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Happy Friday, Rotoballers! With the final week of the MLB regular season upon us, the schedule has provided a massive 15-game slate for us to fill our DFS lineups. First, the Cardinals and Cubs play a double-header, while the Braves and Padres complete a game rained out earlier this season. It's a shame about the St. Louis-Chicago matchup because I was looking forward to picking on J.A. Happ and loading up on the Cubs. Still, the night begins at 7:05 pm Eastern in Philadelphia and Baltimore until a whole night of baseball takes us to the first pitch in San Diego between the Braves and Padres.
With it being September, teams are getting a little unpredictable with the starting rotation as they try to line up for a possible postseason berth. Several teams are using openers, and some haven't declared a starter at all for tonight's game. Unfortunately, someone at DraftKings woke up this morning and chose violence because there are 11 pitchers with a price tag above $9,000, and it makes rostering two studs incredibly difficult. But, of course, you can make it work with some value bats, and I'm here to recommend some of the best in the game for Friday's contests.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 9/24/2021. 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
Jose Berrios - P, TOR at MIN ($9,500)
I'm not sure if I've seen this before, but Jose Berrios is going for back-to-back revenge game wins over the team who traded him at the deadline. Last Sunday, the right-handed hurler racked up 21.4 points against the Minnesota Twins with six strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings, and now he returns to Target Field hoping for a repeat performance. Over his last five starts, Berrios is twirling a 2.38 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP with a 25.2 percent strikeout minus walk rate while averaging 25.72 fantasy points per game. There are some eye-popping prices at starting pitcher tonight, and Berrios is an excellent differential pick if you want to stay away from the upper echelon of arms.
Logan Gilbert - P, SEA at LAA ($6,400)
The Mariners called up Logan Gilbert early in the season, and they've done right by him as he's gone through the ups and downs of a rookie season. That's certainly been the case recently, as the righty seems to go on these runs, and I think we can catch him right in the middle of one at this excellent $6,400 price point.
| Logan Gilbert's Last 10 Starts | |||||
| Dates | Games | ERA | WHIP | K% | DK FPPG |
| 7/30 - 8/10 | 3 | 4.76 | 1.20 | 24.3 | 15.2 |
| 8/15 - 8/27 | 3 | 13.50 | 2.13 | 20.0 | 0.1 |
| 9/1 - 9/19 | 4 | 2.01 | 0.94 | 25.8 | 19.45 |
In his previous four games, he's seen the Royals, the Red Sox, and the Astros twice. Gilbert's recent starts are not the result of some scheduling fluke. The rookie is dominating some of the best offenses in baseball. Now, he visits the Angels, and they are not one of the best offenses in baseball right now. Over the last four weeks, Los Angeles strikes out 25.3 percent of the time to righties and can only muster a .275 weight on-base average against them. Gilbert is a fantastic and cheap SP2 option on this massive slate.
Other options: Gerrit Cole at BOS ($10,800), Frankie Montas vs. HOU ($10,600), Dylan Cease at CLE ($9,000), Tony Gonsolin at ARI ($7,800)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
J.T. Realmuto - C, PHI vs. PIT ($5,200)
With Buster Posey's comeback and Salvador Perez's ascension, J.T. Realmuto seems to be the forgotten man at the catcher position. However, the three-time All-Star is trying to rectify that view in recent games with some red-hot hitting. He's bagged a hit in nine of his last 10 games and four multi-hit efforts in that stretch. Realmuto has been slashing .400/.429/.675 since Sept. 12, and the Phillies are 7-3 during that stretch. They need their catcher to come through down the stretch, and, with his six extra-base hits in the last 10 games, Realmuto is ready to blast the Phillies into the postseason for the first time since 2011.
Frank Schwindel - 1B, CHC vs. Jack Flaherty ($2,800)
Frank Schwindel is riding an 11-game hit streak with a .388/.423/.694 slash line. He is proving to the Cubs he can be a helpful piece to the future of this team as the club begins a rebuild. In September, Schwindel has pretty much been a discount Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
| September Stats | |||||
| Player | Games | R | HR | RBI | wOBA |
| Frank Schwindel | 19 | 17 | 7 | 19 | 0.479 |
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 21 | 22 | 7 | 9 | 0.484 |
The fact is that Schwindel is having a phenomenal second half and going hit-for-hit with some of the elite talents in the game. Even during a seven-inning game, the Cub's first baseman will have enough opportunities to do some damage and provide a boost to your Friday lineup.
