Zach Thompson dives into Monday’s featured fantasy baseball slate on DraftKings to find MLB DFS Value Picks to put in your lineups.

After a fun weekend following the trade deadline, Major League Baseball is back for a strong start to the new week. The nine-game main MLB DFS slate gets underway on Monday night at 7:10 p.m. ET with first pitches in New York and Boston. With 18 teams in the player pool, several strong options stand out all across the salary structure. If you’re searching for some low-cost options with high upside, check out these three MLB DFS value picks. Each one is in position to outproduce their low expectations.

As always at this time of year, double-check the weather before the first pitch to avoid any delay or postponement issues. Atlanta is the main trouble spot coming into the day, but check back to be sure that doesn’t change before the games begin. Especially with all the new-look teams coming out of the trade deadline, be sure to double-check that your MLB DFS value picks are in the lineup and in the slot in the batting order that you expect.

Check out the full range of MLB coverage from the team at DraftKings Network, since these bargains are just one piece of the MLB DFS picture to consider.

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]!

SP Michael Soroka, Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds, $7,000

The Cubs traded for Soroka at the MLB Trade Deadline, sending prospects Ronny Cruz and Christian Franklin to Washington. While Soroka has an ugly 4.87 ERA and is just 3-8 in his 16 starts. It’s still been a good comeback year for the 27-year-old righty, though, who broke out in 2019 but then battled multiple injuries that limited him to just seven games in the next three seasons. This year, Soroka has had a few strong stretches, including his last four starts, where he went 0-2 but allowed two runs or fewer in each game, picking up 17 strikeouts in 18 innings.

He faced the Reds in one of those starts, going 5 2/3 innings in a tough-luck loss and picking up six strikeouts. He earned 17.95 fantasy points in that outing and has 17+ fantasy points in four of his last eight. His advanced metrics indicate he pitched better than his ERA, and he’ll look to jump into the Cubs’ chase for the NL Central in this rematch against the Reds. He has a high ceiling and will be in a good spot to make a very positive first impression.

OF Joey Loperfido, Toronto Blue Jays at Colorado Rockies, $3,400

Loperfido and the Blue Jays head to Colorado to play at Coors Field, which gives their whole lineup a very high ceiling. Loperfido has been a very important part of the surging Blue Jays’ lineup agianst right-handed pitchers, and the former top prospect has been productive since his promotion in early July.

Loperfido is hitting .373 (22-for-59) with two doubles, three homers and a stolen base. He has averaged 6.6 fantasy points per game on the season. If he hits leadoff against hittable righty Tanner Gordon ($4,800) and the Rockies, he’ll have a sky-high ceiling as a bargain play on Monday night.

1B Andrew Vaughn, Milwaukee Brewers at Atlanta Braves, $3,000

Vaughn continues to be extremely cheap and very productive, so if the weather holds off in Atlanta, he’s one of my top MLB DFS value picks once again. Vaughn has been a great fit for the Brewers since they grabbed him from the White Sox in exchange for Aaron Civale.

After a few weeks in triple-A, Vaughn joined the MLB team just after July 4. In his 19 games since then, Vaughn is hitting a blistering .371 (23-for-62) with six homers, 24 RBI, and a .477 wOBA. Over that span, he has a 57.4% hard-hit rate and an average exit velocity of 93.7 miles per hour.

Vaughn had two more hits on Sunday and has averaged 15.4 fantasy points in his last eight games with five multi-hit games in those eight contests. After not sticking with the White Sox, the 27-year-old looks ready to realize the potential that he showed when he was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft.