3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Thursday 9/21/23

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.

Tarik Skubal, SP, Detroit Tigers ($10,300)

With impressive stats and a favorable matchup, Tarik Skubal is an excellent starting point for your DFS lineups on Thursday.

The Detroit Tigers lefty has numberFire's second-highest pitcher projection (36.9 FanDuel points) on the main slate, and he's the second-best point-per-dollar option.

Skubal missed the first half of the season due to injury but has been in great form since making his season debut in July. In 13 starts this season, Skubal has recorded a 6-3 record and is averaging 5.3 innings pitched per start.

The lefty has a fantastic 2.99 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA), the 7th-best in baseball (minimum 60 innings pitched), and his 30.7% strikeout rate ranks 23rd. He is averaging 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings, which is 30th in the league.

Skubal enters tonight's game in pristine form, too. He has at least seven strikeouts in each of his last six starts and has scored below 28 FanDuel points only once during that stretch.

The 26-year-old is taking the mound against the Oakland Athletics. Oakland enters this matchup with a 24.8% strikeout rate, the fourth-highest in baseball. They rank ninth in home runs this season and last in both RBI and wRC+. They are averaging an abysmal 1.85 runs per game over their last seven contests.

Look for Skubal to extend his run of impressive performances and take advantage of this dream matchup.

Matt Olson, 1B, Atlanta Braves ($4,400)

We head to Atlanta for our second high-salaried stud -- Matt Olson. The Atlanta Braves' outfielder has numberFire's highest projection (16.4 FanDuel points) on the slate.

As we approach the playoffs, Olson is putting the finishing touches on a career-best campaign. His 6.1 FanGraphs WAR ranks sixth, and he leads the league in both home runs (52) and RBI (131) by a wide margin. His .606 slugging percentage ranks third and his 160 wRC+ ranks sixth.

There are few better players in all of baseball than Olson right now.

Olson will be facing 26-year-old rookie right-hander Jake Irvin. Irvin's 5.02 SIERA ranks 93rd (minimum 110 innings pitched), his 19.1% strikeout rate ranks 85th, and his 1.52 home runs allowed per nine innings ranks 80th. In his most recent start, against the Milwaukee Brewers last Friday, Irvin allowed two home runs and five walks, and he failed to make it out of the fifth inning.

According to numberFire's DFS heat map, the Braves have the highest implied team total on the slate (5.44 runs) -- 0.68 runs above the Los Angeles Dodgers in second place.

Olson is well-positioned to take advantage of this matchup and add to his league-leading totals.

Bryce Harper, 1B/OF, Philadelphia Phillies ($3,700)

For our final high-salaried stud, we move to Philadelphia, where Bryce Harper will be taking on the New York Mets.

The Philadelphia Phillies' superstar has numberFire's sixth-highest projection (13.8), and he's the 20th-best point-per-dollar option.

Harper is closing out another productive season. His 137 wRC+ is tied for ninth, his .376 wOBA also ranks ninth, and his .287 average ranks 11th. It's not another MVP-winning campaign, but it's not too far off.

He enters tonight's clash with the Mets in red-hot form. Over his last four games, he is averaging 18.7 FanDuel points per game, a stretch that includes a three-run home run off of ace Spencer Strider.

Harper will face 28-year-old lefty David Peterson. Peterson enters this contest in decent form, as well, after back-to-back solid outings against the Cincinnati Reds and Minnesota Twins. For the season, Peterson has a slightly below-average 3.97 SIERA. His 25.3% strikeout rate ranks 36th, but his 1.35 home runs allowed per nine innings ranks 77th.

It's not the easiest matchup in the world but certainly one that Harper can win.

The Phillies have the fifth-highest implied team total (4.66 runs) on Thursday's main slate.

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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.