FanDuel Pitching Primer: Tuesday 8/31/21
In daily fantasy baseball, success starts with nailing the starting pitcher spot in your lineup.
When compared to hitters, pitching performance tends to be much more predictable and stable throughout the course of the season. You know what you're getting from a top-level ace when you roster him: probably a dominant effort with only one or two implosions per season. In contrast, even the game's best hitters have days at the plate when they go 0-for-4.
As a result, lineup construction should begin with the starting pitcher. Which pitchers should you consider on today's main slate?
High-Salaried Play
Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox
Vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
FanDuel Salary: $10,200
Tuesdays are big slates, and today is no exception. That includes a few big arms like Walker Buehler ($11,300), Brandon Woodruff ($10,600), and Lucas Giolito.
Giolito seems to have the best matchup of all of the hurlers that we mentioned above. The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the worst offenses in the league, and over the last 30 days, they clock in with a league-worst .277 wOBA and .122 isolated power (ISO). Woof. Their 23.7% strikeout rate is something we can work with and attack, as well.
Our projections have Giolito pegged as the second-best hurler on the day with 37.8 points, just behind Buehler. Because of Buehler's matchup with the very strong Atlanta Braves offense, I'd recommend spending up for Giolito tonight.
Mid-Salaried Play 1
Jameson Taillon, New York Yankees
At Los Angeles Angels
FanDuel Salary: $8,400
Sometimes it's worth considering some under-the-radar arms, especially ones who have been roughed up recently. That's the case for Jameson Taillon, who has struggled in his last two outings.
However, Taillon has actually been a solid pitcher all season long. He's recorded 125 punchouts in 127 innings, and his 23.5% strikeout rate is a pretty good mark.
Taillon's opponent isn't particularly frightening, either. Over the last month, they've recorded a .281 wOBA (second-worst in the league), and their 24.4% strikeout rate provides some added juice. Roster Taillon with plenty of assurance.
Mid-Salaried Play 2
Austin Gomber, Colorado Rockies
At Texas Rangers
FanDuel Salary: $8,200
Another spicy play in the mid-range is in the form of Austin Gomber of the Colorado Rockies.
Gomber gets to face off against a Texas Rangers team that is truly brutal at the dish. Any way you slice their numbers, whether it's in a season-long capacity or more short-term in nature, it's a bit rough. Over the last 30 days, the Rangers sans-Joey Gallo are in the bottom third in terms of walk rate, ISO, and wOBA.
That makes Gomber a great option, and while he may not be as sexy as some others with a 23.9% strikeout rate, he's plenty solid in this mid-range.
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.
