3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on Friday 9/10/21
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.
Robbie Ray, P, Toronto Blue Jays ($11,200)
There are some very solid arms on the main slate, but none stick out more than Robbie Ray of the Toronto Blue Jays.
It actually seems a bit hard to believe that the lefty is only 29 years old. But this season, his eighth, is his finest yet. Over 166 innings pitched, Ray is rocking a 32.3% strikeout rate, and the punchouts have always been there. It's been the walk rate that's usually the bugaboo. However, Ray's 62.1% first-pitch strike rate is on pace to be the best of his career, and that's why he's cut down on the free passes.
Tonight, he stays inside of the AL East and faces the Baltimore Orioles. Over the last 30 days, the O's rank 18th in wOBA (.308) with an elevated 25.0% strikeout rate. Our projections have Ray leading the charge at the pitcher spot, so make room for his lofty salary.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr, 1B/3B, Toronto Blue Jays ($4,600)
Slamming home runs at a prolific rate, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is heading to hitter-friendly Camden Yards, which ranks inside the top-five in terms of both park factor and home run factor. And he faces Chris Ellis? Yes, please.
The Jays are rocking a 5.66 implied team total -- a slate-best mark by far -- and Guerrero is certain to be front and center in that mix. His .607 slugging percentage is off the charts, as are his 42 home runs this season.
Can he add another dinger or two tonight? Ellis's 2.16 ERA is a bit deceiving, as his 25.0% ground-ball rate belies a far worse 4.30 FIP. His whopping 50.0% fly-ball rate certainly seems to indicate he may be flirting with danger, and Vlad makes for an outstanding play in this spot.
Jorge Polanco, 2B/3B, Minnesota Twins ($4,100)
After a very rough COVID-shortened season in which he totaled just four apiece of stolen bases and homers, Jorge Polanco of the Minnesota Twins has slammed 27 home runs on his way to a 127 wRC+ in 2021. With the Twins sporting the second-best implied team total (5.10 runs), Polanco can be a big scorer today.
Let's look at all of the reasons to be bullish on Polanco, starting with the matchup versus Daniel Lynch of the Kansas City Royals. On the season, Lynch has recorded a 4.53 FIP -- driven by a .492 slugging percentage allowed to right-handed bats. That bodes well for the switch-hitting Polanco, who boasts nearly identical splits as a lefty or righty.
It may be hard to fit a high-priced ace-like Ray and some big bats in your lineup tonight, but one you don't want to miss out on is Polanco.
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.
