3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on 8/14/18
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Price: $4,300
On the other side of the betting odds, the Arizona Diamondbacks have a massive 5.61 implied total as they take on right-hander Yovani Gallardo and the Texas Rangers. As of this writing, there are three games without betting lines set, but the Diamondbacks are implied for over half a run more than any other offense.
Being on the road in Texas gives them the most hitter-friendly park factor on the slate, and Gallardo makes for a dreamy fantasy matchup. His awful 5.52 SIERA over 12 Major League games this year puts him on pace for his third consecutive season with a mark above 5.25 -- making it a real head-scratcher that he is still pitching in the Majors. The 32-year-old has also made 10 Triple-A starts this season, posting a very middling 4.12 xFIP in that time.
Paul Goldschmidt's best work comes against southpaws, but he's more than capable of mashing a struggling righty like Gallardo. In 372 plate appearances against righties this season, he's converted a 45.3% hard-hit and 35.7% fly-ball rate into a strong .380 wOBA and .233 ISO. That production isn't far off what he managed in 2017 as well, when he tagged righties for a .398 wOBA and .261 ISO.
