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We have only one game off the main slate Friday night, which will afford us plenty of opportunities for differentiation in tournaments. However, there's an absence of elite pitching options outside of Shohei Ohtani, and his salary is such that it could make it difficult to build the rest of the lineup optimally.
The good news is that there are some reasonable pivots off Ohtani that should still offer plenty of safety, and that there are a number of hitters in particularly enticing matchups that won't necessarily break your bank.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 9/3/2021. 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 read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like DraftKings, and other sports.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Cash Game/GPP Anchor Play:
Adam Wainwright – at MIL ($9,600)
Wainwright owns a 2.45 ERA against the Brewers over two starts this season, and he's pitched to a solid 6-2 record on the road. The veteran has scored between 43 and 61 FD points in four of his last five starts, and he's held current Brewers bats to a collective .211/.273/.318 slash line in 126 career encounters. Milwaukee hasn't been much of a threat to visiting right-handers of late, either, posting a .220 average, .307 wOBA and -2.3 wRAA against them at home over the last month of play.
Potential Alternate Play
Kyle Gibson – at MIA ($9,400)
On a night when there should be plenty of DFS attention on Shohei Ohtani, Gibson makes for an interesting pivot off both him and Wainwright if you need to save some dollars. The veteran gets one of the best matchups going for righties on the road in the Marlins, which have an anemic .301 wOBA and .147 ISO at home versus that handedness in the last month. Gibson has had just one poor outing since joining the Phillies at the trade deadline and has been a solid road performer all season, posting a 3.59 ERA and 0.7 HR/9 in that split. He's been very consistent overall, scoring at least 28 FD points in all but five of his 25 appearances (24 starts) and flashing a ceiling north of 50 FD points twice.
ALSO CONSIDER: Shohei Ohtani ($10,800)
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FanDuel DFS Infielders
Will Smith- C/1B, at SFG ($3,700)
Smith has put together a breakout season with new career highs in home runs (22) and RBI (67), and he's been particularly dangerous versus right-handed pitching when traveling. Smith has punished righties for a .326 average, 1.019 OPS, .423 wOBA and 171 wRC+ on the road, and he's also taken Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani to task with a .600 average, a triple and two home runs across 12 career encounters. DeSclafani has been tough on right-handed hitters and has yet to give a home run to one at home this season, but he's coming off a month of August where he pitched to a 5.93 ERA, .322 BAA and .387 wOBA across 13.2 innings.
Ketel Marte – 2B, vs. SEA ($4,200)
The switch-hitting Marte has done immense damage to left-handers this season, posting a .427 average, .513 wOBA and 1.242 OPS versus southpaws while striking out at a minuscule 12.3 percent clip against them. He gets a lefty he knows well Friday in the Mariners' Tyler Anderson, who he's already punished for a .529 average with four doubles, two homers and only one strikeout in 20 career encounters. Anderson has been most vulnerable this season at both of his stops when facing right-handed hitters on the road, as they've gotten to him for a .266 average, 1.5 HR/9 and .331 wOBA.
Josh Donaldson – 3B, at TB ($3,200)
The Rays' Michael Wacha has struggled in same-handed matchups all season, allowing a .306 average, .371 wOBA and a 1.9 HR/9 in that split. Donaldson certainly has the pop in his bat to take advantage, and he checks in having put together a .376 wOBA and .241 ISO in August. He's also enjoyed his share of success versus right-handed pitching on the road this season, posting a .271 average, .948 OPS, .398 wOBA and 40.9 percent hard-contact rate in that split.
Javier Baez – SS, at WAS ($3,400)
Baez has certainly drawn his share of attention since joining the Mets and has been at his best against left-handed pitching all season, posting a .260 average, .878 OPS and .372 wOBA versus southpaws. He limped to a .213 average and .288 wOBA overall in August, but he's shown some signs of life recently with a pair of homers over his last five games and gets a shot at potentially vulnerable left-hander in Sean Nolin on Friday. Nolin has given up a .333 average and .381 wOBA to right-handed hitters in a small sample of 36 batters this season, and he's pitched to a .317 BAA and .368 wOBA in that split over a larger career sample of 134 hitters. When Nolin exits, Baez will also get a crack at a Nats bullpen that's allowed an NL-high .352 wOBA and pitched to a 5.47 ERA over the last month.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Brandon Lowe - vs. MIN ($3,900)
Lowe makes a for a high-upside bat to trot out against Twins starter Randy Dobnak, who's allowed a .342 average, .430 wOBA, 3.1 HR/9 and 5.62 xFIP to left-handed hitters this season. Lowe counters with a massive .406 wOBA and .338 ISO against right-handed pitching at Tropicana Field, as well as a .906 OPS and .382 wOBA in the second half of the season thus far. It's also worth noting Twins relievers have had trouble against left-handed hitters on the road of late, pitching to a .271 BAA and .377 wOBA in that split over the last two weeks (56-batter sample).
Michael Brantley– at SDP ($3,200)
Brantley is another lefty slugger in play Friday, considering his matchup against the aging Jake Arrieta, who'll be making his return from a hamstring injury to take on the Astros. Arrieta has been hit hard by both handedness of hitter this season and has allowed a .321 average and .405 wOBA to lefty bats, along with a 2.1 HR/9. Meanwhile, Brantley has been a terror versus right-handed pitching on the road, as evidenced by his .423 average, .456 wOBA, 1.065 OPS and 17.1 wRAA in that sample. Additionally, it's also worth noting Brantley hasn't fared badly against Arrieta in the past (.500 average, zero strikeouts in 11 career encounters).
Teoscar Hernandez – vs. OAK ($3,800)
Hernandez has given southpaws their share of nightmares as well this season, as he heads into Friday's matchup against Sean Manaea with a .350 average, .449 wOBA and 188 wRC+ against lefties. Hernandez has been on an extended stretch of success at the plate, posting a .291 average, .871 OPS and .369 wOBA in the second half of the season. Meanwhile, Manaea has taken some lumps against right-handed hitters at home, as they've gotten to him for a .289 average, .338 wOBA and nine homers. The lefty struggled considerably through all of August as well, pitching to a 9.90 ERA, 1.90 WHIP and 3.6 HR/9 across 20 frames.
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