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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/1/21. Euan Leith's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Wednesday, Rotoballers! We welcome in the final month of the regular season with 10 games on the featured DraftKings slate. Eventually, we will have to watch out for some funky lineups as teams drop out of the race or some winning team clinch their divisions and prepare for the playoffs. However, we shouldn't be reaching that point for another two or three weeks, and instead, we can enjoy some significant baseball every evening.
The aces are out in force today. You can probably get away with rostering two of the highest salaried players in cash games and then filling out your lineup with the values you find in this article and from the rest of the Rotoballer DFS team. However, if you need to have a big night, you can get a little different and go down to James Kaprielian as an option. He may not be the most reliable option on the slate, but he gets a fantastic matchup with the Tigers and their free-swinging bunch of bats.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/1/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, find me on Twitter and ask away.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Gerrit Cole - P, NYY at LAA ($9,900)
Whatever new substance Gerrit Cole is using, he's still getting the same phenomenal results. The perennial AL Cy Young contender has been terrific since the All-Star break and one of the catalysts for the Yankees' second-half playoff surge up the standings. Since the campaign's second half started, Cole is 4-2 with a 3.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a sky-high 36.8 percent strikeout rate. His underlying numbers (2.65 xFIP, 2.75 SIERA) suggest he's even been a bit unlucky in the runs department. New York's ace has at least eight strikeouts in six of his last seven starts and averages 29 fantasy points in those starts. So fire him up with confidence against an Angels lineup with a 25.1 percent K rate and .285 weighted On-Base Average versus righties in August.
James Kaprielian - P, OAK at DET ($8,500)
Kaprielian is having an excellent season and deserves some recognition as we head into the season's home stretch. However, we will have to save that for later because the A's find themselves in the thick of a playoff chase with the Yankees, Red Sox, Astros, and Mariners. Kaprielian has shown us what he can do this season with seven games of at least 20 DraftKings points and four of those seven eclipsing the 25-point mark. Since July, the righty has had a 10-strikeout game versus the Red Sox, an eight-strikeout performance versus the Yankees, and a seven-K contest against the Angels. Kaprelian's opponent, Detroit, whiffed 27.8 percent of the time versus righties in August, and it elevates his potential enough to make him a useful SP2 option on Wednesday.
Other options: Max Scherzer vs. ATL ($10,900), Chris Sale at TB ($10,400), Steven Matz vs. BAL ($8,300), Joe Ryan vs. CHC ($5,000)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Will Smith - C, LAD vs. Max Fried ($4,400)
I recommended Will Smith on Monday, and he rewarded my belief with a 2-for-4 performance with a home run and 17 fantasy points. His salary sat at $4,600 for that Monday slate, and now it's gone down. As a result, I'm going back to the Will Smith well and grabbing him as my catcher. From Aug. 17 to Aug. 30, Smith slashed .306/.390/.667 with six runs, a double, four home runs, and six RBI.
Yandy Diaz - 1B/3B, TB vs. Chris Sale ($4,400)
As absurd as it seems to go against Chris Sale, I like Yandy Diaz as a contrarian play at first base on Wednesday. The powerful infielder has seen an uptick in his extra-base hits recently (three doubles in his last three games), and it wouldn't be all that surprising to see one of those big hits clear the fence. Additionally, the last time the Rays saw a lefty on the mound, Diaz found himself in the cleanup hitter's spot. So I'll take the gamble on his recent form and lineup slot and try to gain some leverage on the rest of the field.
Jorge Polanco - 2B, MIN vs. Justin Steele ($4,300)
Josh Donaldson - 3B, MIN vs. Justin Steele ($4,000)
We are rocking and rolling with a Twins stack against Justin Steele and grabbing two of the best (and hottest) bats in the lineup. Polanco is one of the more underrated players in season-long and daily fantasy baseball. He's providing big points more often than not, and now, as the three-hole hitter, he's producing the counting stats to match his ability. Over his last 10 games, the infielder sports a.949 OPS with three doubles, three home runs, and 11 RBI.
Meanwhile, Donaldson is cleaning up whatever Polanco leaves for him and is making it rain in the DFS points department. Since Aug. 20, the 2015 AL MVP slashes .333/.429/.833 with seven runs, three doubles, five home runs, 10 RBI, and 12.3 fantasy points per game. Cubs starter, Justin Steele, has allowed four home runs in his three starts, and I expect Polanco or Donaldson to add a fifth long ball to that total this evening.
Nicky Lopez - SS, KC vs. Logan Allen ($3,500)
*30 for 30 voice* What if I told you there was an infielder with 18 hits in his last 10 games but only cost $3,500?
That guy would be Nicky Lopez! The Royals' infielder has been slapping balls all over the diamond in August, but the respect is still missing. Since Aug. 21, Lopez is slashing .439/.511/.488 with six runs, two doubles, four RBI, and three steals. There may not be a better bang for your buck player on the slate than Lopez right now. Plus, the Royals will see Logan Allen and his 9.13 ERA since the All-Star break on the mound. Kansas City will score early and often on Wednesday, and Lopez will rack up the fantasy points.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Aaron Judge - OF, NYY at Packy Naughton ($5,600)
Aaron Judge is guilty on all counts of crushing baseballs. The Yankees slugger is at it again and carrying fantasy teams as a result. He may or may not be a massive reason I've surged up the Roto rankings in one of my leagues, and it's hard not to admire the type of form he is currently putting on display. Over his last 10 games, the All-Star is rocking a 1.202 OPS with seven runs, three doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI, and a stolen base for 12.7 FPPG. He's collected an impressive seven multi-hit efforts in his last eight games. There may not be a safer, higher-upside bat to build your offense around than Aaron Judge on Wednesday.
Patrick Wisdom - 3B/OF, CHC at Joe Ryan ($4,700)
Let me instill some wisdom on your DFS lineup: play Patrick Wisdom. The Cubs outfielder can't stop hitting home runs, and I won't stop playing him in DFS. Since Aug. 20, Wisdom has walloped seven home runs and collected 13 RBI as the Cubs go into a thorough inspection of their roster as they look ahead to the future. However, our job as DFS managers is to find what's thriving right now, and that's Wisdom's bat. I do wish he was a bit cheaper, but this Cubs-Twins game seems primed for an explosion. So I'll have a lineup with a game stack between these offenses and prepare for the fireworks show at Target Field.
Brandon Marsh - OF, LAA vs. Gerrit Cole ($2,100)
Much like Nicky Lopez earlier, the disrespect for Brandon Marsh is just too much to ignore. I realize I recommended Cole as my SP1 (and cover boy) in this article, but not rostering Marsh at $2,100 is a flat-out mistake. Over the last two weeks, his .429 wOBA is the eighth-highest among qualified outfielders, but his price remains at the bottom of the barrel. I don't know about you, but I could use the 7.8 FPPG he's averaging on any of my rosters. The .946 OPS over his last 10 games is eye-catching, and the low salary offers the kind of flexibility to get one or two big bats in your Wednesday lineups.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels (Packy Naughton, LHP)
- Game Stack: Chicago Cubs (Justin Steele, RHP) at Minnesota Twins (Joe Ryan, RHP)
- Contrarian Game Stack: Boston Red Sox (Chris Sale, LHP) at Tampa Bay Rays (Drew Rasmussen, RHP)
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