3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on 4/2/21
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.
Blake Snell, SP, San Diego Padres ($9,500)
After a famous managerial decision that left Tampa Bay Rays fans hoping for more Blake Snell in last year's postseason, he takes the ball for the San Diego Padres for the first time.
Facing the Arizona Diamondbacks, Snell will look to build upon what was an impressive 2020 campaign. He had a 3.57 SIERA -- a year after posting a 3.56 SIERA -- and 31.0% strikeout rate with a 15.0% swinging-strike rate.
The Snakes didn't make a whole lot of changes from a year ago, when they posted a moribund .306 wOBA and .150 isolated power (ISO). Arizona holds a slate-low 3.36 implied total tonight.
Expect Snell to dominate tonight.
Cody Bellinger, 1B/OF, Colorado Rockies ($4,700)
If there were major concerns about Cody Bellinger's shoulder, he may have alleviated quite a few of those worries for Los Angeles Dodgers fans after yesterday's scintillating performance. Despite losing a home run due to Justin Turner's quirky baserunning gaffe, Bellinger went 2-for-4 with a single and a run scored.
Antonio Senzatela takes the ball today for the Colorado Rockies, and his microscopic 13.5% strikeout rate and 35.4% hard-hit rate make for an ugly combo. That's probably not going to play well at Coors against the Dodgers' loaded lineup.
Bellinger is one of five -- yes, five -- Dodgers atop our hitter projections for today as LA carries a monster 7.15 implied total, which is more than two runs above anyone else's implied total. If you can find the coin, Bellinger's upside could break the slate tonight.
Kyle Seager, 3B, Seattle Mariners ($3,400)
Since we'll want cap room to get exposure to the Dodgers, let's hit on a stud who comes in at a more modest salary.
Kyle Seager is at home against righty Johnny Cueto. In 2020, Seager held a .361 wOBA and 46.0% fly-ball rate with the platoon advantage. His strikeout rate (11.0%) in the split was actually lower than his walk rate (14.5%).
Cueto's best days are long gone. Lefties rocked him for a .347 wOBA last year and walked 12.5% of the time.
This is a pretty great spot for Seager, and his salary doesn't keep you from getting exposure to a Dodgers stud or two.
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.
