3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on Wednesday 8/4/21
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.
Lucas Giolito, SP, Chicago White Sox ($9,200)
It's absurd that Lucas Giolito is only $9,200 today, but here we are. Let's attack this slate.
Giolito has been absolutely brilliant in the last month -- quite frankly, the right-hander has been outstanding save for a Patriot's Day start where he was bombed. In the last month, Giolito owns a 1.74 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. Not too shabby.
Now, consider the opponent, the Kansas City Royals -- over the last week, they rank fourth-worst with a 25.9% strikeout rate, giving us some big-time upside on tonight's slate. Per our model, Giolito ranks as the top dog -- don't think twice and play him.
Ozzie Albies, 2B, Atlanta Braves ($3,600)
I honestly must confess -- I have absolutely NO CLUE what the St. Louis Cardinals nor their front office are doing. I really don't. Acquiring veteran southpaws J.A. Happ and Jon Lester, this team got markedly older and arguably worse with these additions.
Last night was a prime example of this experiment not working -- as Lester was bombed for five runs in the first inning. And Ozzie Albies may add to that misery tonight -- he is a far batter from the right side of the plate this season, logging a 101 wRC+ as a lefty but a far better mark of 145 as a righty.
Every other metric favors Albiest from the right side, too -- he's got a .936 OPS and .267 ISO as a righty, so get him into your lineups.
Juan Soto, OF, Washington Nationals ($4,200)
Yes, haters, I am well aware that Trea Turner is now a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but let's hold the phone a bit, mmkay?
Despite losing the do-it-all shortstop, the Washington Nationals have been quite delightful at the plate -- Juan Soto and Josh Bell have come alive at the dish, and they rank eighth in team wOBA with a .325 mark. That'll do
Now, peep their opponent -- I gotta be honest with you fam, I didn't know Chase Anderson was still in baseball, and with a dude sporting 1.46 HR/9 allowed and a 5.54 xFIP, I am loving Soto and the Nats 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.
