MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Thursday (9/1)

We had a successful night filling on Wednesday, and we’ll keep that momentum rolling here. It’s wild that we’re in September already, but it means there’s only a month of baseball remaining. It should be fun watching these final 35 days because there’s still plenty to be decided. Unfortunately, we have a short Thursday card here, but there’s still plenty to discuss!

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

While we don’t have many teams on this slate, we have an abundanceof pitchers to pick from. There are four borderline aces in elite spots, and mixing and matching these studs should be easy. It’s rare to have so many good options on such a short slate, and it’s even more surprising since they all have superb matchups. Our favorite play is a perennial Cy Young candidate in Cleveland, so let’s start there!

Cash Game Recommendations:

Shane Bieber (CLE) vs. BAL

The Biebs is amid another amazing season, amassing a 3.02 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. His recent form is what we really love, with Bieber totaling a 1.56 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 9.6 K/9 rate across his last six starts. That fantastic form should carry over in this outstanding matchup, with the Orioles ranked 21st in runs scored, 25th in OBP, and 22nd in OPS. All of that has him entering this matchup as a -200 favorite.

Logan Gilbert (SEA) at DET

Using pitchers against Detroit has worked all season. The Motor City Kitties rank bottom-three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA. Those statistics will likely continue against a pitcher like Gilbert, generating a 3.49 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in a breakout year. The oddsmakers certainly believe he’ll destroy Detroit, entering this matchup as a -170 favorite with the Tigers projected for just 3,5 runs.

GPP Recommendations:

Spencer Strider (ATL) vs. COL

Strider is the frontrunner for NL Rookie of the Year, and it doesn’t look like anyone will catch him. The rookie has a 2.87 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while posting a pristine 13.3 K/9 rate. That strikeout rate has made him one of the best pitchers in DFS, and he should have no problem shutting down a Rockies team that never scores outside of Coors Field. Not to mention, he enters this matchup as a -400 favorite!

Brandon Woodruff (MIL) at ARI

Woodruff might be the best pitcher on this slate. The Brewers righty has a 2.89 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over the last three years, flirting with a 30 percent K rate in that span. His recent form is ridiculous, registering a 2.36 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 9.6 K/9 rate since the end of May. Arizona is an astounding matchup, too, with the D’Backs ranked 21st in xwOBA and OPS.

Top Lineup Stacks

Atlanta Braves (vs. Chad Kuhl)

• Home (Truist Park)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8 Runs/ATL -400

How crazy is it to see a team as a -400 favorite? My Rockies are to blame more than anyone, throwing out the worst pitching staff in baseball. Chad Kuhl is one of the ringleaders for this nightmarish band, posting a 9.39 ERA and 2.02 WHIP across his last seven starts. That makes it hard to believe he’s still in a rotation, but this Top-5 offense should add to those atrocious averages.

Boston Red Sox (vs. Glenn Otto)

• Home (Fenway Park)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9.5 Runs/BOS -170

The Red Sox offense has been inconsistent all season, but this lineup is stacked. Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, JD Martinez, Tommy Pham, and Trevor Story make for a beautiful lineup, and those guys should do work against Glenn Otto. The Rangers righty has a 5.06 ERA and 1.46 WHIP since his third start of the year. That’s scary in a place like Fenway Park, with the Sox projected for five runs.

Chicago White Sox (vs. Daniel Lynch)

• Home (Guaranteed Rate)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/CWS -230

We had the White Sox as one of our stacks on Wednesday, and we’re going right back to the well. We talked about how talented this offense can be, and they provided us with four runs on Wednesday. That’s on par with the projections, but we believe they’ll surpass that here. Facing Daniel Lynch is the main reason, accumulating a 4.70 ERA and 1.54 WHIP this season.

Core Studs

• Acuna has been in and out of the lineup with a knee issue, but a homer on Wednesday would indicate that he’s fully healthy. The perennial MVP candidate has been on fire when he’s in the lineup, tallying a .404 OBP and .887 OPS across his last 25 games. He’s also one of the league leaders with 25 steals, providing one of the best power-speed combos around.
• It’s been a rough second half for Devers, but this is still one of the best hitters in baseball. The third baseman has posted a .883 OPS or higher in three of his last four years, providing that .883 OPS this year. That alone makes him enticing, with Devers donning a .361 OBP, .571 SLG, and .932 OPS against right-handers this year.
• We had Abreu in here on Wednesday, and we’re going right back to the well. This guy has been scorching for three months, generating a .347 AVG, .418 OBP, .506 SLG, and .924 OPS across his last 90 games. He’s also been slaughtering southpaws throughout his career and shouldn’t struggle with a lackluster pitcher like Lynch.
• Ramirez has been carrying this Guardians team on his broad shoulders, and it’s incredible watching him work every night. The switch-hitter has 26 homers and 14 steals in another sensational season, ranked Top-5 in fantasy points. Getting to hit on his more favorable left side against a pitcher with a 5.63 ERA and 1.54 WHIP is the best part of this, though.

Value Plays/Punts

• Martinez has lost all of his power this season, but things are starting to turn around. He’s homered in two of his last four games, and getting some lineup protection has been a massive boost for this guy. We’re also talking about an absolute stud, totaling a .294 AVG, .365 OBP, .551 SLG, and .916 OPS since 2017.
• Don’t look now, but Eloy is starting to find his power stroke. The slugging outfielder has his season average north of .300, amassing a .492 OBP and 1.035 OPS across his last 15 games. He also gets the platoon advantage against Lynch and is about $500 too cheap on both sites.
• Naylor always bats in the heart of Cleveland’s order against right-handed pitching, and it’s easy to understand why. The big first baseman has a .286 AVG, .522 SLG, and .848 OPS, with the platoon advantage in his favor this season. We just discussed how they face a guy with a 5.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, making this one of the best punt plays on the board.
• The Nationals have the worst lineup in baseball, but Meneses has been raking in the heart of their lineup. In 23 games this season, Joey has a .348 AVG, .618 SLG, and 1.001 OPS. He actually has a 1.080 OPS across his last seven games, and he should be able to keep rolling against a rookie making his debut for one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball.

Hitter Strategy

This is an excellent day for lineup building. We have four pitchers in fantastic spots and a ton of great stacks to build around them. The White Sox are my favorite stack of the day because you can use those cheap players with any of the aforementioned pitchers. It’ll be tougher to get Atlanta and Boston in there, but some one-offs from these teams could pair wonderfully with the Sox. Some of the other offenses we like include the Athletics, Nationals, and Guardians if you need more value.

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Whether you’re new to fantasy baseball or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Baseball 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with our Sabermetrics Glossary or head to a more advanced strategy – like Maximizing Your Potential in Multi-Lineup Contests – to learn more.

Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.