3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Friday 9/22/23

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.

Pablo Lopez, P, Minnesota Twins ($11,000)

Pablo Lopez hasn't been hurt by switching from the National League to the American League. In fact, he's having a career-best season in 2023.

Lopez has a career-best 2.98 expected ERA (xERA) and a 29.2% strikeout rate, also a career-high clip. He has a 44.7% ground-ball rate, as well, so he's not prone to giving up many home runs.

The Minnesota Twins will face what's left of the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. The Angels' lineup is obviously significantly weakened without Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. They now rank 29th in wRC+ against righties (85) and have the second-highest strikeout rate (25.7%) in the split.

Lopez has the highest projection for any pitcher on this slate, per numberFire's model. He's clearly the top pitching option on this slate given the matchup.

Ronald Acuna Jr, OF, Atlanta Braves ($5,000)

Ronald Acuna Jr. continued his torrid pace of hitting and stealing bases last night as he stole his 68th bag of the season.

That puts him comfortably in the lead for the most in the majors, but it isn't the only thing he's doing well. He has 39 home runs and career-bests .425 wOBA and 169 wRC+. Tonight, he'll get one of the best possible matchups he can get.

Acuna will face the Washington Nationals, who will send Patrick Corbin to the mound. Corbin has been a pitcher to pick on in DFS for a few seasons, as he allows a lot of home runs. He's surrendered the seventh-most long balls this year (30) to go with his 5.90 xERA.

The Atlanta Braves have the second-highest implied run total (5.39) on the main slate tonight, making their best hitter a great option.

Kyle Schwarber, OF, Philadelphia Phillies ($4,300)

Kyle Schwarber is one homer away from tying his career-high of 46 from last season, and he ranks second in baseball in dingers.

Schwarber has always been a guy who lives by the "three true outcomes" of baseball -- walks, strikeouts and home runs. His batting average is just .196, but his walk rate is up to 17.9%. The important things for DFS are his .276 ISO and .350 wOBA, which make him viable on most slates.

He's especially a good play when he's facing a weak righty, and that's the case tonight. Tylor Megill will be on the mound opposite Schwarber. Megill has an xERA of a whopping 6.29 and also allows opponents to barrel the ball 9.4% of the time. He's surrendered a .369 wOBA to lefties this season.

Schwarber will also play in a park that's good for lefty power hitters, making him an excellent candidate for at least one homer tonight.

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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.