MLB

3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on 9/10/19

Matt Kupferle  —  @MKupferle Sep 10th, 2019
Walker Buehler got roughed up last time out, but he can bounce back in a big way tonight. Who else should you pay up for?

Just like in other sports, the focal point of your daily fantasy baseball lineups will be your high-priced 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 pitcher, by far the highest floors for production.

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.

Taking up so much salary, and playing such a big role in your lineup's ceiling, you're not going to want to whiff on these guys, so let's take a look at a few top-end options that you can count on to anchor your lineup today.

Walker Buehler, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers ($11,600)

The most expensive arm on Tuesday's main slate is also the one we project for the highest score, as the Los Angeles Dodgers are heavy moneyline favorites (-350) against the Baltimore Orioles. That makes Walker Buehler a guy we have to consider rostering.

The right-hander's 3.40 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) is a touch higher than his 3.31 mark a year ago, partially driven by a spike in his hard-hit rate (43.7%). However, the rest of his peripherals remain outstanding -- a 35.2% fly-ball rate, 29.5% strikeout rate, and 4.4% walk rate -- and place him in an elite category of hurlers.

And the matchup today is drool-worthy as he faces a Baltimore Orioles team that ranks among the league's worst in team wOBA and strikeout rate. We can expect a big scoring night from one of the National League's top arms.

Charlie Blackmon, OF, Colorado Rockies ($4,500)

We already know that Charlie Blackmon is a beast at home. He owns a 1.226 OPS this year in Denver, and that's not a fluke given his .957 OPS at home in 2018.

But facing Michael Wacha of the St. Louis Cardinals makes this an even better matchup. Wacha has posted a 5.06 SIERA in 2019, and that mark is spearheaded by an ugly 19.3% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate, and 39.3% hard-hit rate.

The Colorado Rockies' 6.26 implied team total indicates runs are there for the taking for the Rox, so consider the lefty-swinging outfielder in tonight's contests.

Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston Astros ($4,300)

What the Houston Astros are currently doing to opposing pitching is pretty unfair. After scoring 11 runs in their first two innings last night, they've notched a cool 32 runs scored over a 10-inning stretch. Have mercy.

Tonight, they will look to continue their onslaught against Tanner Roark of the Oakland Athletics, and Houston has the fifth-highest implied team total of the day (5.52 runs). The right-hander has been solid in Oakland with a sub-3.00 ERA, but his 22.2% strikeout rate and career-worst 36.9% hard-hit rate leave a bit to be desired.

Look for the hot-hitting Bregman to keep up his torrid pace at the dish.


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.