel Price: $6,300

A nine-game slate which features Coors Field should leave plenty of lower-owned options but will Michael Wacha be one of them?

There is no question that Wacha has been having an up-and-down season, but he has a chance to turn the corner versus a weak Miami Marlins lineup. Yes, the Marlins have put together a few nice offensive games over the past week or two, but they still aren't a "good" team and we should feel comfortable attacking them. The Marlins are carrying 25.1% strikeout rate (4th in the league), a 77 wRC+ (28th in the league), and a .112 ISO (30th in the league) versus right-handed pitchers this season.

Those are some of the worst numbers you will find on this slate and while Wacha only comes in 20.4% strikeout rate this season, he doesn't need to post 10 strikeouts to reach value, since he is on the cheaper side of options tonight. His lack of strikeout upside is what should cause him to go under-owned tonight, but the salary relief he offers should allow you to stack either of the teams at Coors Field tonight.

James McCann, C, Chicago White Sox

FanDuel Price: $2,900

To this day, I'm still convinced that catchers go overlooked since you don't "have" to roster them on FanDuel, putting them in a great spot for tournaments.

Catchers, in general, are projected and produced fewer fantasy points compared to other positions and with the ability to take a first baseman instead, we see them go under-owned on an almost nightly basis. If that is going to be the case tonight, James McCann is going to be a player to consider for tournaments since he comes in with a somewhat surprising .346 wOBA versus right-handed pitchers this season, along with a 39.0% hard-hit rate.

Those are solid numbers for a same-sided matchup but his .146 ISO can leave something to be desired, as the upside isn't always there.

Regardless of the lack of power, the matchup tonight versus Anibal Sanchez is better than it might seem, considering Sanchez is coming off of back-to-back starts with seven strikeouts and a total of one earned run allowed. That's a solid stretch, but Sanchez is still carrying a 5.04 xFIP and a 46.7% fly-ball rate versus right-handed hitters this season. There are some underlying issues with Sanchez and should be somewhat popular tonight given his price and his recent success.

Nick Markakis, OF, Atlanta Braves

FanDuel Price: $3,000

The Atlanta Braves come in with an implied run total set at 5.13 tonight, which is the fourth highest on the slate, but some of their hitters could still go overlooked.

When trying to be different in tournaments, going to a chalk team can be OK, if you are willing to take a unique approach to stacking which can set you apart. Freddie Freeman, Ronald Acuna, Josh Donaldson, and even Austin Riley lead the way for the Braves and that's where the ownership should be centralized. But dipping into the middle or bottom portion of the lineup can go under-owned massively compared to the top hitters, which is where Nick Markakis comes in.

His power numbers are nothing to write home about with a .159 ISO versus right-handed pitchers, but his 41.7% hard-hit rate and super low 12.1% strikeout rate certainly are. He doesn't waste opportunities at the plate and is generating hard-contact which should all play in his favor tonight with the favorable conditions in Atlanta, as first-pitch is set to be 81 degrees.