MLB
3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on Friday 9/9/22

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, as well, 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 McCullers, SP, Houston Astros ($8,800)

After a dominant outing against these same Los Angeles Angels, could Lance McCullers of the Houston Astros be in for another big night?

Our projections certainly seem to think so. We have McCullers as a top arm tonight, and for good reason -- he's averaging 31.5 FanDuel points per game this season, and he blasted the Angels for 38 points a start ago.

The Angels, meanwhile, rank in the bottom five in the league in team wOBA and team strikeout rate. At a slightly depressed price point but a chance for a big evening, it's time to lock McCullers in.

J.T. Realmuto, C, Philadelphia Phillies ($3,400)

When Patrick Corbin takes the hill, it's worth taking notice. The veteran southpaw just isn't that good anymore, sadly.

In the 2022 season, Corbin has truly been torched by opposite-handed batters. This season, spanning 498 total batters faced, the lefty has allowed a .524 slugging percentage, 2.61 HR/9, and a 40.1% hard-hit rate.

J.T. Realmuto , who has rejuvenated legs as evidenced by his career-best 17 thefts, could add some nice pop to the mix today. His .185 ISO and 37.4% fly-ball rate show he's got some juice this season, especially in a plus matchup like tonight.

C.J. Cron, 1B, Colorado Rockies ($3,800)

Zach Davies has gotten absolutely obliterated by same-sided right-handed batters in 2022 -- like to the tune of 1.50 HR/9 and a 39.1% fly-ball rate.

So, what could go wrong tonight inside of Coors Field?

Everything.

The Rockies swing a pretty hot stick in Denver, which is why they are inside the top-10 in most statistical hitting categories at home. Vegas seems to like their chances tonight, too -- they've been installed as a favorite with an implied team total of 5.22 runs tonight.

In the heart of the order, C.J. Cron is in the midst of another solid season with 26 home runs, a .481 slugging percentage, and a 123 wRC+ mark at home. Bet on a big night from Cron tonight.


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.

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