MLB

3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on 9/11/19

Jose Altuve has been hot at the dish, and with lefty Brett Anderson on the mound, he could post another big night. Which other pricey plays should we think about?

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.

Sonny Gray, SP, Cincinnati Reds ($10,200)

He may not be the priciest of the aces on Wednesday's main slate (that honor is bestowed upon Stephen Strasburg at an extra 400 bucks), but Sonny Gray has been a boss in 2019, and we should expect that run to continue tonight.

Gray comes in with the lowest implied allowed run total (3.71 runs), buoyed by his 28.5% strikeout rate so far this season. He also gets the best matchup -- he faces the Seattle Mariners, who rank 20th in team wOBA over the last 30 days (.312) with a 24.4% strikeout rate.

Count on the Cincinnati Reds hurler to post a big evening.

Anthony Rendon, 3B, Washington Nationals ($4,300)

While Anthony Rendon is going through a bit of a homer drought, expect that to possibly end tonight with southpaw Martin Perez on the bump.

While Perez's peripheral statistics look okay, his 4.99 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) showcases an ugly level of talent. His 18.6% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate show there's a bit of tough sledding going on, and it doesn't help that Rendon blasts lefties.

On the season, the third baseman has logged a .664 slugging percentage and 1.102 OPS, and with the Washington Nationals pegged for a solid 4.99 runs, Rendon is a guy we want to own.

Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros ($4,300)

Maybe the Houston Astros just bring out a plethora of runs being scored, as they got absolutely walloped by the Oakland Athletics last night. As we have seen, though, the 'Stros are likely to be back at it again, and with a lefty on the mound, it's time to dial up Jose Altuve.

The diminutive second baseman has long been one of the game's best hitters, and against a lefty, he is among the best of the best. This season, he owns a 1.204 OPS and a .762 slugging percentage in this split.

All of that doesn't bode well for Oakland's starter, Brett Anderson. He owns a 5.20 SIERA, driven by his near non-existent 11.9% strikeout rate. For some context, that places Anderson as easily the league's worst among qualified starters (Ivan Nova clocks in as the second-worst at 13.9%).

Altuve should help continue the offensive onslaught that the Astros have been showcasing as of late.



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.