MLB

3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on 4/9/21

Matt Kupferle  —  @MKupferle Apr 9th, 2021
The quirky Friday slate isn't full, but that doesn't mean we are bereft of top-end options. Who's our pick to click?

Just like in other sports, the focal point of your daily fantasy baseball lineups will be your high-salary studs. These guys take up by far the biggest chunk of your cap space, but they also offer the highest ceiling. And in the case of pitchers, the high-salary options typically come with the highest floors, too.

For hitters, we're looking for guys with big numbers, strong matchups, and with players around them that are likely to produce well, too, increasing our chances for runs and RBI. For pitchers, we want big strikeout numbers, while the ability to go deep in a game and pick up a win is also valuable.

With your high-salary picks playing such a big role in your lineup, you need to be right on these guys, so let's take a look at a few top-end options you can count on to anchor your lineup today.

Joe Musgrove, SP, San Diego Padres ($9,700)

There are three hurlers who top $9,000 on today's main slate, and the best of the bunch appears to be right-hander Joe Musgrove of the San Diego Padres.

Musgrove certainly seemed to enjoy his new digs in his first start, and while we could argue that the lowly Arizona Diamondbacks offense isn't anything to be scared of, it's not like the Texas Rangers, who Musgrove faces tonight, are a juggernaut offense, either.

The Rangers are whiffing at a whopping 27.6% clip, so there's definitely upside here when you consider Musgrove's 33% strikeout rate over his last 11 starts. Pay up here, and you should be rewarded.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Toronto Blue Jays ($3,300)

Is the production finally catching up to the hype with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?

Let's hope so because the baby Toronto Blue Jays are fun to watch. After what seemed to be him turning a corner in Spring Training, Vlad has bopped his way to a 209 wRC+ over the first week.

And it could be a small sample size alert, but also note that he gets the platoon advantage facing a southpaw in Andrew Heaney, so he could be worth his salary and then some.

Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Indians ($4,100)

Averaging a crisp 15 FanDuel points per game so far this season and coming off Wednesday's tilt where he smacked two home runs, Jose Ramirez seems to be rounding into form.

But what's scarier? He faces Julio Teheran of the Detroit Tigers, and many pundits are shocked Teheran found his way into a job. While it's only one start, Teheran allowed a .864 slugging percentage in that first game.

For my money, I'm happy to pair the sizzling hitter against the poor pitcher into my lineup.

Matt Kupferle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matt Kupferle also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username MKupferle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.