FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (9/1/20): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

September 1, 2020

Jesse Borek highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 9/1/20, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.

September baseball has arrived. With all of the scheduled doubleheaders, contests left without a new start date, and faces in new places, it’s sure to be a hectic month across the DFS slate. 

As comes with the territory of any sport entering the conclusion of its regular season, new opportunities will be given in spades, potentially throwing the slate into chaos. Owners should be safe from that level of head spinning at this point, but that doesn’t mean that filling out a roster will be easy. That’s why we’re here, after all!

I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 9/1/2020. Be sure also to 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 too.

FanDuel DFS Pitchers

Framber Valdez - HOU v. TEX ($9,900)

As Houston returns to action Tuesday, Valdez is the first arm that they’ll tab. While his significant price tag jump is eye-popping, there may be no quieter high-riser over the last month than the Astros’ southpaw, who has delivered at least 40 FD points in each of his last four outings. Valdez neutralizes opponents’ launch angle, having allowed an average of 2.1 degrees this season, which is vastly below league average. Texas’ offense has been quiet thus far in 2020, with its collective .636 OPS ranking them dead last in the American League. Factor in that Todd Frazier and Robinson Chirinos were traded Monday, and that regulars Rougned Odor and Willie Calhoun are out of the mix, and Valdez is in line to be facing the second unit of a club whose first unit has been less than intimidating.

Julio Urias - LAD v. ARI ($7,300)

Back among the comfort of Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, Urias will get to face an Arizona offense that lost its biggest contributor, Starling Marte, at the Trade Deadline. Urias has looked much more in sync at home this year, having posted a 2.35 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in his first three starts. In addition to having earned a win against the D-backs on Aug. 1 after tossing six innings of two-run ball, Urias’ numbers against the NL West foe have been brilliant throughout his career. Opposing Arizona batters have combined to produce a .528 OPS against the southpaw, with the .614 OPS that the team has compiled against lefties this year ranking as the third-worst mark in the Majors.

FanDuel DFS Infielders

Yuli Gurriel, 1B - HOU v. TEX ($3,000)

Minute Maid Park has been kind to Gurriel in 2020, with the first baseman having notched a .962 OPS through his first 19 games at the yard. He’ll face a congregation of Rangers relievers Tuesday, which should work in his favor as the corps has produced a 4.99 ERA. After a slow start to the year, Gurriel began to heat up in August, and with his price lower than anticipated, he could be a key cog in an Astros stack.

Robinson Cano - 2B, NYM @ BAL ($3,500)

If Cano had enough plate appearances under his belt this season, he’d rank second in the Majors in batting average (.375). Prior to Monday, all of Cano’s home runs had come on the road, where he has produced a .700 SLG. He shifts to Camden Yards for Tuesday, which ranks in the top third of the league in park factor for home runs. Orioles starter Asher Wojciechowski has been particularly susceptible to the long ball this season, yielding seven homers in his first 26 ⅓ frames.

Austin Riley, 3B - ATL @ BOS ($2,500)

Riley’s offensive eruption continued Monday, now giving him 16 total bases over his last four games. In the past week, the mashing right-hander has produced a .769 SLG, which would be enough reason to consider him against any starter Tuesday when looking at his price. But factoring in that Ryan Weber will get the start -- who has yielded six home runs in 24 IP this year -- makes Riley a highly coveted asset.

Francisco Lindor - SS, CLE @ KAN ($3,300)

Amidst a stacked shortstop group Tuesday, Lindor’s slight price discount and favorable matchup against Matt Harvey stick out. In the midst of a seven-game stretch that has seen him raise his average by 20 points, Lindor will now face a fastball-dependent arm in Harvey, who has utilized the pitch 53.7 percent of the time in his first two starts. Fortunately for Cleveland’s star bat, Lindor has wallopped fastballs to the tune of a .309 BA and .500 SLG this year, whiffing just 15.9% of the time. 

FanDuel DFS Outfielders

Anthony Santander, OF - BAL v. NYM ($3,300)

While his bat was due to cool eventually, Santander sits in a prime spot as a medium-priced asset Tuesday. The Mets will tab Franklyn Kilome for his first big league start, with a subpar and over-extended bullpen set to work behind him. Seven of Santander’s 10 home runs this year have come at Camden Yards, while he also presents a safe floor due to his on-base production (.362) over the past two weeks.

Clint Frazier, OF - NYY v. TAM ($2,900)

Frazier has been nearly a Yankee Stadium-only commodity this season with just three of his at-bats having come at a road ballpark. Fortunately, he’s back at the hitter’s haven of Yankee Stadium again Tuesday, where he has delivered a 1.074 OPS. While the sample size is small, Frazier has delivered reverse splits in 2020, hammering righties to the tune of a .735 SLG. 

Josh Naylor, OF - CLE @ KAN ($2,400)

Checking to confirm that Naylor is both active and among the starting nine Tuesday is imperative, as he’ll be making his Cleveland debut after having been acquired at the Trade Deadline. Harvey has simply been one of the most ineffective starters in the Majors during his short stint in the rotation this year, which makes Naylor a name to target when considering his potential spot in the lineup and near punt play price tag.