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Mike Schwarzenbach highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 8/18/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
It's a busy day in Major League Baseball and FanDuel is all over the place this Wednesday as they've got slates starting at six different times ranging from 12:35 pm ET through 9:40 pm ET. For our purposes, we'll be focusing on the 10-game Main Slate which locks at 7:00 ET.
It's a fun slate, as well, as there are a ton of pitching options at the top including AL MVP Frontrunner Shohei Ohtani in Detroit to face the Tigers. On the other end of the spectrum, the slate is rife with stackable lineups as Vegas has seven teams with implied run totals at five or higher. Let's get into it!
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 8/18/2021. 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!
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Cash Game/GPP Anchor Play:
Shohei Ohtani – LAA at DET ($10,500)
He'll be popular, so Ohtani isn't the best GPP play, but for cash games, it's hard to get away from the two-way phenom against a hapless Tigers lineup. As a team, Detroit has the second-worst strikeout rate versus right-handed pitching at 26 percent. Ohtani, on the other hand, is striking batters out at a 30 percent clip this season and is sporting a strong 28.9 percent CSW rate. There's not much to overthink here, we've got a great pitcher facing a punchless lineup in a good pitcher's park. The only thing we need to worry about is his rostership rate, which could make some cheaper hurlers more appealing.
Potential Alternate Play
Charlie Morton – ATL at MIA ($9,200)
Speaking of lineups that have struggled, Miami has been awful since the trade deadline and Vegas doesn't have much confidence for tonight facing Braves hurler Charlie Morton. The Marlins are implied for just 3.2 runs tonight and there are plenty of whiffs to be had as it ranks sixth-worst strikeout rate versus right-handers. Meanwhile, Morton has been in great form lately, especially in the strikeout department.
Morton has averaged at least a strikeout-per-inning in each of his last seven starts and has 48 strikeouts across 42 innings in that span. He's lasted at least six innings in six of his last seven starts and should have no problem pitching deep into the game versus this Marlins lineup. Toss in a park upgrade pitching in Miami and Morton is one of the most attractive arms on the slate in any DFS contest type.
Bonus Play: Ranger Suarez - PHI at ARI ($6,500)
Suarez has been a swiss-army knife for the Phillies this season as he's been a long reliever, setup man, closer, and now a starter. Add up his numbers and he's tossed 50 1/3 innings with a 1.07 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts. Obviously, he can't sustain that ERA, but his 2.64 xERA and 3.30 FIP are also very good. He's made three starts this year and is yet to complete five innings, but in his last start, he was allowed to start the fifth and built his pitch count up to 82. There's a path to fantasy points here versus a pathetic Diamondbacks lineup. There are some expensive bats we're going to want to play tonight; Suarez is an excellent punt-play at the pitcher spot in tournaments.
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FanDuel DFS Infielders
Ty France – 1B/2B, SEA at TEX ($3,000)
Rangers starter Mike Foltynewicz is one of the best pitchers in baseball... to attack with the opposing lineup in DFS. Folty has an ugly 5.66 ERA this season and his FIP is even worse at 6.16 thanks to a 43 percent fly-ball rate. France has fine numbers this season like a .283 batting average and a 3.56 on-base percentage, but this play is all about stacking against Foltynewicz. Seattle is a low-priced stack that pairs nicely with Ohtani or Morton.
Kike Hernandez – 2B, BOS at NYY ($3,700)
While we're on the subject of pitchers who allow too many fly balls, Andrew Heaney pitches for the Yankees now. Yankee Stadium is one of the smallest ballparks in the Majors and Heaney allows fly balls at a 44.4 percent rate. He served up four homers in his first start in pinstripes and allowed four more since. Boston is the top stack of the night, might as well include their probable leadoff hitter.
Rafael Devers – 3B, BOS at NYY ($4,200)
Devers is one of the best pay-up hitters on the night as some will be hesitant to shell out $4,200 for a lefty hitter facing a lefty pitcher. It would be a mistake to fade Devers for that reason. First of all, we just detailed how bad Heaney has been at keeping the ball in the yard. Second of all, Devers has great splits versus lefties as his .294 average versus southpaws is better than his .276 average versus righties. Don't leave Rafi out of your Boston stacks, just be sure to watch the weather in NYC.
Corey Seager – SS, LAD vs PIT ($3,200)
This is just a good player priced too low. Seager's .849 OPS versus righties is both very good, and 100 points higher than his OPS versus lefties. The Dodgers have one of the highest implied totals on the slate and Seager should bat second or third. Easy play if you have the funds for it.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Brandon Lowe – OF/2B, TB vs BAL ($3,600)
We haven't mentioned a Ray yet, but several of them are in play versus Spenser Watkins and a gassed O's bullpen. Tampa Bay has the highest implied total on the slate at 5.9 runs and Lowe boasts big power at the top of the order.
Hunter Renfroe – OF, BOS at NYY ($3,500)
Fly ball hitter versus fly ball pitcher in Yankee Stadium? Sign me up. Renfroe has a 40% fly-ball rate on the season and is hitting the ball to the opposite field more than he ever has. That's a great combination versus Heaney in this park.
Mitch Haniger – OF, SEA at TEX ($3,400)
Haniger is having a great season as he's slashing .258/.313/.480 and his 26 homers matches a career-high. He'll have a chance to set a new career-high versus Foltynewicz and a bad Rangers bullpen that has a 4.70 xFIP since the trade deadline.
FanDuel DFS Stack Options
- Boston Red Sox
- Seattle Mariners
- Tampa Bay Rays
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