MLB

3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on Thursday 6/2/22

Matt Kupferle  —  @MKupferle Jun 2nd, 2022
Jorge Soler has been hot at the plate, and he's got another solid matchup tonight. Who else should we be thinking about?

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, as well, 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.

Sandy Alcantara, SP, Miami Marlins ($11,000)

Sporting a fastball that often touches triple digits, Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins has an arm that seems to always tantalize fantasy owners but leaves you wanting a bit more.

Last year, the young right-hander logged a 24.0% strikeout rate, which wound up as the best mark of his career. This surge was highlighted by a late-season stretch where he absolutely dominated opposing hitters for a whopping 27.4% second-half strikeout rate.

After a lowly 20.2% strikeout rate in the first month, the right-hander has really ramped things up this season. His 26.4% strikeout rate in May showed a return to that second-half dominance of 2021, and he still sports a ground-ball rate north of 50.0%.

Now, Alcantara will have his hands full with a San Francisco Giants team that ranks fifth in team wOBA. However, given his recent shine, he seems like a good bet to continue this recent run of strong form.

We project Alcantara for 35.2 FanDuel points today, making him a top play on tonight's slate.

Jorge Soler, OF, Miami Marlins ($3,700)

I swear this isn't going to be only about the Marlins, but indulge me for today, please.

Jorge Soler has been torrid at the dish recently. There is no denying this, and he could be difficult to roster for season-long leagues because of his streakiness. But for DFS purposes, that's pretty awesome.

Check out these recent numbers for the slugger. In the last two weeks, he's popped pitchers for a 1.129 OPS, including four homers and 10 runs scored. In the last month? A .952 OPS and eight long balls.

And while Alex Wood has been pretty good this season, opposite-handed batters like Soler have really given him fits. This season, covering 145 total batters faced, righties have logged a .462 slugging percentage, including 11 extra-base hits.

Slam Soler into your lineup if he makes sense salary-wise.

Austin Riley, 3B, Atlanta Braves ($4,200)

Alright, my friends, who has been #Gombered lately by the southpaw for the Colorado Rockies?

Austin Gomber has been up-and-down this season, which is not an altogether unfamiliar statement for any Rockies arm. Gomber was torched in his last outing, and that was away from the hitter-friendly Coors Field, which is second in park factor and first in home run factor in 2022.

In 2022, the lefty has been torched for a 5.51 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP, and righties have really knocked him for some damage. This season, they've recorded a .456 slugging percentage, including 1.49 HR/9 this year.

For some Austin on Austin crime, I really like Austin Riley tonight for the Braves. They are going to be a popular play thanks to a 6.43 implied team total, but let's keep in mind that Riley has some mega pop. He's slammed 13 long balls this year, good for a .513 slugging percentage, and he owns a 1.035 OPS this year against southpaws.

Get yourself some Coors Field exposure with Riley, and don't look back.


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.