RADIO
Welcome to the final wacky and wild Thursday slate of the 2020 regular season. If it seems like just two months ago that we were kicking off this column with a two-game slate of Yankees-Nationals and Giants-Dodgers, well, it’s because we were.
But fast-forward to Sept. 24 and we get to welcome in the final seesaw Thursday slate before we flip into postseason mode. The nature of the game split on Thursdays always appeals to me, and our final installment is no exception. I see no path to not paying up for a starter on FanDuel in some capacity, but we’ll take our usual deep dive either way.
I'll provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 9/24/2020. Be sure 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.
FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Corbin Burnes, P - MIL @ STL ($10,600)
It was Aug. 8 that I sat watching Burnes pitch out of relief against the Reds and pondered how he could not be a part of the Brewers’ starting rotation with an arsenal that wicked. Lo and behold, seven starts later, Burnes’ is the National League’s ERA leader and has held the opposition to a stifling .161/.226/.210 slash line since rejoining the rotation.
His last five starts in particular have been notable due to the fact that he has averaged 55 FD points in that stretch. He’ll be facing the Cardinals on Thursday, who had a starter in their own right catch fire during the second half last year in Jack Flaherty. There are many similarities between the stark jump in production between the two, as Burnes’ Statcast metrics have been off the charts, even more so than Flaherty's were. Burnes will be tough to squeeze adequate offense around, but potentially even more difficult to consider fading.
Ian Anderson, P - ATL vs. MIA ($9,900)
After years of hearing about how Anderson possessed potential ace-like stuff, fantasy managers are now seeing it up close. With an average of 40 FD points across his first five big league starts, Anderson presents a solid floor against a Marlins offense that has delivered a paltry .390 SLG as a unit. The fact that Miami has struck out the fifth-most of any National League squad also works in Anderson’s favor, as he has delivered a 31.5% K rate thus far.
A deeper dive into Anderson’s Statcast metrics indicates just how little offense has been produced against him thus far. The .236 xSLG that batters have delivered ranks him among the top one percentile of all pitchers in the Majors, while his 1.7% barrel rate and .175 xBA are elite as well.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Ryan Braun, 1B - MIL @ STL ($2,900)
Nearly all of Braun’s production this season has come during September, having slashed .340/.373/.745 over his last 15 games, a stark upswing after back-to-back months of a sub-.600 OPS. Having found a home in the No. 3 spot in the order, Braun’s position in the lineup also bodes well for DFS upside.
Ozzie Albies, 2B - ATL vs. MIA ($4,100)
Second base is a desolate spot on Thursday’s slate with not many options to feel optimistic about. Albies has been on such a tear recently that he easily heads the pack, but his price tag will give managers reason for pause.
Yet after another multi-hit performance Wednesday, Albies has reeled off four consecutive appearances with at least two hits, which gives him a solid floor. Since returning from injury, Albies has slashed .396/.418/.736, returning to the elite level of production that he delivered for much of 2019.
Jedd Gyorko, 3B - MIL @ STL ($2,700)
This certainly isn’t picking on Cardinals southpaw Kwang Hyun Kim, but rather highlighting the success that Gyorko has had against left-handed pitching this season. In addition to having delivered a .625 SLG away from Miller Park in 2020, the veteran has moved up into the heart of the order and mashed southpaws at a 1.141 OPS clip. His price tag is far below that level of production, which likely indicates that he’ll be rostered considerably in cash contests.
Adalberto Mondesi, SS - KAN vs. DET ($2,900)
The fact that Mondesi has been the Majors’ premier stolen base threat (20) in 2020 works in his favor to begin with. Factor in that he has gone 3-for-4 with a triple and home run in his career against Tigers starter Michael Fulmer, and he becomes the most appealing of a strangely shallow shortstop group Thursday. Having collected three total bases on each of the last two nights, his offensive game has come on in September, having slugged .472 and raised his season SLG by nearly 100 points since the month began.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Cody Bellinger, OF - LAD vs. OAK ($4,100)
Dropped to the No. 7 spot in the batting order for the first time all season Wednesday, paying up for Bellinger has become a tricky proposition, albeit one that needs adequate consideration. But after a recent seven-game hitting streak raised his batting average by over 20 points, Bellinger is swinging a hot bat irrespective of where he hits in the order.
Opposing batters have walloped Fiers’ offspeed (.591 SLG) and breaking (.326 BA) pitches this year, which works in Bellinger’s favor, as most of his damage has been done against slower stuff. There’s always the possibility that manager Dave Roberts could choose to rest some of his starters with the NL West crown already wrapped up, so fantasy managers will want to pay particular attention to the lineup card ahead of lock.
Alex Verdugo, OF - BOS vs. BAL ($3,000)
Verdugo has not driven in a run since Sept. 8, but what he has done since then is nearly tear the cover off the ball. On a 10-game hitting streak since that day, Verdugo has brought his batting average up to .328. Orioles starter Alex Cobb has not compiled a win since Opening Day (which came against the Red Sox), having yielded an .825 OPS -- with 100 more points SLG -- to left-handed batters this season. With Verdugo now entrenched at the top of the order, he should have significant cash play appeal.
Victor Reyes, OF - DET @ KAN ($2,600)
In addition to having the appeal of batting leadoff, Reyes has begun to hone his overall game as of late. With two stolen bases in his last four games, it appears that he has grown comfortable at the top of the club’s order. He faces Royals southpaw Kris Bubic, turning him around to the right side, where he has hit .353 with a .436 on-base percentage this year. With high-priced starters likely to litter the slate, Reyes is a low-priced outfield candidate that should garner consideration.
