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Mark Kieffer highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 9/19/21, and a couple of FanDuel DFS sleepers to consider while building daily fantasy rosters.
If you're playing MLB DFS today, shout out to you as it's a long season, the media attention is on football today, and September baseball gets strange at times!
With 13 games on the slate, there are plenty of options for our rosters. My biggest piece of advice on large slates is to trust your research and process. Don't be afraid to fade some chalky spots or cross off some games entirely if you're not interested in them. Even if you are playing 150 lineups, you can't get exposure to every pitcher with a favorable matchup or offense with a solid Vegas total. You have to pick your spots!
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 9/19/2021. Be sure to also check out all the MLB player news, including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like DraftKings, and other sports.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Cash Game Play
Lucas Giolito ($9,300) vs. TEX
Lucas Giolito has a K-BB% of 21.2%, similar to Eovaldi's 21.3% but is $1,200 less expensive and facing a Texas Rangers offense that isn't good. Giolito giving up 1.5 HR/9 is a bit problematic for a cash game type of pitcher, but Texas' team ISO is .144 which is the third lowest in all of Major League Baseball. Giolito is one of the best plays for the money spent on today's slate.
GPP Play
Logan Gilbert ($7,300) vs. KC
Logan Gilbert has a K-BB% better than Giolito, better than Eovaldi, and is even less expensive. There is a bit less upside in that the only real power threat in the lineup is Salvador Perez, but Kansas City has the third-lowest strikeout rate in major league baseball. He faced the Royals on August 27th and gave up five runs in four innings pitched. He did log five strikeouts. Five innings, five-six strikeouts, and a win are in the realm of possibility.
Others to consider:
Eric Lauer ($8,800) vs. CHC - On the surface, not much to see here as he has a pedestrian K% of 23.5%, has a BB% of 8.1%, and a SIERA of 4.23. These are not the stats of a pitcher creeping up close to $9k. Lauer and the Brewers in general are on a roll though. Lauer has a September ERA of 0.93 with 19.1 innings pitched. What is even more encouraging is in those 19.1 innings pitched, he has only issued three walks. FanDuel is about win hunting and going against the Cubs and with how hot Milwaukee has been, he is someone I would consider today.
Zack Grienke ($7,800) vs. ARZ - He doesn't strike out anyone anymore (K% of 17%) but the Astros are one of the largest favorites on the slate.
FanDuel GPP Stacks
I am a tournament player, so I am going to give some GPP recommendations, and then I will give some value plays on the slate that I think can be good for either your GPP lineup or for cash games.
1. Seattle Mariners: There are a lot of teams with implied totals of around 5 runs. The Mariners are sneaky. They are facing a pitcher in Jackson Kowar with a K-BB% of 1.1% and a SIERA of 6.10. Seattle has just the sixth highest implied run total but facing the worst pitcher on the slate arguably.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers: They are a strongly favored team, have an implied run total of over five runs, and are facing a pitcher with good surface stats. It's the perfect combination to stack if you can afford it. Wade Miley has a 3.10 ERA but has a 4.49 SIERA and one of the lowest K-BB% on the slate at 11%. You can realistically stack any spot of the lineup and be in a good position here.
3. Houston Astros: It's a similar situation to the Dodgers, they are highly favored, should score a lot of runs, and facing a pitcher that has brand equity as he was a popular pitcher drafted in seasonlong fantasy baseball drafts.
4. New York Yankees: Typically a popular play on any given slate, they might be lost in the shuffle as several teams have similar implied totals. Eli Morgan allows over 2.0 HR/9, he is definitely a pitcher to attack.
5. Chicago White Sox: The Southsiders are facing Jordan Lyles. What does Jordan Lyles give? A 18.8% K rate, 1.99 HR/9, and a SIERA of 4.74. Chicago is a little bit less expensive than some of the options above.
FanDuel DFS Value Plays
Here are some one-off options to help fill out your rosters that are at a value. You can also use any players from the above stacks as one-offs or make mini-stacks off of the recommended stacks above as well.
1. Ji-Man Choi - 1B vs. DET ($2,600) - If he plays, he is going to bat in the middle of the order and has an ISO of.250 against RHP going against Wily Peralta and that bad Tigers bullpen.
2. Abraham Toro 2B/SS vs. KC ($2,600) - Has an iso of .180 against RHP. I stated earlier I really like Seattle today; I also like Toro as a one-off, likely to hit in the middle of the order today.
3. Omar Narvaez- C/1B vs. CHC ($2,300) - On Friday Narvaez bat 4th in the order. Last night Pina caught, so I am hoping Narvaez is back in the lineup and batting 4th one again. A .170 ISO against RHP, likely hitting in the middle of the order, in a game where the team is expected to score a bunch of runs is where I want to pull my cheap bats from.
4. Wil Myers- OF vs. STL ($2,600) - He has the 2nd highest ISO on the team against LHP (.210). J.A. Happ is not a good pitcher.
5. C. J. Cron- 1B - vs. WSH ($2,700) - I generally don't love rostering the Rockies on the road. Espino isn't very good and Cron has an ISO of .240 against RHP, so you have to consider at the price.
Be on the lookout when lineups come out for guys in run-producing spots that aren't expensive. Sundays can often be different as some players get extra rest with a day game after a night game, opening up opportunities for other players to play.
Best of luck and I hope it's a profitable slate for you!
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