MLB

3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on Thursday 9/30/21

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, SP, Toronto Blue Jays ($10,800)

While the National League's postseason spots are mostly wrapped up, the American League is involved in an absolute dog fight, and Robbie Ray has to remain on top of his game tonight as a DFS stud.

Ray has been ballin' this year. In over 188 innings pitched, he boasts a 32.5% strikeout rate, along with a 6.7% walk rate, one of the best marks of his career. His career-best first-pitch strike rate certainly plays a large role there.

Now, the New York Yankees have been showing signs of improvement at the plate lately, though. Over the last 30 days, they've logged a solid .326 wOBA, but they do also sport a 23.6% strikeout rate.

It's risky, but with a lack of fantastic options tonight, Ray makes a ton of sense.

Kris Bryant, 3B/OF, San Francisco Giants ($3,900)

As they continue to churn along in a crazy battle for NL West supremacy, one matchup that stands out is the San Francisco Giants and their home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Bryant will face long-time former Giant Madison Bumgarner tonight. The veteran started the year off strongly but has faded as of late. On the season, he's allowed 1.46 HR/9 this year, and righties have popped him for a delightful .454 slugging percentage.

The Giants boast a healthy 4.9 implied team total, and it's a lineup we want exposure to.

Hunter Renfroe, OF, Boston Red Sox ($3,600)

Two days, two Hunter Renfroe bombs in the series for the Boston Red Sox. Can he make it three?

Well, we know that Renfroe can smack southpaws. While he's been solid by any measure, he's rocking a 135 wRC+ in the split in 2021, including a beautiful .878 OPS this year.

That's bad news for Alexander Wells, who's had some issues with the long ball this year. He's been pummeled for 2.21 HR/9, including a .586 slugging percentage for those with the platoon advantage.

Expect another big night from Renfroe.



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.