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Mike Schwarzenbach highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for8/25/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
We've got a loaded Wednesday slate with plenty of high-end pitching options to choose from. FanDuel has a whopping FIVE pitchers priced over $10,000 with two more just under the $10K threshold as it looks to be a low-scoring night in MLB. In DFS, however, that means it should be a high-scoring night as some of these pitchers are bound to pop off and deliver massive point totals.
That means nailing our lone pitcher will be critical, but it also means fewer bats to choose from. With 10 games on the slate, though, we'll be able to find some options to try and differentiate from the crowd and put up another big night in DFS.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 8/25/2021. 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:
Brandon Woodruff – MIL vs CIN ($10,300)
Woodruff has is coming off of back-to-back poor starts which makes him both the cheapest pitcher over $10K and the best bet to be low-rostered among the high-priced aces. Two starts ago, Woodruff was pulled after three innings. He only allowed one unearned run, but walked three and gave up two hits as he clearly was off. He followed that up with a clunker at St. Louis when he gave up six runs in five innings.
So why turn to Woody today versus a decent Cincinnati offense? Simply put, Woodruff has been one of the best pitchers in the league this season and his poor recent form isn't enough to change the fact he's squarely in the conversation for the NL Cy Young award. On the season, Woodruff has a 2.48 ERA across 145 innings and backs that up with strong peripherals like a 3.10 xFIP and 3.12 xERA. He's been among the stingiest pitchers in the game allowing baserunners as he's sporting a 0.94 WHIP and a .188 batting average against. Buy the dip with Woodruff on a night he's only the fifth-highest-priced arm on the slate.
Potential Alternate Play
Josiah Gray – WSH at MIA ($8,000)
On a night with so many high-priced arms, the best bet may be to load up on bats and roll with Josiah Gray, who I've already anointed as a breakout fantasy baseball star for the 2022 season. We can worry about that next March though, for tonight we only care about the fact he's facing one of the worst lineups in baseball in one of the best pitcher's parks in baseball. Yes, Gray will be at the Miami Marlins and he's easily my favorite pitcher on the slate at this price.
We'll start with his opponent, the Marlins, who have averaged only 2.6 runs per game during its eight-game losing streak. Over the last 14 days, Miami had the second-highest strikeout rate and second-highest swinging-strike rate in the Majors. That brings us to Gray who is pitching much better than his 3.90 ERA would indicate. Gray's 16.9 percent swinging-strike rate would rank first in the Majors if he had enough innings to qualify and should equate to plenty of whiffs versus this Miami club. Gray's main problem early in his career has been too many fly balls which led to a 24.4 percent HR/FB rate. That number should come down on its own as it's very unlucky so many fly balls have gone for homers. However, pitching in cavernous loanDepot Park should also help as it's among the best parks in baseball for suppressing power. Gray is a prime-time option in tournaments as he should feast on the Marlins tonight.
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FanDuel DFS Infielders
Josh Bell – 1B, WSH at MIA ($3,600)
Washington's lineup has been very weak since the trade deadline, but it's firmly in play tonight versus Marlins starter Edward Cabrera who is making his MLB debut. Cabrera is a high-end prospect with elite swing-and-miss stuff, but he also walked 14.7 percent of batters at Triple-A, not good. Bell will make Cabrera come into the strike zone and is in position to do damage as he's rocking a 50 percent hard-hit rate this season. They don't make hitters like Bell in Triple-A and I like Bell versus the rookie hurler and a bad Miami bullpen.
Kolten Wong – 2B, MIL vs. CIN ($3,300)
Wong has quietly been one of the most valuable hitters in baseball as the leadoff man for the first-place Brewers. He's slashing .290/.353/.475 on the season with 11 homers, nine steals, and 53 runs scored. Luis Castillo is a tough matchup, but Wong has been one of the best contact hitters in the game and can help gain leverage against the DFS managers that choose to roster Castillo. A full Brewers stack isn't recommended, but I like Wong who has two hits in each of his last three games.
Ke'Bryan Hayes – 3B, PIT vs. ARI ($2,800)
There may not be much to get excited about in the Diamondbacks vs Pirates game, unless you play DFS. Mitch Keller and Tyler Gilbert are the two lowest-priced arms on the slate and a game-stack between these offenses could be a smart play if we're trying to pay-up for the high-priced pitchers. Hayes is riding a five-game hit streak and is starting to live up to the hype as he was the top-ranked prospect in the Pirates system last year.
Josh Rojas – 2B/SS, ARI at PIT ($3,000)
Yup, we're attacking the other side of this game as well with Josh Rojas who is taking advantage of all the playing time he's getting on this anemic DBacks club. Since the trade deadline (and his promotion to the leadoff spot) Rojas is batting .373 with a .588 slugging percentage. He's crushing right-handed pitching to the tune of a .841 OPS this season and Keller shouldn't strike fear into the heart of any opposing lineup.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Juan Soto – OF, WSH at MIA ($4,400)
Soto is the top bat on the night for all the same reasons we detailed with Bell. Soto hits the ball hard and sports elite plate discipline which puts him in a position to succeed versus a rookie hurler. He's riding a 12-game on-base streak and should make that 13 tonight in South Florida.
Alex Verdugo – OF, BOS vs MIN ($3,000)
We haven't addressed the Red Sox yet, but they have the highest implied-run total according to Vegas. Verdugo has been hitting better lately, but he's been crushing right-handers all season as he's batting .328 versus that handedness. Red Sox lefties will be the most popular stack of the night with Verdugo and Rafael Devers both firmly in play in this matchup.
Hunter Renfroe – OF, BOS vs MIN ($3,600)
Renfroe hits lefties better than righties, but he's still in play versus Ober who has allowed a 41.8 percent fly-ball rate this season. Renfroe, on the other hand, is a fly-ball hitter who is riding a nine-game on-base streak. He's a nice piece to add to Red Sox stacks, but has standalone value as a home run threat every time he steps into the batter's box.
FanDuel DFS Stack Options
- Washington Nationals
- Boston Red Sox
- Pirates/Diamondbacks game stack (yes that felt gross to type, and yes I'll have real US currency bet on a lineup with this stack)
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