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The top main-slate daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on August 23, 2023. Kevin Hickey's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Happy Wednesday, RotoBallers! I'm excited to be covering another fun DFS slate. The MLB season has been good to me this season, so I'm looking forward to sifting through another crop of games. Let's break down my favorite plays from today's main slate!
With several games scattered throughout the day, we're left with a six-game evening main slate. Today's matchups are slim on pitching options, opening up plenty of opportunities to get creative with your lineup builds. I'll point out the standout plays.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks on 8/23/2023 and the main slate locking at 7:05 pm ET. The lineup picks will range from some elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. Now that we got all that out of the way, it's onto the picks!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Kevin Gausman, TOR vs. BAL ($10,600 DK, $11,000 FD)
There aren't many exciting pitching options on this slate. With Kershaw facing workload limitations, Gausman is in a tier of his own today. Through 24 starts, he sports a 3.81 xERA and 3.04 xFIP. That includes a strong .236 xBA, 6% walk rate, and .300 xwOBA. Gausman's ability to surrender power adds a layer of volatility to his game, though a tremendous 32.5% strikeout rate underscores his upside. He's the most premium pitcher we have available, but nobody else comes close to Gausman's ceiling.
Holding the best record in the American League, the Orioles are not the most ideal opponent. That said, Baltimore isn't as challenging a matchup as they appear at first glance. For the season, the Orioles score 4.9 runs per game. They carry a perfectly average 100 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, alongside a .316 wOBA and 22.3% strikeout rate. Baltimore may also be without Anthony Santander again today, as he's been out of the lineup since Sunday with a back injury.
Reid Detmers, LAA vs. CIN ($7,600 DK, $? FD)
Given the uncertainty surrounding all the premium pitching options on this slate, I like Detmers for his price and upside. After getting rocked during his first two August outings, he turned things around with a dominant performance against the Rangers last week, surrendering one hit, four walks, and no runs over 7 1/3 innings. Overall, Detmers owns a shaky 4.44 xERA and 4.20 xFIP through 22 starts. Still, he's had stretches of brilliance earlier this season and has a worthwhile ceiling thanks to a 27.3% strikeout rate.
The Reds are a flashy offense with several promising rookies and plenty of hype. Still, they aren't as good as they are exciting. Cincinnati is scoring only 4.1 runs per game since the All-Star break. That includes a horrible 65 wRC+ against left-handed pitching, alongside a .633 OPS and a generous 26% strikeout rate.
Also consider: Charlie Morton, Clayton Kershaw, MacKenzie Gore
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Mookie Betts – 2B/OF, LAD vs. Xzavion Curry ($6,600 DK, $4,500 FD)
Mookie is in the midst of a phenomenal season, even by his own standard. He's slashing .300/.397/.598 with a 165 wRC+. That includes a .582 xSLG, .296 xBA, 92.6 MPH average exit velocity, 49.7% hard-hit rate, and 13.6% barrel rate. Betts is just one home run shy of his career high (35) and figures to blow past that mark before the season's end.
Xzavion Curry's 3.24 ERA is wildly deceptive. He's getting lit up to the tune of a .468 xSLG, .272 xBA, 45.7% hard-hit rate, .339 xwOBA, and 91.9 MPH average exit velocity. Right-handed hitters are slugging .497 against Curry this season. In total, that amounts to a 4.88 xERA and 5.20 xFIP. Curry is a prime candidate for regression.
Justin Turner– 1B, BOS vs. Jose Urquidy ($4,500 DK, $3,500 FD)
Age is just a number for Justin Turner. As he approaches 39 years old, Turner seemingly hasn't missed a step. He's slashing .290/.357/.487 with 20 home runs and a 127 wRC+ this season. That includes a .466 xSLG and .347 xwOBA. Turner is slugging .466 against right-handed pitching with 13 home runs and a .352 wOBA.
Jose Urquidy has been lit up by right-handed hitters. They're slugging .500 against him this season, up from a .464 mark in 2022. The Boston lineup is loaded with impact left-handed bats, but with righties being the standout approach to Urquidy, Turner looks fantastic.
Michael Busch – 3B, LAD vs. Xzavion Curry ($2,600 DK, $2,000 FD)
If you're in the market for a punt-priced bat, Busch is your guy. He hasn't found much success in his brief MLB sample size, but the minor league numbers are prolific. Busch is slashing .323/.432/.615 with 24 home runs through 88 games in Triple-A this season. He's the second-ranked prospect in the Dodgers farm system and the No. 47 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline.
Xzavion Curry's struggles were highlighted above. He gives up more power to right-handed hitters, but he's still relented a .468 xSLG .272 xBA, .339 xwOBA, 91.9 MPH average exit velocity, and 45.7% hard-hit rate overall. Curry is far from dominant, and Busch's near-minimum pricing makes for a worthwhile gamble.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Aaron Judge – OF, NYY vs. Mackenzie Gore ($6,200 DK, $4,200 FD)
He missed time due to injury, but make no mistake, Judge is crushing the ball as well as anyone this season. He's slashing .276/.407/.617 with 24 home runs and a 176 wRC+. That includes an absurd .746 xSLG, .304 xBA, 97.4 MPH average exit velocity, 28.2% barrel rate, 64.4% hard-hit rate, and .479 xwOBA.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie Gore is getting lit up more than his 4.38 ERA tells us. Gore has surrendered a .455 xSLG, 11.9% barrel rate, 44.2% hard-hit rate, .343 xwOBA, and 89.9 MPH average exit velocity. That amounts to a 5.02 xERA, and right-handed hitters have smashed 18 home runs off of Gore in 2023.
Lane Thomas – OF, WAS vs. Luis Severino ($5,500 DK, $3,400 FD)
Thomas is having a breakout season. He's slashing .288/.335/.480 with 20 home runs, 15 stolen bases, and a 118 wRC+. Thomas has been better against southpaw pitchers this year, but this matchup is exceptionally favorable regardless.
Luis Severino has been one of baseball's most vulnerable arms this year. Through 15 appearances, he sports a 6.76 xERA and 5.14 xFIP. That includes a ridiculous .532 xSLG, 46.2% hard-hit rate, 11.4% barrel rate, .296 xBA, 90.2 MPH average exit velocity, .389 xwOBA, and 18.4% strikeout rate.
DJ Stewart – OF, NYM vs. Charlie Morton ($2,700 DK, $2,400 FD)
The sample size is relatively small, but Stewart is tearing it up in the majors this season. He's slashing .246/.338/.574 with six home runs and a 146 wRC+ through 29 games. That includes a .607 xSLG, 17.8% barrel rate, 46.7% hard-hit rate, and 91.6 MPH average exit velocity. Stewart has homered five times over his last seven games and looks to keep the momentum rolling.
Through 24 starts, Charlie Morton sports an unreliable 3.54 ERA. The advanced metrics are not so forgiving. He owns a .413 xSLG, .336 xwOBA, and .256 xBA. In total, that amounts to a 4.79 xERA and 4.24 xFIP. Morton has been sharp in recent seasons, but left-handed hitters are slugging .414 against him for his career.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Xzavion Curry
Favorite Plays: Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy
Washington Nationals vs. Luis Severino
Favorite Plays: Lane Thomas, Keibert Ruiz, CJ Abrams, Joey Meneses
Also Consider: Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves
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