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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/22/21. Euan Leith's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Wednesday, Rotoballers! With a week and a half of the regular season to go, there are still seven playoff spots up for grabs. The Giants, Dodgers, and Brewers have secured some October baseball, but it's still all up in the air in the NL East and the final Wild Card spot. As for the AL, the Astros and White Sox seem destined for a Divisional Series matchup, while the Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Yankees fight to the (figurative) death for the remaining three American League spots. That was an incredibly long way of saying: There is a ton left to fight for this year, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the final 10-12 games play out.
Ten evening games clutter the MLB schedule on Wednesday, with some top-heavy aces and bottom-of-the-barrel bargains. For today, I'm sticking in the top third of the pitching arsenal. It'll cost me on the hitting side, but there are some pleasant values around the diamond to make up for it. One player I am fading is Luis Garcia for the Astros. Recently, he's hit a rough patch, and at $10,000, I'm not sure why you wouldn't go up to Zack Wheeler ($10,400 vs. BAL) or down to the likes of Walker Buehler ($9,800 at COL) or Chris Sale ($9,600 vs. NYM).
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/22/2021. 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
Zack Wheeler - P, PHI vs. BAL ($10,400)
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler comes into the slate as the most expensive arm to roster. The right-handed hurler has had his ups and downs since the All-Star break but has still managed to compile a 3.68 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 26.1 percent strikeout rate. In his previous three starts, the 31-year old averaged 27.2 fantasy points per game and has 23 strikeouts in his last 17 2/3 innings. Wheeler will have a chance to match his recent DraftKings output against the Baltimore Orioles today. In September, the O's are slashing a putrid .215/.290/.387 with a 26.8 percent strikeout rate to righties.
Joe Ryan - P, MIN at CHC ($8,200)
I will put Joe Ryan in some of my lineups on Wednesday, but he's a prime candidate for me only checking the boxscore at the end of the night and not watching a single pitch of his outing. The main reason is that he gives up so many flyballs (26 flyball outs in 17 innings), and the second reason is that the Cubs can mash the baseball. However, all hope is not lost with Ryan. In his first three starts, the rookie is 1-1 with a 2.12 ERA, 0.53 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts in 17 innings. A date with the Cubs should fix his lack of strikeouts as they whiff 28.3 percent of the time versus righties in September. As I said, Ryan is a set-it-and-nervously-forget-it option, but I'm not a fan of the arms below him, and I think he will have a low roster percentage on the slate.
Other options: Walker Buehler at COL ($9,800), Chris Sale vs. NYM ($9,600), Ian Anderson at ARI ($8,400)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Daulton Varsho - C, ARI vs. Ian Anderson ($5,200)
Varsho has been getting the kind of run in the second half of the season most season-long fantasy managers wanted from him all year. Still, the catcher/outfielder is doing his best to make up for lost time with a terrific second half. Since the All-Star break, Varsho has been slashing .294/.357/.588 with 27 runs, 26 RBI, 23 extra-base hits (10 home runs), and four stolen bases. He's doing it all, and while $5,200 isn't a discount, the Diamondbacks do-it-all man is averaging 9.9 FPPG in his last 10 and is one of the safest bets at catcher.
Bobby Dalbec - 1B, BOS vs. Taijuan Walker ($3,300)
Bobby D! His bat has come alive since Kyle Schwarber began challenging for his spot at first base, and it seems to be staving off a what seemed likely bench role in Boston. The young slugger has five home runs and 15 RBI in 15 games to accompany a .404 ISO and .442 weighted on-base average in September. Over his last 10 games, Dalbec has smashed seven extra-base hits and sports a 1.033 OPS. At $3,300, he's one of my favorite values among the 10 games tonight, but I would play him in any contest without any hesitation.
