3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Thursday 9/7/23

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. Be warned: with the NFL regular season kicking off, there are only 12 MLB teams in action tonight.

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

Luis Castillo, SP, Seattle Mariners ($10,300)

With limited pitching options throughout the slate, Luis Castillo is certainly a quality player to roster this evening. In his seventh MLB season, Castillo earned his third All-Star nod, as the Seattle Mariners right-hander is stingily allowing just 1.03 WHIP right now (best mark of his career).

Castillo will be opening a four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, toeing the rubber opposite Zack Littell. No player in the Rays' lineup has upwards of 10 head-to-head at-bats versus Castillo, and that should work in the pitcher's favor.

In MLB DFS, strikeouts are vital. Castillo has been stellar in that department this year, currently showing a 26.8% K-rate. As for Tampa Bay's offense, they go down on strikes at an above-average frequency -- the Rays have struck out 8.74 times per game this season.

Among all hurlers on Thursday, Castillo is yielding the highest FanDuel DFS projection at 33.3 points, according to numberFire's model. He most recently faced Tampa back on July 2, producing 24.0 points, which is still respectable.

Mookie Betts, OF/2B/SS, Los Angeles Dodgers ($4,500)

Mookie Betts is wrapping up his fourth season in Hollywood, and it very well could end as the feature campaign of his career. He and his Los Angeles Dodgers just scorched through the month of August -- the only thing hotter in Southern California over the past 28 days was the Sun.

Along with hosting one of the most intriguing baseball talk shows right now, Betts has blistered the baseball over that aforementioned time span, producing a staggering 1.284 OPS with 7 homers and 22 RBI. Additionally, he brings dynamic defensive abilities to a handful of positions around the diamond while logging the second-most at-bats on his team; is there anything Betts can't do?

When glancing at numberFire's model for tonight, Betts is projected to produce 14.7 FanDuel points, which is tied with Ronald Acuna Jr. for the highest estimation of all outfielders. Still, Betts can be had for $300 less than Acuna. Taking on southpaw pitcher Braxton Garrett and the Miami Marlins, Betts yields a quality platoon advantage tonight.

Mark my words: Mookie will either be the Dodgers' color analyst broadcaster or mayor of Los Angeles one day. Of course, that will come after he is eventually enshrined in Cooperstown. At the moment, he is attempting to become only the second player in MLB history (after Frank Robinson) to win the MVP award in both leagues.

With 26 contests left in the regular season, his current NL MVP odds are +140 at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Cody Bellinger, OF/1B, Chicago Cubs ($4,000)

Back in the swing of things, Cody Bellinger looks like the 2019 version of himself again. Through his first season with the Chicago Cubs, Bellinger is on pace to notch his best career batting average, currently hitting .321.

In the last week alone, the former NL MVP has crushed four home runs and collected nine RBI. From that, it should be no shocker that his OPS in that time span shows 1.234 -- it is not often you see a sequential statistic like that!

On Thursday, Bellinger and the Cubbies are hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Snakes will send rookie right-hander Ryne Nelson (5.23 SIERA) to the mound, which immediately gives Bellinger the upper-hand in the platoon.

To reference numberFire, Bellinger is expected to output 13.6 points tonight while Chicago shows the second-highest run total projection on the main slate. Belli is obviously seeing the ball well right now -- I think he thrives on the D-backs rookie hurler.

Looking to build some MLB DFS lineups? Check out FanDuel’s daily fantasy baseball lobby to see all the offerings for today’s slates.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.