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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on September 21st, 2022. Juan Carlos Blanco's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Welcome back to another edition of the FREE DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks. As customary, we have an all-day ledger on tap Wednesday, and although DraftKings does not have a full-day slate, FanDuel does. Consequently, today's article will feature picks on both sites for games throughout the day, as even on DK, the suggestions will prove viable for someone playing one of the site's split slates.
We have an interesting pitching pool on Wednesday's slate, as there aren't a lot of clear-cut options to choose from. Additionally, some scenarios that would appear to be favorable matchups on the surface, such as Luis Severino's turn against the Pirates in the Bronx, carry an asterisk, as the right-hander could be on a pitch count in his first start off the 60-day IL. However, there are three options I'm confident in, as well as a solid selection of hitters we can target the numerous questionable arms that are taking the hill with.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 9/21/2022 that includes a FanDuel main slate locking at 12:20 pm ET. The lineup will range from some elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, find me on Twitter and ask away!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Triston McKenzie - CLE at CWS ($10,100 DK, $9,600 FD)
McKenzie may only have a 10-11 record, but it's accompanied by an impressive 3.08 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and solid 8.7 K/9. The big right-hander has really hit his stride down the stretch as well, pitching to a 2.41 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 9.3 K/9, and improved 1.0 HR/9 over the 52.1 innings covering his last eight starts. That sample includes a gem of a quality start against the White Sox on Aug. 19th where he struck out 14 over seven frames.
McKenzie had also been very effective against Chicago in two prior starts this season, allowing just two runs over 10 innings in that pair of outings. Current ChiSox bats only have a collective .217 average and .611 OPS against McKenzie in 117 career encounters as well, and the White Sox, despite their abundance of big names, have just a middling .316 wOBA and .159 ISO against right-handed pitching in September.
Robbie Ray - SEA at OAK ($9,600 DK, $10,000 FD)
Ray has had his share of troubles on the road and comes into Wednesday's start with back-to-back rocky starts against the Braves and Angels. However, the southpaw has a favorable matchup in a pitcher's park against a team he's already enjoyed success against on multiple occasions this season, making him worthy of consideration in both cash games and tournaments as he aims for a bounce-back performance.
Ray has pitched to a 2.41 ERA across 18.2 innings in three starts against Oakland this season, and current A's bats own a collective .163 average and .466 OPS against him in 50 career plate appearances, a sample in which Ray has compiled 20 strikeouts. Oakland has also been the AL's worst team against left-handed pitching at home in the second half of the season, producing a .214 average, .604 OPS, .264 wOBA, and -9.1 wRAA in a sample of 260 plate appearances. The A's even have just a 5.8 percent walk rate in that split, which helps guard against Ray's occasional control issues.
Other options: Miles Mikolas - STL at SDP ($9,100 DK, $8,800 FD)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Matt Olson - 1B, ATL vs. Josiah Gray ($4,900 DK, $3,000 FD)
Olson entered Tuesday's action with a whopping 70 extra-base hits, including 28 homers, and 91 RBI in his first season for the defending champions. While a high strikeout rate is part of the package with Olson, deploying his powerful left-handed swing against a right-hander in Gray who's been absolutely incapable of keeping the ball in the park certainly makes sense, especially at very reasonable salaries on both sites.
Olson has slugged 22 of his 28 round trippers off right-handed pitching, and he owns a .339 wOBA and .234 ISO against that handedness at home. Meanwhile, Gray has given up a jaw-dropping 37 home runs across 136.2 innings. He's allowed 22 of those to left-handed hitters, which have tagged him for a .268 average, .987 OPS, and .417 wOBA, along with a 21.6 percent HR/FB rate.
Jeff McNeil - 2B, NYM at Adrian Houser ($4,200 DK, $2,900 FD)
Houser hasn't been anywhere near as effective as during his career-best 10-6 season in 2021, generating a 6-9 mark, 4.85 ERA, and 1.49 WHIP across 94.2 innings. The veteran right-hander has been better at home, but he's still enduring his usual struggles against left-handed bats; the highly reliable McNeil, who entered Tuesday with a .320 average and .822 OPS, therefore makes for an excellent option to deploy against him.
Houser has given up a .313 average and .379 wOBA to left-handed hitters overall, and although he's had more trouble against them on the road, he still carries a bloated 5.89 BB/9 and 4.76 xFIP against them at home. Then, McNeil has been at his best when facing right-handed pitching on the road, where he owns a .341 average, .880 OPS, and .380 wOBA against that handedness.
He also went into Tuesday's action with a .328 average and .359 wOBA in 80 plate appearances across 18 September games. Then, the matchup remains favorable for McNeil when Houser exits, as Milwaukee relievers have pitched to a .278 BAA and .351 wOBA against lefty bats in September.
Trea Turner - SS, LAD vs. Madison Bumgarner ($5,600 DK, $4,100 FD)
Turner is in the midst of yet another MVP-caliber season, entering Tuesday with a .304 average, .829 OPS, 20 homers, 97 RBI, and 25 steals. The veteran shortstop has been very effective against either handedness of pitcher as those numbers imply, but he's been at his best versus southpaws and faces an aging, struggling one in Bumgarner. MadBum's last double-digit win season came in 2016, and he enters Wednesday's start with a career-high 15 losses along with a 5.01 ERA and 1.48 WHIP.
