MLB

3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on Monday 6/28/21

Yordan Alvarez has been a key cog in the Astros lineup, and they've got a delightful opportunity tonight against the Orioles. Which other top plays need to be on our radar?

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.

Freddy Peralta, SP, Milwaukee Brewers ($9,500)

Monday brings a bit smaller main slate, and that makes for some very interesting options. Trevor Bauer ($11,000) has been outstanding, but he faces a tough San Francisco Giants lineup that has a 112 wRC+ against righties this year. Lucas Giolito is the next most expensive option, but he faces a Minnesota Twins offense that ranks in the top-six in most statistical categories.

Enter Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers, who's been a straight-up baller this season. He's logged a career-best 36.4% strikeout rate, and the matchup is juicy as hell -- the Chicago Cubs are at the bottom of the barrel in team strikeout rate against right-handed pitching (26.5%).

Per our projections, Peralta is the third-best option on tonight's slate. Ride with him.

Xander Bogaerts, SS, Boston Red Sox ($3,600)

At first blush, a matchup against Danny Duffy, who was arguably leading the AL Cy Young race before his injury, is a bit scary. But the reality is that Duffy is more than likely an opener -- he has only pitched a combined three innings so far in two appearances since the IL stint.

That turns things over to the Kansas City Royals bullpen, and their 4.36 bullpen ERA is one of the league's worst -- along with a whopping 4.70 walks per nine innings pitched. That should lead to plenty of run-scoring opportunities for the Sox.

The Boston Red Sox boast an implied team total of 6.04 runs, so they'll be very popular. But, Xander Bogaerts should well be worth it.

Yordan Alvarez, OF, Houston Astros ($3,700)

With the second-highest implied team total on the main slate (5.88 runs), there's no doubt that the Houston Astros are going to be a popular pick tonight. And they should be -- they are the league's best offense coming off an absolutely torrid week at the dish.

Who better to consider rostering than Yordan Alvarez tonight? Thomas Eshelman takes the pill tonight for the Baltimore Orioles, and he could be in for a very long evening. Eshelman has been obliterated this season for a 6.56 xFIP, supported by a poor 10.3% strikeout rate and 2.08 home runs per nine (HR/9).

Alvarez has been incredible at the plate this season -- he's slammed 13 home runs on a .535 slugging percentage -- and he could add to those gaudy totals 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.