Joe Pisapia advocated buying low on Matt McLain, praising his aggressive baserunning and hustle, which was evident when McLain legged out a double on a blooper hit. Pisapia believes McLain's style of play and consistent effort will endear him to management, ensuring continued opportunities. Despite concerns about his strikeout rate, Pisapia sees current lower valuations as an ideal time for savvy fantasy owners to target McLain and capitalize on his likely improved future production.

Chris Mitchell tagged Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain as an optimal sell-high candidate, noting McLain is currently outperforming expectations dramatically—ranking 11th overall on Yahoo following a hot start including three homers and a .313 batting average. Mitchell believes McLain was already heavily over ranked prior to the season (at #80 ahead of more established players like Jake Burger, Christian Walker, Willy Adames, and Mark Vientos), and considers his current power pace highly unrealistic. Mitchell recommended trading McLain now, targeting steadier performers with better track records or speed-driven hitters like Xavier Edwards or Brice Turang before inevitable regression hits.

Data Skrive pointed out the intriguing long-shot potential of Matt McLain hitting a home run at surprisingly high odds (+10000). McLain has started extremely well in 2025, recording 3 home runs already in his first 8 games with a home run rate of 37.5%. Considering his strong power display early this season, the substantial odds represent significant value for home run bettors or fantasy players seeking deep plays.

Eric Lindquist tapped Matthew McLain for a compelling home run wager at extremely favorable +1000 odds versus Giants starter Logan Webb. Lindquist pointed specifically to McLain's exceptional launch angle and sweet spot metrics as ideal tools for taking advantage of Webb's high hard-hit rate (46.2%) last season despite a low average launch angle allowed. Playing in hitter-friendly Cincinnati ("Great American Small Park"), Lindquist sees substantial value especially given McLain's promotion to a top-of-the-lineup role after Jonathan India's departure, which will result in increased hitting opportunities.