Brendan Rodgers - 2B, COL vs. Walker Buehler ($3,900)
While Walker Buehler brings his talents to the Mile High City on Wednesday, I'm buying what Brendan Rodgers is selling and slamming him in my DFS lineups. He's been nothing short of phenomenal in the second half of the year with a .303/.335/.500 slash line to go along with 31 runs, 27 RBI, and 22 extra-base hits in 50 games. The Rockies infielder isn't even benefitting from the Coors-Field bump yet, as he has a .745 OPS in Colorado and a .864 OPS away from the thin air of Denver. Rodgers is locked in as the two-hole hitter for the Rockies, and I love his price at $3,900.
Nolan Arenado - OF, STL at Brett Anderson ($4,600)
I'm not a Brett Anderson believer, and I'm ready to put my lack of faith to the test with a couple of Cardinals' recommendations. First off, we have Nolan Arenado. The perennial All-Star is predictably having his worst season in a while after leaving Coors Field, but he's been far from a disaster with 33 home runs and 100 RBI in 2021. Recently, he's up to a 1.015 OPS in his last 10 games and has pummeled four baseballs for home runs and driven in 10 RBI. Arenado is hitting in the middle of a Cardinals lineup, making a last-minute September push, and he will push DFS managers into the green on Wednesday.
Elvis Andrus - SS, OAK vs. Chris Flexen ($2,700)
It hasn't been the change-of-scenery narrative some people were hoping for this season with Elvis Andrus after moving from Texas to the Bay Area. However, that's the great thing about DFS: a player can turn it around and be hot for a while and become a terrific addition to our rosters. He came up hitless last night, but he was playing some of his best ball of the season in the previous games. From Sep. 7 - Sep. 20, Andrus registered a hit in 11 of 12 games while batting .472 with four doubles, six RBI, and nine runs. At $2,700, Andrus is a perfect punt play if you need to fit some more significant bats at the other positions.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Kyle Tucker - OF, HOU at Janson Junk ($4,400)
Homer alert, but, for my money, Kyle Tucker has one of the quietest home run swings in the game.
Part 1.#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/KlszlS8ziN
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 22, 2021
I want as much of the Houston offense as I can afford right now, and Tucket sitting at $4,400 is too good to pass up. He's up to 27 home runs in 129 games and has a legitimate 40 home run upside if he can stay healthy for an entire season. The lefty bat has heated up over the last week and a half with seven runs, five doubles, three home runs, and seven RBI since Sept. 12. Tucker has seven extra-base hits in his last seven games, and I think he'll make it eight in eight against Jason Junk and the Angels bullpen as the Astros look to inch closer to another AL West title.
Tyler O'Neill - OF, STL at Brett Anderson ($4,300)
I'll be combining Tyler O'Neill with Nolan Arenado for my Cardinals stack and waiting for the fantasy points to flow into my DraftKings lineup. Grabbing the 3-4 St. Louis stack versus Brett Anderson feels like one of the safest plays on the slate. As a team, St. Louis is battering lefties this month to the tune of a .417 wOBA and a 162 wRC+. Like I mentioned earlier, Arenado is hot, and it's making a great team with O'Neill's recent performances. Since Sep. 11, the outfielder is slashing .333/.405/.611 three home runs, 11 RBI, and 13 runs for 12.7 FPPG. There are other combinations of Cardinals to roll out there, but the O'Neill-Arenado pairing is my favorite right now.
Garrett Hampson - OF, COL vs. Walker Buehler ($3,000)
I'm going back to the Coors Field well one more time tonight and grabbing the Rockies leadoff hitter. Garrett Hampson at $3,000 feels like a no-brainer given his price and recent form. The Rockies leadoff hitter is touting a .837 OPS this month, which is his second-highest month behind a .857 mark in June. He did this last season with a big September, and I'm all for rolling the dice and running with it again. Hampson is leading off in Coors Field for $3,000. Sometimes we don't have to think too hard about every matchup and just take the free opportunities to accrue fantasy points with minimal risk. Grab Garrett and spend up at other spots on Wednesday.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels (Janson Junk, RHP)
- St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee Brewers (Brett Anderson, LHP)
- San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres (Vince Velasquez, RHP)
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