Last month, I wrote an article highlighting the most underrated players that could provide terrific value in daily fantasy lineups. So far, so good. Andrew Benintendi — the top hitter I identified — has hit .324 with a 1.039 OPS (12th in MLB) over the last 30 days, while Baltimore pitcher Dylan Bundy has seen his ERA drop a full run after posting a 3-0 record with a 1.98 ERA over his last four starts.
If you’re looking for an extra edge in fantasy heading into July, here are four undervalued players who I think could provide tremendous value if inserted consistently into daily fantasy lineups.
Salvador Perez, C Kansas City Royals .222 avg / .412 slugging / .678 OPS
After launching a career-high 27 home runs in 2017, the five-time All Star is in the midst of his worst season as a professional. But here’s what’s ironic: Perez is actually hitting the ball harder than he ever has before, as his 45.1% Hard% (which essentially measures how often a batter makes hard contact, as defined by Fangraphs) is not only a career-best, but measures far above his 31.5% career rate.
Coupled with an uncharacteristically low .222 Bating Average on Balls in Play (BABIP), Perez will soon return to form as one of the best hitting catchers in baseball.
Gary Sanchez, C New York Yankees .194 avg / .441 slugging / .733 OPS
Speaking of low BABIP, Sanchez has seen just 19.7% of his batted balls turn into hits. The Yankees catcher also has not been striking out at a higher rate, so it is odd to see his batting average remain below the Mendoza line after hitting a solid .278 in 122 games last year.
Not only do I expect Sanchez’s batting average to recover, but his markedly higher fly ball percentage (45.1%, up from 36.6% a year ago) and steady Hard% (36.7% versus 36.9% in 2017) suggest he will see his home run total rise significantly in the season’s second half.
***Of course, Sanchez subsequently landed on the DL with a groin injury one day after this article was published.
Jon Gray, SP Colorado Rockies 5.52 ERA / 3.02 FIP
I had Gray on my list last month and yes, I have him on here again. After all, Gray has the largest disparity between his ERA and FIP in the majors thanks to his sensational 11.45 K/9 innings rate (7th best in baseball) and extremely unlucky batted ball luck (.379 BABIP, highest in baseball).
Gray has been solid of late (2-1 with 36 strikeouts and 8 walks over his last four starts). I expect him to remain one of daily fantasy’s better values based on his strong underlying performance metrics.
Kyle Barraclough, RP Miami Marlins 1.08 ERA / 3.40 FIP
This dude’s numbers are insane. For starters, he has not surrendered a hit since May 22nd. More impressive, though, is how he has faced 27 batters since June 1st and has allowed only one of them to reach base.
He may play for arguably the most irrelevant franchise in baseball, but Barraclough is one of the league’s most underrated relievers. I picked him up on my fantasy team. You should too.
