3 FanDuel MLB Studs to Target for Friday 7/21/23

In daily fantasy baseball on FanDuel, rostering the right high-salaried studs is an important aspect of building lineups.

For hitters, we're looking for guys with big numbers, strong matchups, and players around them who are likely to produce, as well, increasing our chances for runs and RBI. For pitchers, we want big strikeout numbers, while the ability to go deep in a game and pick up a win is also valuable.

With these high-salary picks playing such a big role in your lineup, you can't afford to miss on these guys, so let's take a look at a few top high-salary plays for Friday's main slate.

All advanced statistics via FanGraphs.

Shohei Ohtani, SP, Los Angeles Angels ($10,200)

Surprised? Likely not...

I understand that I may sound like a broken record when it comes to Shohei Ohtani, but it is simply ignorant to deny greatness at its peak.

I'll admit that he is currently displaying more prowess in the batter's box (MLB-leading 1.075 OPS in 2023) than on the mound (3.59 skill-interactive ERA), but I think Ohtani will pitch well on Friday at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Los Angeles Angels have not exactly shown their hand when it comes to Ohtani's near future, but regardless, he is still playing at a superstar level. He'll make his first lifetime start against the Buccos on Friday, which is actually only the second time in his career that he will pitch against a team from the NL Central in a regular season game.

Naturally, Pittsburgh's starting lineup has combined for only one hit off Ohtani through their collective time in MLB. Shohei will also receive the benefit of pitching in Anaheim on Friday, where he has been slightly better as a pitcher. He carries a 1.059 WHIP at home versus 1.209 on the road.

At numberFire, Ohtani is yielding the highest DFS projection of any available player on Friday's slate. I feel confident about him at home going against a side that currently has the second-worst team OPS in the National League (.693).

Mookie Betts, OF/2B/SS, Los Angeles Dodgers ($4,200)

One of the best all-around athletes in the Majors, Mookie Betts has been red hot in July 2023 -- much like the weather in Southern California. Astonishingly, Betts is showing a 1.124 OPS through 14 contests this month.

On Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers are set for an interleague clash at MLB's newest stadium (Globe Life Field). There, they will face the Texas Rangers and -- former Dodger -- southpaw starting pitcher Andrew Heaney.

Not only does Betts have the platoon advantage over his old teammate Heaney, but he also has some lifetime head-to-head success there; Mookie is 5-14 with two RBI versus Heaney. Additionally, Heaney has already allowed more home runs (17) in 2023 then he did all of last year in L.A.

Of the available batters for Friday, Betts is currently showing the highest projection (15.3 FanDuel points), per numberFire. On top of that, he is seeing the baseball well right now, and the Dodgers have won nine of their last dozen contests (scoring 6.42 runs per game in that stretch).

Matt Olson, 1B, Atlanta Braves ($4,200)

Considering the Atlanta Braves are still obliterating the baseball like no other side right now (MLB-leading .832 team OPS in 2023, which is nearly 30 points better than the next squad), it can be useful to peruse their catalog of hitters when filling out a DFS lineup.

Friday shows a matchup at the Milwaukee Brewers for Atlanta. With right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta on the mound, I like lefty slugger Matt Olson to have a productive night.

In his eighth season at the Major League level, Olson is again having an incredible year in the power department. In 2023, he has already blasted 32 home runs and collected 80 RBI -- both figures are within the top-two players throughout MLB.

Of all full-time infielders, Olson is showing the third-highest FanDuel projection (14.1) for Friday. When you consider his surrounding situation along with his herculean Statcast hard-hit rate of 56.5% on the season, then it should be no surprise that he is currently tied for most RBI in the Majors.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.