MLB

3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on 9/23/19

Matt Kupferle  —  @MKupferle Sep 23rd, 2019
Juan Soto and the Nationals will look to seal a wild card bid this week, and tonight could be a major step forward in a sweet matchup. Which other plays should we think about?

Just like in other sports, the focal point of your daily fantasy baseball lineups will be your high-priced 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 pitcher, by far the highest floors for production.

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.

Taking up so much salary, and playing such a big role in your lineup's ceiling, you're not going to want to whiff on these guys, so let's take a look at a few top-end options that you can count on to anchor your lineup today.

Patrick Corbin, SP, Washington Nationals ($10,500)

It looks like even though the Washington Nationals lost Bryce Harper to the Philadelphia Phillies, the real gem of the off-season was Patrick Corbin, who's been brilliant in 2019. The Nats are looking to seal up a playoff berth, and tonight, they'll send their stud lefty to the mound.

While the 2016 and 2017 seasons were a bit rocky for the dynamic lefty, the last two have been outstanding years -- this season, he has recorded a 3.10 ERA to go with a 1.16 WHIP, and he's whiffed a whopping 224 batters this season.

Tonight, he will face those aforementioned Phillies, who have never really found their rhythm at the dish this season despite swiping Harper from their NL East rivals. They clock in 18th in team wOBA (.316), paired with a bloated 23.1% strikeout rate.

With a shortened main slate tonight as the regular season winds down, peep Corbin for your pitching slot.

Juan Soto, OF, Washington Nationals ($4,200)

Sticking in the same game with the same team, the Phillies send Zach Eflin to the bump, and while he's performed admirably down the stretch, he could have his hands full with the likes of Juan Soto.

Eflin has often been solid against right-handed bats, but his bugaboo lies against the opposite-handed swingers. So far in 2019, they've bombed him for a home run every 20 batters, adding 17 doubles into that mix.

While Soto has slammed all pitching, he's performed his best against righties, recording a .492 slugging percentage and .892 OPS against them.

Heavy favorites and owning the highest implied team total on the board, Soto should be a monster play.

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals ($3,600)

With a playoff berth secured thanks to a four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs this weekend, the St. Louis Cardinals turn their attention to a division title, and they could start tonight against rookie hurler Alex Young of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

While Young has been brilliant in his cup of coffee in 2019 against lefties (.236 wOBA), he has had a bit more of a challenge against right-handed bats. In 217 plate appearances, he'a allowed eight home runs and a 43.1% hard-hit rate.

That makes slugger Paul Goldschmidt a tantalizing play, as he has posted a .914 OPS against lefties this season, including a .536 slugging percentage. Look for Goldy to post a big night in his return to the desert.

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.