3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Friday 9/1/23

Hitting on value plays in MLB DFS on FanDuel can make or break a lineup on any given day, but locking in strong performances with some of baseball's star players provides the backbone for any good DFS lineup.

These stars rightly come with high salaries as they usually live up to expectations and have the ability to outclass their peers at their position.

Here are three studs to target for today's main slate.

All advanced statistics come from FanGraphs. All projections via numberFire.

Max Scherzer, P, Rangers ($11,000)

While you can make a case for Zack Wheeler, Max Scherzer gets the nod for me as the SP1 on this slate.

The veteran righty brings plenty of strikeout upside to the table, as he's sporting a 28.6% strikeout rate and 13.4% swinging-strike rate. He's fanned at least 10 in two of his past three outings.

Scherzer doesn't need a boost in the K department, but he gets one tonight thanks to his matchup with the Minnesota Twins. Minnesota's active roster carries the MLB's highest strikeout rate (28.3%) against righties. The Twins' 3.68 implied total is the night's third-lowest.

Scherzer's K prop tonight is set at 8.5 (with a -116 clip on the over). No other pitcher has a strikeout prop above 6.5.

With this being a Coors slate, the lone hesitation with Scherzer is his salary as using him limits what kind of exposure you can get to the bats in Denver. But outside of that, Scherzer is a slam-dunk play.

Rafael Devers, 3B, Red Sox ($3,800)

I love me some Rafael Devers tonight.

Devers draws a dream matchup versus Jordan Lyles. The right-handed Lyles is one of the worst starters in the game, struggling to a 5.22 SIERA and 16.0% strikeout rate. Lefties have tagged him for a .358 wOBA and 2.13 homers per nine, making this a smash spot for Devers.

In 2023, Devers boasts a .379 expected wOBA (xwOBA). Versus righties, he's got a juicy batted-ball profile -- a 43.3% hard-hit rate and 39.3% fly-ball rate.

The Boston Red Sox have the slate's second-best implied total (5.32), and Devers will be a core piece in my Boston stacks.

Brandon Belt, 1B, Blue Jays ($3,300)

The Toronto Blue Jays get the Coors bump today, and they should maul righty Chris Flexen. Oddsmakers are expecting just that, handing the Jays a slate-leading 6.78 implied total -- tops for the night by almost 1.5 runs.

Flexen has pitched to a 4.95 SIERA and 17.0% strikeout rate. That's not a recipe for success at Coors.

Belt usually hits third for Toronto, and with the platoon advantage this campaign, he's posted a .373 wOBA and 48.1% fly-ball rate.

At this manageable salary, Belt is one of Friday's most appealing hitters.

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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.