Brendan Rodgers - 2B, COL vs. Alex Wood ($3,700)
The Colorado Rockies are enjoying a resurgent second half with a youth movement, and Brendan Rodgers is bang in the middle. He saw an eight-game hit streak come to an end last night, but he should have no problem jumping back on the horse and delivering some DFS points in Denver. In September, the 25-year-old is batting .305 with a .866 OPS to accompany his 13 runs, 13 RBI, and five home runs. Rodgers has taken the step in 2021 and will continue to thrive in the Mile High City to start the weekend.
Kris Bryant - 3B, SF at Peter Lambert ($5,700)
The Giants are on the cusp of grabbing their 100th win of the season, and Kris Bryant has been a reason for their continued success this season. Since arriving in San Francisco, the 2016 NL MVP has a .858 OPS with 25 runs, 13 doubles, seven home runs, 19 RBI, and five stolen bases. He's one stolen base away from his first double-digit steals season since 2015. While I don't think he'll be looking for it in Colorado, Bryant is adding another avenue for fantasy points, and that's always a desired asset in DFS circles. He's one of the pricier recommendations on the slate for me, but it's always a good idea to grab a piece of the action at Coors Field if you can make it work.
Corey Seager - SS, LAD at Humberto Castellanos ($4,800)
Corey Seager is one of the best shortstops in the game, but he often gets lost in the shuffle of the position and the star power on his team. This year, he is thriving away from Dodgers Stadium with a .326/.426/.491 slash line and 18 extra-base hits in 46 games. Seager's season has been shortened due to some injuries, but I still expect him to be one of the best hitters in the game for years to come. He's locked in as the No. 2 hitter for a Los Angeles team fighting tooth and nail to win an NL West crown and avoid the Wild Card game. They should be scoring runs early and often, which will lead to precious fantasy point chances for Seager.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Bryce Harper - OF, PHI vs. PIT ($6,000)
I'm going on the record and saying Bryce Harper is my pick for National League MVP. I understand what Fernando Tatis Jr. has done this season, but Harper's second half is one for the ages. Since the All-Star break, the Phillies outfielder is slashing .351/.487/.574 with 48 runs, 25 doubles, 18 home runs, 46 RBI, and six steals in 63 games. He's clawed Philadelphia back into the playoff race, and if they sneak past the Braves, I think he grabs it over Tatis for his second MVP award. From a DFS angle, he's been about as safe a pick as you can make. Plus, with Logan Gilbert sitting at $6,400, there's room in my lineup to snag a bat like Harper and fill in the rest afterward.
Cedric Mullins - OF, BAL vs. Spencer Howard ($4,200)
Cedric Mullins has had a breakout season, and it will continue tonight at home versus the Texas Rangers. I'm still anxious to roster him in DFS versus lefties, but that won't matter tonight. In Camden Yards, Mullins owns a .984 OPS and has accumulated 52 runs, 20 doubles, two triples, 21 home runs, 34 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in the process. Spencer Howard could be in for a rough couple of innings tonight, and Mullins is likely to be the reason why. The O's outfielder has slowed down, but two extra-base hits in his last three games suggest another big blast is coming off his bat soon.
Hunter Dozier - OF, KC at Casey Mize ($2,700)
I couldn't find Hunter Dozier for the longest time in the player pool for tonight's slate. That's because I expected a player slashing .288/.371/.627 in September to be worth $4,700, not $2,700. In his previous 10 games, Dozier has recorded seven runs, two doubles, four home runs, seven RBI, and a 1.146 OPS. Tonight, he will see Casey Mize and a pitcher allowing 1.5 home runs per nine innings since the All-Star break. At this salary, it's tough not to smash Dozier into your lineup and spread the wealth throughout the rest of your lineup.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Philadelphia Phillies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (TBD)
- Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins (Bailey Ober, RHP)
- Game stack: Houston Astros (Zack Greinke, RHP) at Oakland Athletics (Frankie Montas, RHP)
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