3 Under-the-Radar MLB FanDuel Plays for Friday 8/6/21

When being contrarian in daily fantasy sports, there's a fine line between taking a calculated risk and being reckless. But differentiating your lineups from everyone else's is the name of the game if you plan on taking down one of those highly lucrative DFS tournaments. Whether it's because of bookmaker totals, other options at a given position, or some gem you've found who everyone is overlooking, we can always find potential under-rostered plays if we look hard enough.

Here are three such players to consider branching out for on FanDuel's main slate.

Kyle Muller, P, Atlanta Braves ($7,700)

The pitching options on tonight's 14-game slate are a bit jumbled, and that could leave several players under the radar.

I'll be looking at Kyle Muller, who could get lost in the shuffle in the mid-range. The young lefthander made his MLB debut this season and has only 29.2 innings of work under his belt, which is a small sample size. In that time, he has managed to post a 27.0% strikeout rate, 0.30 homers per nine, a 58.9% medium-contact rate, and 4.41 xFIP. He's not without his faults, however, as he has a 12.3% walk rate and a 48.6% fly-ball rate.

He will be up against the Washington Nationals, whose current roster comes in with a 24.2% strikeout rate versus left-handed pitchers, which is the ninth-highest. The Nationals produce only a 33.3% fly-ball rate versus lefties, which is 24th.

After a number of trades, the Nationals' lineup isn't nearly as dangerous as it once was -- especially if Juan Soto (knee) sits today -- and Washington is a solid matchup for Muller.

Ryan Mountcastle, 1B/OF, Baltimore Orioles ($3,200)

With a 4.36 implied run total, the Baltimore Orioles are likely going to be overlooked.

That run total is the 18th-highest on the slate. It's a spot many people will overlook, and I totally get that. The O's aren't a good team, but ultimately it doesn't matter in the vacuum that is tonight's slate. They are at home, where it's expected to be 10 MPH winds blowing out toward left. This puts their hitters in a spot for an easier home run, especially when they are going up against Ryan Yarbrough, who is allowing a 39.4% fly-ball rate and 1.66 dingers per nine to right-handed hitters this season.

Combine that fly-ball rate and the extra wind with what is already a good hitter's park, and we have a recipe for some home runs.

We can look to Ryan Mountcastle, who has a very solid .254 ISO, 128 wRC+, 35.6% fly-ball rate, and 22.6% homer-to-fly-ball ratio versus left-handed pitchers. The Orioles are going to be at lower rostership rates, and they make an ideal GPP option tonight.

Mitch Haniger, OF, Seattle Mariners ($3,500)

The Seattle Mariners are worth considering for tournaments.

With a middle-of-the-road 4.67 implied run total, the Mariners aren't jumping off the page at anyone, and that's okay. Despite being at Yankee Stadium -- one of the best hitter parks in the league -- the Mariners are going to slip through the cracks. They are going up against a bullpen game for the New York Yankees. Wandy Peralta will likely get the start, potentially followed by Albert Abreu or Stephen Ridings.

Regardless of who it is for the Yankees, Mitch Haniger always has some home run upside. The Yankees' relievers are allowing a 37.9% fly-ball rate to right-handed hitters this season, which is the fourth-highest in the league. Haniger certainly has plenty of power with a .210 ISO or higher versus both lefties and righties -- along with a 37.7% fly-ball rate overall this season.

I wouldn't run to fully stack the Mariners, but Haniger as a one-off could be the play.