Turner boasted a .329 average, .944 OPS, .404 wOBA, and .233 ISO against left-handed pitching at Dodger Stadium going into Tuesday night's action, as well as a .346 wOBA and modest 15.5 percent strikeout rate in 71 plate appearances in September. He's also been an outstanding clutch hitter all season with a .307 average with runners on base, including a .325 figure with men in scoring position, a trait that comes in especially handy in a star-studded lineup that offers so many RBI opportunities.
For his part, Bumgarner has been victimized by right-handed bats on the road for a .311 average, .386 wOBA, and 5.17 xFIP, while also surrendering an elevated 39.8 percent hard-contact rate in that split.
Josh Jung - 3B, TEX vs. Tucker Davidson ($2,200 DK, $3,100 FD)
Jung has been a bright spot overall during his brief time in the majors after a promising minor-league career, holding his own against big-league arms early with a respectable .250 average and impressive .800 OPS across his first 40 big-league plate appearances entering Tuesday.
The rookie has been particularly effective against left-handed pitching, continuing a trend he exhibited during his minors days at multiple stops, and he draws an appealing matchup against a southpaw in the favorable hitting environment of his home park Wednesday.
Jung went into Tuesday's game hitting .316 with a 1.053 OPS and .443 wOBA over his first 19 plate appearances versus lefties, a sample in which he'd quickly belted a pair of doubles and two homers on the strength of a 50.0 percent hard contact rate. Davidson seemingly makes for a good target to pick on, considering he's pitched to a .291 average and .353 wOBA against right-handed hitters, along with a 1.68 WHIP and 5.47 xFIP when facing them on the road.
Other options: Dansby Swanson - SS, ATL vs. Josiah Gray ($5,500 DK, $3,600 FD); Ryan McMahon - 3B, COL vs. SFG ($5,200 DK, $3,100 FD)
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Charlie Blackmon - COL vs. Logan Webb ($5,100 DK, $3,000 FD)
Blackmon is enjoying another impressive season in Colorado despite his club being a non-contender yet again. The veteran outfielder entered Tuesday's action with a solid .263 average, .734 OPS, 42 XBH, and 76 RBI. Blackmon is also thriving as usual in his home park, and he's facing a right-hander in Webb that he's enjoyed plenty of success against before and that's shown some vulnerability in a couple of recent starts.
Blackmon has tagged Webb for a .450 average with three doubles, a homer, and only three strikeouts in 23 career encounters, and he's teed off on right-handed pitching at Coors Field for a .803 OPS, .341 wOBA, and .221 ISO. Webb has allowed an elevated .282 average and .437 slugging percentage to the 73 batters he's faced thus far in September, including a .355 average, 1.020 OPS, and .432 wOBA to 32 lefty bats in that sample. Webb has allowed a .276 average and .344 wOBA to lefty hitters on the road this season overall, and the Coors Field environment only makes it a more dangerous scenario for him. Giants relievers also have a .341 wOBA against lefty hitters in September, furthering Blackmon's case.
Joc Pederson - SFG at German Marquez ($5,100 DK, $2,700 FD)
Pederson has put together quite the comeback season during his first year in San Francisco, taking a career-high .260 average into Tuesday night's action and complementing it with an excellent .841 OPS. The lefty-swinging slugger has slugged 13 of his 22 homers outside his pitcher-friendly home park, and Wednesday, he makes for an excellent way to gain access to Marquez at Coors and his vast struggles against left-handed hitters.
Marquez has yielded a .326 average, .397 wOBA, and 2.2 HR/9 to left-handed hitters at Coors Field, partly the byproduct of the fact he's conceded a 27.0 percent line-drive rate and 40.1 percent hard-contact rate in that split. Pederson is therefore a highly dangerous opponent for him, considering his prodigious power and the fact he's posted a .272 average, .903 OPS, and .380 wOBA versus right-handed pitching on the road, along with a 44.4 percent hard-contact rate.
Julio Rodriguez - SEA at James Kaprielian ($5,500 DK, $4,100 FD)
Rodriguez jumped back into the lineup Tuesday night after missing three games with a tight lower back, so he should be good to go for this favorable matchup against Kaprielian. The AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner has already tormented the A's right-hander on numerous occasions in the past, posting a .500 average with two triples and a homer over 12 plate appearances without striking out once in that sample. Rodriguez also came into Tuesday's game on quite the tear, having generated a .447 average, five homers, and a 1.428 OPS over the previous 10 games.
Kaprielian has had plenty of positive moments this season, but he's still given up a .299 average, .407 wOBA, and .951 OPS to right-handed hitters at home, along with a 1.9 HR/9 and 6.19 xFIP. Rodriguez has thrived against right-handed pitching on the road as well, as evidenced by his .281 average, .825 OPS, and .357 wOBA in that split, as well as a 37.0 percent hard-contact rate.
Other options: Mike Yastrzemski - SFG at German Marquez ($4,200 DK, $3,100 FD); Mike Trout - LAA at Dane Dunning ($6,200 DK, $4,300 FD)
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
- Braves vs. Josiah Gray, WAS, RHP
- Rockies vs. Logan Webb, SFG, RHP
- Giants at German Marquez, COL, RHP
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