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Mike Schwarzenbach highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for8/11/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
The best part of MLB DFS is we don't need to wait a week after a rough day. A good-looking night turned on a dime last night as rain rolled into Philadelphia and ruined a classic pitcher's duel between Aaron Nola and Max Scherzer. Sometimes that happens.
Unlike our gridiron counterparts, however, we can get right back at it tonight with a fun 11-game slate. Let's dig in.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 8/11/2021. 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 check out today's DraftKings MLB DFS lineup picks, and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. Let's get to it!
FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Cash Game/GPP Anchor Play:
Frankie Montas – OAK at CLE ($9,100)
Dollar-for-dollar, Montas is the safest option on the board tonight which is what we want in cash games. Don't get me wrong, Corbin Burnes and Kevin Gausman are both elite pitching options, but they're both at least $1,000 more expensive than Montas and have some question marks. Burnes has been elite, but he's pitching on "normal" rest for only the second time this season. Milwaukee is monitoring the innings total of their young ace and typically like to pitch him on five days of rest. They don't have that option after a twin-bill on Tuesday and while Burnes is good, his numbers are down across the board on less rest. As for Gausman, he's been struggling lately as he failed to complete the fifth inning in three of his last four starts. He's got a "get right" game versus Arizona, but that elite matchup will also make him a popular choice.
That brings us to Montas who is in the middle of the best stretch of his career. The Oakland righty posted 10 strikeouts in three of his last five starts and hasn't had less than seven K's in a start since July 2. His 26.2% strikeout rate is a career-best as is his 13.5% swinging-strike rate. Cleveland is not an intimidating matchup giving Montas the best floor/ceiling combo on the slate.
Potential Alternate Play
Tyler Anderson – SEA vs TEX ($7,400)
He's never a sexy play, but Anderson has quietly been one of the best FanDuel options this season. In a world where wins and quality starts are more heavily rewarded than on the other DFS site, Anderson's consistency of pitching deep into games shouldn't be overlooked. The Seattle lefty has completed five innings in every start this season and has the best matchup on the board tonight versus the rebuilding Rangers.
Since the trade deadline, Texas has the worst wOBA in the Majors at a paltry .246. It also struggles versus southpaws as the Rangers' collective wOBA vs LHP is just .284, also worst in the Majors. Anderson hasn't pitched in Seattle since being dealt at the deadline and he should enjoy the park upgrade as his 41% fly-ball rate should play nicely with the cavernous outfield at T-Mobile Park.
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FanDuel DFS Infielders
Rowdy Tellez – 1B, MIL vs CHC ($3,000)
The Brew Crew is the top stack of the night against Cubs righty Jake Arrieta and his 6.34 ERA. Dingers are the name of the game in DFS and no one in the $3K price range offers more homer upside than Tellez in this matchup. The former Blue Jay is slashing .319/.400/.580 across 80 plate appearances since being shipped to Milwaukee on July 7. His strikeout rate in that span is a minuscule 12.3% as he's crushed the ball to the tune of a 91.9 MPH average exit velocity. Arrieta's fly-ball rate is up nine percent this season and he's striking batters out less than 20 percent of the time. Don't stack Brewers without Rowdy.
Kolten Wong – 2B, MIL at CHC ($3,300)
Everything about Arrieta we just talked about also applies to Wong who has put up a solid .334 wOBA as the leadoff hitter for Milwaukee. Wong obviously doesn't boast the power of Tellez, but he should be on base for the big bats in the middle of the order playing in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Be sure to double-check the weather in this one, but assuming they play, there are great hitting conditions with the Chicago wind blowing out to right field.
Rafael Devers – 3B, OAK vs TB ($4,300)
He's pricy, but Devers has been absolutely raking since the All-Star break and is worth paying up for on this slate. Devers has a .987 OPS across 22 second-half games and has a massive 16.6% barrel rate on the season. He's facing left-hander Ryan Yarbrough in this one, but that's no reason to shy away from Rafi as his .288 BA and .364 OBP are both slightly higher versus lefties than righties.
Corey Seager – SS, LAD at PHI ($3,000)
Seager missed most of the season with an injury and it appears the pricing algorithm hasn't caught up yet. Seager is typically a $4K-plus player on FanDuel so we need to jump on him at this price. He doesn't seem rusty after missing so much time as he's batting .324 and slugging .500 in eight games since being activated off the IL.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Starling Marte – OF, OAK at CLE ($4,000)
Starling Marte has arguably been the greatest trade deadline acquisition in MLB history. Ok, maybe that's hyperbole, but the former Marlin has been nothing short of elite since swapping black and teal for kelly green and gold. In 10 games as an Athletic, Marte is batting .400 with a .578 slugging percentage, nine runs scored, and eight stolen bases without being caught. It's expensive to stack both Marte and Matt Olson, but it can be done and if 2B Jed Lowrie ($3,100) is batting cleanup again, then that 2-3-4 of the Oakland order has GPP winning upside.
Adam Duvall – OF, ATL vs. CIN ($3,100)
Nothing overly complicated here, just a good hitter facing an average-at-best hurler in Wade Miley who is not as good as his stats indicate. Duvall, on the other hand, has been crushing it since joining the Braves as he's lengthened its lineup by being a strong RBI source batting fifth or sixth. Duvall has driven in 78 runs this season with Miami and Atlanta and he's homered in back-to-back games.
Rafael Ortega – OF, CHC vs MIL ($2,900)
An underrated DFS strategy is attacking top-pitchers with bats that can handle top-flight pitching. Ortega is in some kind of zone right now as he hasn't put up a goose egg since July 27 and is averaging 14.6 FanDuel points per game in that span. He's a strong contact hitter and is capable of stealing bases, something teams have shown the ability and willingness to do versus Burnes. It's not recommended to stack up this weak Chicago lineup, but Ortega has potential as a low-owned one-off.
FanDuel DFS Stacks Options
- Milwaukee Brewers
- Oakland Athletics
- Sneaky Stack: Seattle Mariners
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