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Mike Schwarzenbach highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 9/8/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Man does it feel like September, these days. Yes, I know it is September, but last year didn't feel like September. The 60-game season was still brand new, yet the playoffs were just around the corner. Fantasy baseballers didn't have a chance to settle into the daily grind and all the DFS fun was over before it started. Now, it feels like September. We've had well over 100 nights of DFS action, fantasy football is back in earnest, and it takes an eternity to drive past the school in my town. Yup, it's September.
I write this mini-ode to the ninth month because there's one other key-September trait that was taken from us last season and that is the September call-ups. You know fall is on the way when you see No. 79 pitching to No. 84 in an empty stadium. Anyway, we've got a few Triple-A hurlers making MLB starts on Wednesday which means there could be plenty of offense to be had on this eight-game slate. Let's dig in.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 9/8/2021. 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:
Frankie Montas – OAK vs CHW ($9,000)
The A's have been in a freefall over the last few weeks. One of the few things that's gone right for Oakland has been the emergence of Frankie Montas who has been one of the best pitchers in the league in the second half. Montas leads all qualified pitchers with a 16.7% swinging-strike rate since the All-Star break and hasn't given up more than three runs in a start since June. All those swinging strikes have led to a boatload of strikeouts as Montas has four starts with at least eight punchouts in the second half.
The White Sox are a tough matchup, but Montas may be the best pitcher on the slate but ranks eighth in terms of FanDuel salary. Even if Chicago can score, Montas should provide at least six or seven strikeouts giving him the high floor we want in cash games.
Potential Alternate Play
Shane McClanahan – TB at BOS ($9,300)
Speaking of pitchers with safe floors thanks to high whiff rates, I present, Shane McClanahan. A good deal of the casual baseball audience isn't familiar with the Rays ace yet, but if you've been reading Rotoballer at all this summer you're well acquainted with the young lefty. McClanahan has one of the most complete arsenals you'll find from a 24-year-old pitcher as he sports four pitches, three of which have a negative run value (that means they're good pitches!). His slider and curveball, in particular, are among the deadliest weapons in baseball as both pitches generate whiffs more than 40% of the time. When you add his 96 MPH fastball to the mix, McClanahan has three pitches with a put-away rate above 20 percent.
I could keep raving about McClanahan, but you get the point, this is a future ace capable of dominating any time he toes the rubber. The only hesitation with using him as the cash-game play is his opponent, the Boston Red Sox. Boston has a good offense and it's always a little risky to use a pitcher when facing the same team in back-to-back starts. Throw in the fact this game is in Fenway, a nightmare park for left-handed pitchers, and my McLananhan exposure will be limited to tournaments. His skill could always lead to a huge game, but he doesn't feel as safe as Montas with both hurlers facing the Sox.
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FanDuel DFS Infielders
Josh Bell – 1B, WAS at ATL ($3,400)
The narrative surrounding the Nationals since the trade deadline has been they sold off everything but Juan Soto and are starting nothing but minor leaguers around their young star. That hasn't totally been the case as Josh Bell is still around and hitting very well since the deadline. In that span, the switch-hitting Bell is slugging a healthy .504 and has 25 RBI in 35 games.
Tommy Edman – 2B/OF, STL vs LAD ($3,200)
Edman had his 13-game on-base streak snapped on Tuesday but is in a great spot to start a new one versus a bullpen game for the Dodgers. The versatile Edman only has 10 homers this season, but he's slugging over .400 thanks to 37 doubles. He bats leadoff ahead of Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado which has led to 77 runs scored this season. Throw in 23 stolen bases and you've got a player who can post a big night for DFS in a number of ways.
Matt Chapman – 3B, OAK vs CWS ($3,600)
Chapman has been broken since the start of the 2020 season as his strikeout rate has spiked well above 30 percent since last July and it's destroyed his batting average as he's hitting just .224 this season. Why do we want Chapman tonight then? Because opposing hurler Dallas Keuchel seldom strikes batters out which plays into Chapman's strength. When he can put wood on the ball, Chapman makes good contact. He's got 24 homers this season and a solid 41.6% hard-hit rate. He also profiles well versus Keuchel as Chapman is a good sinker-ball hitter.
Nicky Lopez – 2B/SS, KC at BAL ($2,800)
The Royals will be a very popular stack facing Matt Harvey in the friendly confines of Camden Yards. Whit Merrifield and Salvador Perez are great plays in this spot but don't forget about the light-hitting Lopez sandwiched in between the two KC stars. Lopez doesn't have big power, but he makes up for it by getting on base at a .362 rate. He's also stolen 19 bases without being caught making him a solid DFS play in a smash-spot for the Royals.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Ryan Mountcastle – OF/1B, BAL vs KC ($3,500)
Cedric Mullins has gotten most of the attention for the Orioles, and for good reason, but Baltimore has another emerging young star in Ryan Mountcastle who's posted a .926 OPS in the second half. Mountcastle hits better versus lefties as he's slugging .529 against that handedness. He's my dong-call of the night facing Mike Minor in Camden Yards.
Lane Thomas – OF, WAS at ATL ($2,300)
Thomas has been one of the best values in DFS since he started leading off for the Nats. Over his last 11 games, the rookie is batting .292 with a .542 slugging percentage. He's scored at least six FanDuel points in every game over that stretch and has two 25 point games mixed in. Thomas is a steal at this price.
Austin Meadows – OF, TB at BOS ($3,500)
We don't want to pick on Nathan Eovaldi too much, but Meadows is always in play when Tampa faces a right-handed pitcher. Meadows has a .902 OPS versus righties this season and comes into this game in great form as he's riding a seven-game hit streak with three homers in that span.
FanDuel DFS Stack Option
- Kansas City Royals
- Washington Nationals
- St. Louis Cardinals
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