3 MLB FanDuel Value Plays for Monday 7/31/23

Finding low-salary production is one way to get a leg up on the competition in MLB DFS.

Here are some low-salary players to target on FanDuel for Monday's main slate.

Advanced statistics courtesy of FanGraphs.

J.P. France, SP, Houston Astros ($8,700)

To commence the baseball week, starter J.P. France and the Houston Astros are scheduled for a home tilt against the Cleveland Guardians. Considering France's frugal salary on Monday, I am confident in him given his track record of consistency over the past two months.

Since May 23rd, France has made 11 starts. In those starts, he has produced 25.0 FanDuel points or more in every game except one. Additionally, France faced the Guardians once over that span (June 10), going 6.2 innings for 6 strikeouts and a win.

In terms of Monday's contest, numberFire projects 29.5 points from France, which ranks ninth-highest but is only 3.1 FanDuel points away from the number-two arm.

France is having a quality rookie year for the 'Stros, showing a 6-3 record with a 2.87 ERA over 84.2 total innings pitched. What he has done exceptionally well since entering the Majors is pitching to soft contact. To date, France is allowing a Statcast hard-hit rate of only 29.4%, which does well to keep runs off the board.

DJ LeMahieu, 2B/1B/3B, New York Yankees ($2,900)

The New York Yankees are set to host the division rival Tampa Bay Rays tonight. Putting the Bronx Bombers' season struggles aside, they have actually won five of their past seven contests.

After getting the day off on Sunday, DJ LeMahieu appears to have some potential today against the Rays. Prior to Sunday, LeMahieu had displayed an OPS of .976 over his past seven games.

For tonight, LeMahieu will go against Tampa Bay starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow, who -- despite success in 2023 -- surrenders a fair bit of loud contact, yielding a 43.1% Statcast hard-hit rate on the season. At Yankee Stadium on a warm evening (forecasted 80 degrees at first pitch), loud contact can be a pitcher's worst enemy.

On Monday against the Rays, LeMahieu has a projection of 8.6 points at numberFire, but there is always the potential for more and the hitter-friendly venue. Despite being right-handed, the two-time batting champion uses tremendous bat control to spray the baseball line-to-line and is capable of taking advantage of the famous short porch in right field.

Michael Conforto, OF, San Francisco Giants ($3,000)

After shoulder surgery forced him to miss the 2022 MLB season, Michael Conforto has rebounded nicely in 2023. On the year, he is tied for the San Francisco Giants' club lead in RBI (52) while having missed 16 games.

In the recent series versus the Boston Red Sox, Conforto was key to San Francisco winning two-of-three games. He hit safely in every contest, highlighted by four total hits, one double and one RBI.

As a left-handed bat, he should match up well with Monday's starter for the visiting division rival Arizona Diamondbacks: righty Ryne Nelson. In 2023, Nelson has yielded a poor 5.15 SIERA. If you're into hitter-pitcher matchups, Conforto is 2-for-4 lifetime against Nelson, including one home run.

With Conforto typically in the middle of the Giants' lineup, he should see advantageous opportunities to compile multiple statistics.

Per numberFire, Conforto is projected to produce to 10.0 FanDuel points tonight, which makes him a solid value at this salary.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.