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Saturdays in September are filled with college football, pumpkin picking, apple cider, and maybe even some back porch grilling or front porch swinging. But the boys of summer aren't done just yet as we still have a few Saturdays left in the regular season and a lot of baseball yet to come with the playoffs leading up to the Fall Classic.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 9/21/2024, with the slate starting at 7:05 p.m. EDT. The lineup picks will usually range from some elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is also essential. Good luck tonight, RotoBallers!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Ronel Blanco vs. LAA ($9,500 DraftKings; $9,200 FanDuel)
The Angels rank 28th in MLB in wRC+ vs. RHP over the last two months and Blanco just blanked them over six strong frames last week while striking out five. I usually avoid a pitcher facing the same team two games in a row. Still, our options are pretty limited today and the combination of Blanco being in solid recent form, being a heavy favorite, and facing a struggling offense make him one of my favorite options on the bump.
Carlos Rodon at OAK ($9,300 DraftKings; $10,400 FanDuel)
Rodon checks in as the most expensive pitcher on the FanDuel main slate, but a few hundred bucks cheaper than Blanco on DraftKings, which is where I would consider using him. Rodon is a tad risky in that he has a tendency to get hard at times, but he also brings some of the best strikeout stuff to the slate with a strong 27% K% on the season. Oakland ranks right in the middle of the pack against lefties, but the big park should play into Rodon's favor today as a fly ball pitcher, too.
Matthew Boyd @ STL ($8,800 DraftKings; $9,000 FanDuel)
Boyd is coming off a poor start against the Twins where he lost control early in the game, but had made four straight excellent starts for Cleveland before that. He has the best strikeout rate on the board today, a few ticks higher than Rodon, and sports the best SIERA at 3.11. His breaking ball has been fantastic and as long as he's locating it today, he should be able to rack up some strikeouts without giving up too much damage to a Cardinals team that is mediocre offensively.
I really wouldn't consider any other pitchers on this slate!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Kyle Manzardo – 1B, CLE ($2,700 DK; $2,500 FD)
The big first baseman has been impactful for the Guardians down the stretch and should hit in the 2-hole tonight in front of Jose Ramirez. He has excellent plate discipline and has shown a solid ability to get on base in addition to the raw power that he's displayed with two home runs in his last five starts.
Kyle Manzardo in 15 games since rejoining the Guardians on Sept 1, entering today: .308/.372/.590, 3 HR, 2 2B, 42.9 percent hard-hit rate
He's been a huge lift at the DH spot for the AL Central leaders.
First at-bat of the day: pic.twitter.com/3KamoPUaIs
— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) September 19, 2024
A good, patient lefty hitter is exactly what I am looking for against Miles Mikolas and Manzardo's price makes him one of the best values on the board.
Brice Turang– 2B, MIL ($4,400 DK; $3,000 FD)
Turang is cheap for a leadoff hitter of his caliber and I always love the potential for a stolen base or two from my middle infielders. He's up to 46 this season and has six in his last seven games. The Brew Crew faces Merrill Kelly today, who has been much worse this season than in previous years. His advanced metrics are rough and I think Milwaukee could rough him up here.
Andrew Vaughn – 1B, CHW ($3,400 DK; $2,800 FD)
You have to hold your nose and play some White Sox once in a while. Vaughn has a six-game hitting streak going with two home runs in that stretch and a very favorable matchup here against Padres lefty Martin Perez. If you need to save some salary, roster Vaught but don't go overboard and stack this team or anything like that!
Also consider: Gavin Lux (2B), Willy Adames (SS), Yainer Diaz (C)
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Shohei Ohtani – 1B/OF, LAD ($7,300 DK; $5,100 FD)
Yeah, I did something that I usually don't do and made a very obvious recommendation. You don't really need me to tell you how good Ohtani is and has been this season, but he's been HISTORICALLY good and looks locked in at the plate lately.
Shohei Ohtani, you are ridiculous! pic.twitter.com/B1LsHjbWly
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 21, 2024
I can't remember seeing players at 7k or higher on DK...ever. We are approaching Russell Westbrook territory with pricing to where the sites simply don't know what to do with a player because they are so dominant. The pricing actually should hold Ohtani's ownership in check a bit, but I will make every attempt to play him if I can against Cal Quantrill.
Jackson Merrill – OF, SDP vs ($4,400 DK; $3,300 FD)
The odds-on favorite to win the NL MVP (though it should be Paul Skenes - we can discuss that later) is having a fantastic offensive season and is one of my favorite Padres to play tonight in this matchup against Chris Flexen. Merrill does it all - hits for average, power, and can steal the occasional base. He's very fairly priced on both sites and has been a mainstay of DFS lineups for me for most of the season as a result.
Jasson Dominguez – OF, NYY ($3,600 DK; $2,800 FD)
The Yankees might be facing a lefty today with their former farmhand J.P. Sears on the mound, but I still like Dominguez a lot in this spot and I am always searching for value so we can fit some high-end pitching in my builds with some top hitters, too. Dominguez is sporting just a .188 average so far in the majors, but has an elite hit tool and is starting to trend up with hits in three of his last four starts.
Also consider: Giancarlo Stanton, Victor Robles, Kyle Tucker
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
1. Padres vs. Chris Flexen
Flexen continues to be one of the worst pitchers in baseball and the Pads have the second-highest implied team total on the board at 5.1 runs.
Favorite bats: Tatis, Profar, Machado, Merrill, Cronenworth
2. Dodgers vs. Cal Quantrill
Cal had a nice run earlier in the season, but the wheels have fallen off. He's walking a ton of hitters and struggling to get through five innings, which means more at-bats for the Dodgers against the horrid Rockies bullpen.
Favorite bats: Ohtani, Betts, Freeman, Muncy, Lux
3. Guardians vs. Miles Mikolas
Cleveland is officially my "sneaky stack" as they tend to fly under the radar and don't have a team total that catches your eye at first glance. But we all know Miles Mikolas is a guy who can give up a ton of contact and Cleveland is loaded with good contact hitters that don't whiff much.
Favorite bats: Manzardo, Ramirez, Naylor, Thomas, Gimenez
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