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Jesse Borek highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 9/22/20, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
It may officially be playoff push time around MLB, but that hasn’t stopped clubs from starting a wide array of talent Tuesday. Back in July, if you could have predicted a slate where the trio of Zach Davies, Framber Valdez, and Brady Singer were the top three starting pitchers in terms of salary, you’re likely so prescient that this column seems like child’s play.
With that in mind, we’re gonna look elsewhere when it comes to starting options, which should allow fantasy managers to go with the offensive bats of their choosing Tuesday, whether it be in stack form or making a lineup that mirrors an All-Star Game squad.
I'll provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 9/22/2020. Be sure to 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.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Dustin May, P - LAD vs. OAK ($8,000)
With many recent risers littering the top of the salary leaderboard, it’s important to note that May doesn’t exactly give up runs. While the strikeouts numbers are lower than what the perception of May’s stuff represents, he is yet to allow more than two earned runs in each of his first 10 appearances this year.
Oakland is batting just .228 versus right-handed pitching this season with Matt Chapman (hip) not around to anchor its order any longer. The only member of the A’s lineup to have seen May before is Jake Lamb, with all other regulars getting their first look Tuesday, which also leaves room for a night of adjustment against a pitcher who regularly hangs out near triple-digits.
Nick Pivetta, P - BOS vs. BAL ($5,900)
This is likely the only space on the Internet that you’ll see a Pivetta recommendation, but with the pitching slate in straits as dire as Tuesday, going off the grid may be just the formula. Since being acquired by the Red Sox in August, Pivetta has been ramping up his pitch count down at the club’s alternate site, and he is ready to unveil his revamped workload against an Orioles offense that isn’t nearly as terrifying as it was as recently as three weeks ago.
Fantasy managers can essentially toss out the three relief appearances that Pivetta made with Philadelphia earlier this year. But what is of note was that the spin rate of his curveball remained elite. Utilizing the pitch 35.2% of the time in 2019, Pivetta’s 2861 RPM on his breaking ball held opposing batters to a .215 BA and .350 SLG. There’s obviously still a ton that will go into him resurrecting his career as a starter with Boston, but for one night, his bottom of the barrel price tag will allow managers to get any bats into the lineup that they so choose, while also rostering a true boom-or-bust option at the starter slot that has the potential to go deep into a contest.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Jared Walsh, 1B - LAA @ SDP ($3,100)
Walsh was already scorching hot during the month of September before he smashed a grand slam Monday. Now, he has accumulated a gaudy .375/.394/.844 slash line since the calendar flipped, so no matter who he’s facing, he has some considerable upside amidst his 13-game hitting streak.
Jose Altuve, 2B - HOU @ SEA ($3,000)
Slowly but surely, the climb back to DFS relevance is occurring for Altuve. With his price tag dropping to fit his slumping 2020, his upside now makes him an appealing play over the final week. Altuve won’t be the only Astro on the FD pick list Tuesday due to matchup against Mariners starter Ljay Newsome, with the club looking to rebound after being shut down by Marco Gonzales on Monday.
Second base is a great spot for those utilizing the stack strategy Tuesday due to the lack of an obvious No. 1 option, but Altuve is a middle-priced one-off that has a pedigree that far supersedes that of his contemporaries.
Manny Machado, 3B - SDP vs. LAA ($4,100)
Over his last 30 games, Machado has been arguably the best hitter in the Majors, having slashed .402/.431/.752 with 11 homers and 33 RBI. A ton of that damage was done at Petco Park, which many believed would hamper Machado’s production after arriving from Camden Yards; he’s actually turned the yard into a bandbox, having slugged .786 there this season, which bodes well heading into his matchup versus Angels righty Griffin Canning. For those not spending up on pitching Tuesday, Machado is the premier offensive play on the board as he looks to cap an MVP campaign over the final week.
Xander Bogaerts, SS - BOS vs. BAL ($3,700)
Having hit safely in 11 of his past 12 contests, Bogaerts brings his lefty mashing ways to the slate Tuesday. There are numerous high-end shortstop options that carry some heft, but with Bogaerts’ OPS versus southpaws above 1.000 on the year, his matchup against rookie Keegan Akin stands out. Virtually all of the damage done against Akin this year has been by right-handers, while he has also yielded a 42.2 Hard Hit% on the season.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
George Springer, OF - HOU @ SEA ($3,800)
Despite getting an off-day Monday due to what Astros manager Dusty Baker deemed concerning “Statcast data,” Springer is likely to reclaim his spot at the top of the order Tuesday. Having clobbered five home runs in his last seven games, Springer has produced a .658 SLG during September. His batting average has climbed 19 points over his past eight contests, meaning that he brings one of the hottest bats in the Majors into play against Newsome, who is yielding 12.7 H/9 and 3.2 HR/9 in four appearances this season.
Whit Merrifield, OF - KAN vs. STL ($3,400)
With multi-hit outings in seven of his last eight contests, Merrifield makes a case for being the top cash play on the board Tuesday. Cardinals starter Austin Gomber is the lowest-priced starting pitcher on the slate, with Merrifield owning a .362 on-base percentage against southpaws in 2020.
Austin Slater, OF - SFG vs. COL ($2,800)
So long as manager Gabe Kapler sticks with his platoon system Tuesday (and there’s no reason to believe that he wouldn’t), Slater figures to bat leadoff against southpaw Kyle Freeland. Slater has delivered a 1.057 OPS versus lefties this year, having also swiped seven bases in 25 contests.
