3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on Thursday 9/2/21
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.
Triston McKenzie, P, Cleveland Indians ($8,800)
On a main slate this small, nailing the starting pitcher slot is absolutely crucial -- without a doubt. And while Shane McClanahan ($10,100) and Carlos Carrasco ($6,800) are fine choices -- although McClanahan has a tough draw versus the Boston Red Sox -- I will be turning to Triston McKenzie.
McKenzie gets a nice matchup, taking on a Kansas City Royals offense that carries the sixth-worst wOBA (.294) over the last 30 days. McKenzie has struggled at times this year, but he may be turning a corner. Over his last two starts, he's fanned 19 in 15 innings while permitting three hits, one walk and one earned run. He's allowed no earned runs with 14 punchouts across 12 innings in his past two outings versus KC.
Our model likes McKenzie quite a bit tonight (30.1 FanDuel points), and he is a guy I'll be locking in.
Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves ($4,000)
The Atlanta Braves travel to Coors for a four-game set, and this game -- with a 12.5-run over/under -- will have everyone's attention.
One of the best options will be Freddie Freeman, who faces Chi Chi Gonzalez. Gonzalez has been one of the worst pitchers in all of baseball. His 5.30 FIP is driven by an ugly 13.8% strikeout rate, and he's allowing 1.62 homers per nine.
Freeman owns a .389 wOBA and 39.7% hard-hit rate with the platoon advantage. He's our number-four bat on the slate -- the top four are all Coors hitters -- and the $4,000 salary isn't all that bad.
Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Indians ($4,500)
With Mike Minor getting bumped back to pitch tonight, the Cleveland Indians have likely been salivating at the opportunity, especially those with the platoon advantage. Minor has been rocked by righties for 1.66 jacks per nine and a 43.0% fly-ball rate.
That makes Jose Ramirez an outstanding play, and he's been incredible this season -- like usual. Versus southpaws, he's logged a 134 wRC+ and a brilliant .250 ISO.
Given the lofty salary, Ramirez might not be super chalky if the masses flock to the high-salary Coors hitters. We rate him as the top non-Coors stick.
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.
