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Another day behind the wheel, more time for thoughts about how to shape up today’s FanDuel column. Fortunately for both sanity and DFS production, I’ve reached my destination, but I’ll always hold fondly the memories of Clint Frazier’s mashing at Yankee Stadium and how it should make him an elite selection moving forward.
For comparison’s sake, the price tags between many of today’s starting pitchers other than Gerrit Cole and Sonny Gray fluctuates wildly between FD and DraftKings. Depending on which school of thought that you subscribe to, that may mean something completely different, but I’m of the ilk that it spells value.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 9/10/2020. 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 read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like DraftKings, and other sports too.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Sonny Gray - CIN @ CHC ($10,100)
With Cole as essentially the only “safe” cash play on the board, Gray does represent more risk on the heels of an outing in which he recorded just two outs before departing. But with eight days off in between starts, in addition to a masterful 11-strikeout performance versus the Cubs from earlier this season under his belt, Gray should also see considerable ownership. With the wind set to be whipping in at Wrigley Field, much of Chicago’s power will be suppressed by the combo of Mother Nature and Gray’s curveball, which has produced an elite spin rate and yielded just a .294 SLG (no home runs) this year.
Dustin May - LAD @ ARI ($7,600)
The production that May has displayed over his first eight starts in 2020 is a head-scratcher. On one hand, his average fastball (sinker) velocity has been elite (97.8 MPH), in addition to having a tremendous spin rate (2393 rpm); yet the pitch has generated just a 10.4% Whiff rate. Can that turn around in one start against Arizona in order to make him a top tier FD option? That’s unclear, but he certainly has the matchup to become one. The D-backs boast the third-lowest team on-base percentage (.303) and OPS (.668) this season, while May has not allowed more than two runs in any of his appearances this season. Even with a pitch count that has not sniffed triple digits, May could get a boost from his thundering offense, as well as from the absence of key bats (Ketel Marte, Starling Marte) in the heart of the Arizona order that have done prior damage this year.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Christian Vazquez - C, BOS @ TBR ($2,300), Jason Castro - C, SDP vs. SFG ($2,200)
A two-for-one special at the catcher spot! Both Vazquez and Castro represent strong punt play options to consider for those fantasy managers who are either rolling out Cole or Gray, or choosing to spend significantly on other roster spots. With seven hits in his last three games, Vazquez has hit three of his four homers this year against southpaws. Castro has six total bases in his first three showings as a Padre, and (likely) facing a right-hander (.471 SLG in 2020) means that he’ll likely hold down a spot behind the dish. (Should San Francisco opt to start Drew Smyly -- thereby putting Castro on the bench -- the choice becomes easier.)
Enrique Hernandez - 2B, LAD @ ARI ($2,400)
For many, Hernandez’s destruction of Arizona left-hander Madison Bumgarner was his ticket to national notoriety. Having faced the former Giants ace more than any other pitcher in his career, Hernandez has gone a staggering 20-for-40 with four doubles and three home runs, impressive marks no matter the pitcher, let alone one of the game’s preeminent arms for the past decade. His price tag and past success versus Bumgarner is likely to earn him an immense roster percentage number.
Manny Machado - 3B, SDP vs. SFG ($4,200)
Machado is redefining what it means to be zoned in after his previous 15 contests. Sure, his price tag is sky high, but with a .400 BA and 1.086 OPS (including 15 RBI) since Aug. 25, he is the premier hot corner option. There are varying reports on whom San Francisco will use to start the game but their decision ultimately won’t influence Machado’s upside either way. From a career metrics perspective, Machado has peeled off a .971 OPS against Smyly, while eight of his homers this year having come against right-handed pitching.
Gleyber Torres - SS, NYY vs. BAL ($2,700)
Maybe it’s the … glasses? After Torres broke out spectacles Wednesday, it sounds like they’ll be a staple of his attire moving forward. We’ll take any edge that we can get, so combining his presence at Yankee Stadium against a rookie southpaw with the fact that he socked his second homer of the season the night prior, Torres is in consideration amid a shortstop group that boasts a feast or famine price range.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
AJ Pollock - OF, LAD @ ARI ($3,000)
There has far and away been no opposing pitcher that Pollock has faced more in his career than Madison Bumgarner. His 18-for-63 sample size has produced an .842 OPS over the years, but with both men now on different clubs that in their previous meetings, it’s the .359 BA and .641 SLG that Pollock has produced against southpaws this season that stands out. Right-handed hitters have clobbered Bumgarner this year for all nine of his home runs allowed, producing a 1.127 OPS despite just a .200 BABIP.
Clint Frazier - OF, NYY vs. BAL ($3,000)
Frazier has singed the ball at Yankee Stadium this season, with his matchup against southpaw Keegan Akin providing little reason to pivot away, no matter his reverse splits. In the midst of a nine-game home on-base streak, Frazier is a sound choice either in a Yankees stack or as a one-off due to his 1.077 OPS when playing at his home yard this season.
Corey Dickerson - OF, MIA vs. PHI ($2,600)
Having slid up to the leadoff spot for each of his last three appearances, Dickerson has some appeal at his price tag due to his added leverage. He received the day off Wednesday, but retains his five-game hit streak, with two home runs in that span. In a small preview, he has tagged Philadelphia righty Jake Arrieta to the tune of a 6-for-14 mark, which raises his floor to the point of consideration in many cash contests.
