3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on Wednesday 6/15/22
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.
Nestor Cortes, SP, New York Yankees ($10,500)
While the Tampa Bay Rays are known for their ability to mix and match in virtually any lineup scenario, one challenge they are sure to have tonight is the frisbee-like slider of Nestor Cortes.
Missing Brandon Lowe from their lineup, this team has been pretty brutal so far at the dish. They rank fourth-worst in all of baseball in terms of team wOBA, and their isolated power mark of .142 (ISO) and 23.4% strikeout rate are also among the league's bottom feeders.
Meanwhile, the New York hurler has been putting himself directly on track to earn an All-Star bid thanks to a 28.6% strikeout rate and a microscopic 25.3% hard-hit rate.
When we marry all of these metrics together, Cortes clocks in as a top-rated arm (30.9 FanDuel points), making him a great play.
Rafael Devers, 3B, Boston Red Sox ($4,200)
With James Kaprielian on the mound, the Boston Red Sox sport one of the highest implied team totals (5.42 runs). They are likely to be a very popular play this evening.
And, for good measure, Kaprielian has been bombed this season -- especially by left-sided bats like Rafael Devers. On the season, lefty slugging numbers aren't just a bit inflated, but they are massive. They've logged a 38.7% fly-ball rate, including 2.65 HR/9 and a .549 slugging percentage.
Over the last 30 days, the Red Sox rank second-best in team wOBA (.348), including a .203 ISO and only a 19.5% strikeout rate.
They could continue to improve those numbers with a matchup like this against Kaprielian.
Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Guardians ($4,600)
Most of the time, the friendly confines of home are something that we like to target for players. But for southpaws like Austin Gomber, "home sweet home" isn't an apt saying.
This season, the lefty has been truly a basket case in suburban Denver. Peep some of these marks -- a .554 slugging percentage and .399 wOBA, a 5.62 FIP, and 1.86 HR/9.
As we continue to parse through the data, he has miraculously yet to allow a home run to righties this season, but he's been pummeled by them to the tune of a 34.1% fly-ball rate, 1.66 HR/9, and a 5.12 FIP.
The switch-hitting Jose Ramirez has been adept from the right side for his career. Covering over 1,300 plate appearances, the third baseman has recorded a 124 wRC+, a .210 ISO, and a 41.6% fly-ball rate.
With all of these positive superlatives, the Guardians' hot corner makes for an outstanding option.
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.
