3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Monday 7/24/23

When building a daily fantasy baseball lineup on FanDuel, nailing the high-salary players is crucial to come out ahead of the pack.

For hitters, we want players with the capacity to put up big numbers, those with favorable matchups, and with a strong supporting cast that can increase their chances for runs and RBI. Looking at pitchers, strikeouts are king -- although, inning-eaters and win potential can't be ignored.

The high-salary picks are the backbone of your lineups, so we don't want to mess around. Let's take a look at some of the top high-salary players for today's main slate on FanDuel, which begins at 7:05 p.m. EST.

Juan Soto, OF, San Diego Padres ($4,000)

San Diego Padres slugger Juan Soto checks in as our top stud in DFS tonight -- thanks in no small part to a mouth-watering matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh has been one of the worst teams in baseball since May 1st, particularly on the defensive end. Pittsburgh trots out Quinn Priester for his second major league start. After compiling a 4.31 ERA in Triple-A, the righty was lit up for seven runs in his debut against the Cleveland Guardians. Consequently, the Padres have the highest implied team total of the slate at 5.11 runs.

That coincides right with Soto's outlook, as numberFire projects him for 13.4 FanDuel points -- their second-highest projection of the slate.

Soto's prowess against righties is what makes him a top target tonight. Soto owns a staggering.426 weighted on-base average (wOBA) against righties. He's blasted 16 of his 19 home runs against right-handed pitchers, racking up a .286 isolated power (ISO) to boot.

With a 41.6% hard-hit rate in that split, Soto's in line to continue his torrid pace of late. He struggled over the first month of the year but owns a .416 wOBA and .290 average since May 1st.

Fantasy-wise, Soto is coming off a hot strong weekend, batting .333 with two home runs, six RBI, and 66.6 FanDuel points. That recent stretch, coupled with a soft matchup, makes Juan Soto one of the top studs to target in DFS tonight.

Yu Darvish, SP, San Diego Padres ($10,000)

Staying in San Diego, righty Yu Darvish is a top pitcher stud to target tonight. As soft as a matchup as the Pirates are for hitters, they're even more favorable to pitchers.

Since May 1st, the Pirates' .285 wOBA against right-handed pitchers is the lowest mark in the majors. They've struck out at the fifth-highest rate (24.5%) over that span while recording the third-lowest ISO against righties.

Darvish, meanwhile, has really started to turn things on since the All-Star Break. In his last two starts, Darvish has given up just a single run while striking out 16 in 12 innings of work. Fantasy-wise, those resulted in 49 and 52-point outings despite both starts coming on the road against strong offenses in the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays.

Darvish now returns home to Petco Park -- a place he's performed well this season. He owns a 3.83 home ERA compared to a 4.86 road ERA as Petco Park continues to serve as one of the most pitcher-friendly venues in the league.

numberFire projects Darvish for 38.8 FanDuel points tonight -- their highest projection of the slate. With Pittsburgh's implied team total set at a measly 3.39 runs, Darvish and his 25.9% strikeout rate should feast -- making him a top stud to target in DFS.

Corbin Carroll, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks ($4,100)

Corbin Carroll rounds out the top DFS studs to target tonight. The Rookie of the Year favorite has crushed righties all season long and tonight matches up with a 41-year-old Adam Wainwright making his first start off the IL.

Wainwright was horrendous prior to hitting the IL. His 7.66 ERA speaks for itself, but his underlying metrics are somehow even worse. Wainwright sits in the bottom 1% of qualified pitchers with a .422 wOBA and a measly 11% strikeout rate.

Given his struggles, the Diamondbacks are expected to put on a show tonight. Carroll's 14.1-point projection on numberFire is the largest of the slate -- a fitting projection given his splits against righties.

For the season, Carroll owns a .417 wOBA and .323 ISO against righties. He's racked up a strong 33% hard-hit rate and his 40.3% fly ball rate could come in handy against a home run-friendly arm like Wainwright.

Averaging 24.88 FanDuel points over his last five games, Carroll has shown an incredibly high floor. Though, given a soft matchup, his elite ceiling is what makes Corbin Carroll a top DFS stud to target tonight.

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.