3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Thursday 9/28/23

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 Thursday's main slate.

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

Jordan Montgomery, SP, Texas Rangers ($10,200)

Jordan Montgomery returned to the American League during his seventh MLB season. Moving from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Texas Rangers early last month, Montgomery has been efficient behind only 1.09 WHIP since the trade.

On Thursday, the left-handed Montomgery is scheduled for a pivotal matchup at the Seattle Mariners. With the AL West technically still up for grabs (Texas holds a four-game lead over the M's), the Rangers can at least clinch a playoff spot with a win tonight. Expect tensions to be high.

Behind a collective 4.22 SIERA this season, Montgomery is having a solid campaign thus far. He has been especially exceptional at limiting home runs in 2023, allowing only 0.84 HR/9. Over the past two years, he is inducing ground balls at a 45.75% clip. Simply, Monty can be tough for hitters to get to.

In a divisional bid on the road, Montgomery is looked upon highly at numberFire; their FanDuel DFS projections have the southpaw for 32.7 points tonight. This compounds my confidence in him and Texas this evening -- especially given the urgency of the standings.

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

As your eventual 2023 National League MVP, Ronald Acuna Jr. is having a season of historic proportions. As of Wednesday, Acuna is the first MLB player to ever compile 40 or more home runs while stealing 70 bases in the same year.

Of course, his Atlanta Braves -- a side FanDuel Sportsbook currently has priced at +120 in their National League pennant odds -- are breaking records, as well. They just became the first NL team to clobber 300 homers in a single campaign. Tonight, Atlanta will look to continue that offensive prowess at home versus the Chicago Cubs.

Acuna has many eye-popping statistical figures in 2023, such as his 1.010 OPS (including 1.154 in that department over his past 23 games). Also, his .464 xwOBA is definitively a career high. This season, Acuna's numbers are actually better in same-handed matchups rather than against lefties, hitting .341 compared to .315. In that regard, I like his chances versus Chicago starter Marcus Stroman (4.23 SIERA) this evening.

Opposing the Cubbies on Thursday, numberFire projects Acuna will contribute 15.1 points in DFS, which lands as a top-five offensive player. His play in 2023 has, undoubtedly, been an experience; be sure to get some of it while you still can.

Freddie Freeman, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers ($4,600)

With the Los Angeles Dodgers facing the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field tonight, it would be wise to prioritize matchups in the Mile High. We are all aware of the offensive advantages in Denver (Baseball Savant gives Coors the top park factor score of 112 this year), but the Dodgers have also averaged 9.5 runs per game in their last two contests. Expect a boom.

Righty starter Chris Flexen (6.01 xERA in 2023) is on the bump for Colorado today, so I like Freddie Freeman as a DFS selection. The first baseman is having another career year, leading his club in doubles (58, a franchise record) and batting average (.333).

At numberFire, Freeman is projected to produce the highest output of any first baseman on Thursday -- 16.0 FanDuel points. Yesterday, Freeman did well to produce three RBI behind an eighth-inning big fly, which all resulted in 37.7 FanDuel points. We'll take output like that on any night.

As you might expect, with Los Angeles still at Coors, the Boys in Blue yield tonight's largest estimated run total (7.40), according to numberFire's game projections. The Rockies' hurler certainly has his work cut out for him.

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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.