3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on 4/20/21
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.
Corbin Burnes, SP, Milwaukee Brewers ($10,500)
Alright alright alright, I'm just going to fully lean into Corbin Burnes this time.
Burnes broke out in a big way in 2020, and he's replicated that success so far in 2021 -- and maybe even then some? So far in three starts, he has whiffed at least nine batters in each of the outings, posting an eye-popping 48.5% strikeout rate.
Teammate Brandon Woodruff sparkled in the series opener (seven strikeouts and a win), so expect Burnes to log more of the same.
Ryan McMahon, 2B, Colorado Rockies ($4,000)
When there's a Coors slate, like we have this evening, it's worth at least mentioning who's there and if the matchup is gonna be juicy. Well tonight, it's definitely juicy with Luis Garcia taking the bump for the Houston Astros.
The right-handed pitcher has started the season replicating his past performance -- about a strikeout per inning, allowing too many base runners (1.43 WHIP), and not providing a ton of swing-and-miss.
Enter Ryan McMahon, who's off to a hot start. He's up to six long balls this season, reaching double-digit runs scored and batted in, and he's tossed in a steal to boot. With the platoon advantage, expect McMahon to go ham.
J.D. Martinez, OF, Boston Red Sox ($4,400)
In too many ways to count, the last year for many folks has been an odd one. Include J.D. Martinez of the Boston Red Sox, who was written off by many fantasy players after a dismal 2020 showing with only a .202 batting average. Tough sledding for a high equity draft pick.
The slugging bopper, however, has done everything to make you think that was a fluke. So far this year, he owns a .383 batting average with 20 runs batted in, and the Red Sox are second in baseball in run differential thanks to a juggernaut offense.
Now, Hyun-jin Ryu takes the mound, and he's no slouch with a 1.89 ERA over 19 innings. But in 1,180 career plate appearances against southpaws, Martinez has rocked them for a .309 batting average, 157 wRC+, and .974 OPS. I'm paying up for the spicy veteran slugger.
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.
