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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/17/21. Euan Leith's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Friday, Rotoballers! Let's start the weekend by enjoying 15 games of glorious baseball. In two weeks, we will be looking at the last Friday of the regular season. While that is sad for our DFS wallets, there will still be plenty of contests to win during the postseason. So make sure to stick around for our excellent DFS postseason coverage during the MLB playoffs. However, tonight's festivities offer plenty of value pitchers and hitting stack to load up our lineups.
While the tops arms of Zach Wheeler, Walker Buehler, and Lance McCullers Jr. will be trendy, I see a couple of gems lower down the board. Adrian Houser and Wil Crowe carry a higher risk profile than the top-of-the-slate aces, but I am a fan of their matchups. I wouldn't be afraid to toss them in as my SP2 if I wanted to build around an ace and then load up on my hitting.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/17/2021. 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
Hyun Jin Ryu - P, TOR vs. MIN ($8,600)
To say the Hyun-Jin Ryu experience is a bit of a rollercoaster seems like a great compliment to rollercoasters. Nevertheless, the Blue Jays southpaw is taking DFS managers on a magic carpet ride of emotions during the second half of the season. In his last nine games, he has three three shutout efforts and three games with seven earned runs allowed. Since the All-Star break, he's carrying a 5.03 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP, but a 3.40 FIP and a 61.9 percent strand rate suggest there may be some bad luck and lousy defense in play for Ryu's struggles. Still, a date with the Minnesota Twins should help steer the 34-year-old back on track. Over the last six weeks, the Twins are striking out 24.1 percent of the time to lefthanders while mustering a weak .231/.307/.417 slash line.
Adrian Houser - P, MIL vs. CHC ($7,100)
I'm getting adventurous with my SP2 slot tonight by buying into Adrian Houser and hoping a matchup with the free-swinging Cubs can boost his strikeout ceiling. The Brewer's righty is having a phenomenal second half with a 2.33 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. Those numbers are helped by a .144 batting average against and a .178 BABIP. His 5.33 SIERA tells us there is massive regression on the horizon, but I think Houser can stave it off for one more start against his division rival. He'll have a great against the Cubs as they have a 29.6 percent strikeout rate and a below-average .303 weighted on-base average against righties since August.
Other options: Zack Wheeler at NYM ($10,600), Lance McCullers Jr vs. ARI ($9,300), Wil Crowe at MIA ($6,200)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Travis d'Arnaud - C, ATL at Logan Webb ($3,900)
The Braces gave Travis d'Arnaud the day off in the series finale versus Colorado, so we can lock him in as a starting option behind home plate on Friday. That in itself is worth a fair chunk of change, but the backstop is batting sixth for a playoff-hungry Atlanta team and has given us some good fantasy performances in recent games. D'Arnaud has an extra-base hit in five of his last 10 games, and it should help drive some of his teammates in eventually despite only recording four RBI in those same 10 contests.
Frank Schwindel - 1B, CHC at Adrian Houser ($3,400)
If DraftKings refuses to raise Frank Schwindel's price, then I'm going to keep slamming him in my squad. Even though I'm recommending Houser, I'm not passing on Schwindel at this price. In September, the Cub's first baseman is slashing .400/.441/.782 with six home runs and 17 RBI, while his .382 ISO and .504 wOBA put him as a top-two qualified first baseman in either category. So grab the value yet again, and be ready to swindle with Schwindel.
Jose Altuve - 2B, HOU vs. Madison Bumgarner ($5,000)
Alex Bregman - 3B, HOU vs. Madison Bumgarner ($4,400)
I have to throw my hands up and admit these last three picks are an exact copy from my Wednesday article. However, DraftKings is just not moving these prices up, and I'm going to keep telling you to take advantage when the value is there. Altuve has six multi-hit games in his last 10 and is making contact to spray the ball all over the diamond. In the same 10 games, he has 14 runs, five doubles, two home runs, and six RBI for a 1.127 OPS and 12.4 fantasy points per game.
Bregman continues to rack up the counting stats since his return off the Injury List. Since the calendar flipped to September, Bregman has a .338/.426/.612 slash line with eight runs, 16 RBI, and three home runs in 13 games. He's hitting third in a Houston offense that scorched the Rangers for 35 runs in a four-game set, and the RBI opportunities will continue to be there against Bumgarner on Friday.
Elvis Andrus - SS, OAK at LAA ($3,200)
The Angels haven't confirmed who is starting tonight's contest after Shohei Ohtani was scratched from this start. So it may be a bullpen game for the Angels, and it should offer the A's a chance to stay in the playoff hunt. Elvis Andrus has come alive this week after a miserable 2021 campaign. In his last six games, the veteran shortstop is 10-for-19 and has swatted four doubles while racking up six runs and five RBI for Oakland. He hasn't been a useful DFS option for most of the season, but at $3,200, there is certainly some upside potential to continue riding the Andrus ascent.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Juan Soto - OF, WAS vs. Kyle Freeland ($5,800)
Juan Soto is a phenomenal baseball player, but he's been a forgotten man on a sinking Nationals team. Hopefully, Washington can bounce back quickly because they need to surround this man with more talent. Fortunately, that may not be a problem on Friday as the Nationals thrive against left-handed pitching (.352 team wOBA since August). Plus, Soto is feeling it at the plate right now. The left-handed slugger owns a 1.213 OPS in his last 10 games while averaging 11.8 FPPG. There may not be a quieter superstar in the game right now, and a low-rostered Soto could be the difference between crossing the green line and being all the way on the right side of the bar by the end of the evening.
Teoscar Hernandez - OF, TOR vs. Michael Pineda ($4,600)
On Wednesday, I tried to provide three outfield options at three different price points, and it worked out well for my roster builds that night. So I'm trying it again today, and my $4,000 price range recommendation is Teoscar Hernandez. The Blue Jays are volcanically hot right now, and grabbing any piece of their lineup is advisable. However, this month, Hernandez is top-five among all qualified outfielders in home runs (5), runs (20), RBI (17), slugging percentage (.745), and wOBA (.517). So sign me up for all of that, and then some as Teoscar is the Toronto piece I prioritize on Friday night.
Austin Hays - OF, BAL at Chris Sale ($2,900)
Rolling with Austin Hays seems like a risk when facing a pitcher of Chris Sale's quality. However, Hays is hitting the ball with power and is a low-cost, high-upside play at only $2,900 on Friday. Over his last 10 games, the right-handed bat has a 1.076 OPS to go along with seven runs, two doubles, a triple, five home runs, and 13 RBI. He's bagged a couple of two home run games in that stretch and is up to 20 home runs in 2021. Hays is a perfect player to help your roster construction if you need to make some salary space in your lineup.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Houston Astros vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (Madison Bumgarner, LHP)
- Toronto Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins (Michael Pineda, RHP)
- Sneaky stack: Washington Nationals vs. Colorado Rockies (Kyle Freeland, LHP)
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