MLB

3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on Monday 8/23/21

Matt Kupferle  —  @MKupferle Aug 23rd, 2021
Lance Lynn has been brilliant in 2021, but he does have a tough matchup against the Blue Jays tonight. Which other options should we consider?

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.

Lance Lynn, SP, Chicago White Sox ($10,100)

This main slate is a tough one. There are some challenging matchups, and the top of the slate features Lance Lynn, who faces the Toronto Blue Jays. Can he hang?

All signs point to yes. The Jays rank 13th in team wOBA over the last two weeks (.327), and their ISO is at .182, which isn't a poor mark but is far lower than what we've come to expect.

Lynn, who has been outstanding with a 3.78 SIERA and 27.8% strikeout rate, will need to be on top of his game, but he is projected for the top score of the day. Ride with him on a tough pitching slate.

Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros ($3,700)

With an implied team total of 5.37 runs, the Houston Astros are likely to be a popular stack. And one of the most popular plays will be Jose Altuve.

Altuve has popped 25 home runs this season, and while the speed is down (four steals), he has been downright nasty, scoring 88 runs. For the right-handed Altuve, that's a positive play, as he faces the young rookie Daniel Lynch, who's been bombed for 5.12 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP.

Altuve's .209 ISO would be the second-best mark of his career, and his .358 wOBA is also strong. Consider him tonight as a top-line play.

Jorge Soler, OF, Atlanta Braves ($3,500)

Jordan Montgomery mans the bump tonight for the New York Yankees -- could he be in a bit of trouble?

His 3.54 FIP is pretty tough, and he's been solid in allowing just 0.98 HR/9 on the season. But while he has been death on same-sided left-handed bats, righties have bopped him for a .394 slugging percentage this season, including a 40.1% fly-ball rate.

While Soler's .204 batting average is pretty ugly, his 18 long balls are not -- and his 25.3% strikeout rate has been regressing back to far more normal levels. Peep Soler if you are looking to fill your outfield spots.

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.