3 Under-the-Radar MLB FanDuel Plays for 5/24/19

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

Trent Thornton, P, Toronto Blue Jays

FanDuel Price: $7,100

A loaded 14-game slate tonight and Coors Field in action leaves us with plenty of options at every position and a chance to grab some truly lower owned tournament options.

Trent Thornton is on the mound for the Toronto Blue Jays tonight and he comes in with some serious hot and cold streaks this season. His price tag tonight at just over $7K is very enticing considering Coors Field is in action, along with his 24.3% strikeout rate, which is the 10th highest on the board. Two or fewer earned runs in four of his last five starts has him showing a strong level of consistency lately, but he comes in as the 15th most expensive pitcher tonight. Ownership should be low because it may seem tough to dip into the second tier of pitchers when we have the likes of Blake Snell, Chris Sale, Noah Syndergaard, and Walker Buehler on this slate, just to name a few.

The matchup against the San Diego Padres tonight sets Thornton up to continue this strong trend since they come in with a 27.1% strikeout rate versus right-handed pitchers, which is dead last in the league. A 4.30 implied run total for the Padres is decent tonight, but they currently carry an 83 wRC+ versus righty pitchers, showing they aren't too much of an offensive threat.

Howie Kendrick, 1B, Washington Nationals

FanDuel Price: $2,700

Despite being on the back nine of his career, Howie Kendrick has looked solid this season and comes in at a very affordable price tag tonight.

So far this season Kendrick is boasting a solid .362 wOBA, .247 ISO, and a surprisingly powerful 44.9% hard-contact rate versus right-handed pitchers. Not too shabby for a player in his 14th season who has hits in six of his last nine games, with three doubles and one home run. A 4.79 implied run total for the Washington Nationals tonight should make them a solid pivot off of what should be higher owned teams at Coors Field.

Solid price tag, solid numbers this season and the matchup against Pablo Lopez is also solid to attack tonight. Lopez is holding a 4.46 xFIP, meager 17.6% strikeout rate, and allowing 1.93 homers per nine innings to right-handed hitters.

Dexter Fowler, OF, St. Louis Cardinals

FanDuel Price: $3,100

The St. Louis Cardinals come in with a very healthy 5.23 implied run total and you should look to them as a very solid stacking option overall tonight.

The top of the lineup for the Cardinals can often be very popular, but the mid/lower part of the lineup still brings plenty of fantasy value, namely Dexter Fowler. He has two home runs in his last three games and comes in with a .382 wOBA and surprising 41.3% hard-hit rate versus right-handed pitchers this season. A sneaky amount of power upside from an inexpensive hitter who is up against a struggling pitcher. That pitcher is Mike Foltynewicz, who started the year on the IL and since coming back, has looked as average as you can find.

Folty is allowing 2.45 homers per nine innings, a 5.78 xFIP, and a 50% fly-ball rate to lefty hitters this season. Yes, of course, this is a smaller sample size this season, but he hasn't looked anywhere close to the borderline Cy Young candidate he did last season. Oh, the Cardinals also posted eight runs on him just 10 days ago.