3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Wednesday 6/14/23

In daily fantasy baseball on FanDuel, finding and utilizing productive high-salary players is integral to building a successful lineup.

In terms of hitters, we're looking for individuals with big numbers, favorable matchups, and fellow players around them who are likely to produce, as well, increasing our chances for runs and RBI. For pitchers, we want high strikeout totals. Still, the ability to labor deep into a game while earning a win is also valuable.

With high-salary picks playing such a crucial role in your lineup, you can't afford to miss on these guys, so let's take a look at a few top high-salary plays for today's main slate.

Remember, the schedule features 16 games on Wednesday. That means everyone is in action, including an interleague double-dip between the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers.

Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers ($11,100)

Last night, I went with a pitcher from the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago White Sox, and that did relatively well. Today, I feel good about running it back with the starter for the "Boys in Blue": Clayton Kershaw (8-4). The three-time Cy Young Award winner is having quite the bounce-back campaign in Year 16.

Right away, Kershaw resonates as a solid DFS selection against Chicago. At numberFire, Kershaw ranks in the top three of all players for Wednesday's main slate, reflecting a fantasy projection of 38.1 FanDuel points. For the White Sox, numberfire has them projected for 2.98 runs, which is the fewest of the night

Kershaw is already a surefire bet to make the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility (whenever that may be), and he is still dealing in 2023. At the moment, he is averaging 10.97 punchouts per nine innings; that is the fourth-best ratio in baseball, trailing only Shohei Ohtani, Kevin Gausman and Spencer Strider. Impressively, Kershaw's strikeout rate is currently at 30.3%, which -- if the season ended today -- would be his best mark in that department since 2016.

All things considered, Kershaw seems like a strong option against the Chi-Sox.

Shohei Ohtani, OF, Los Angeles Angels ($4,100)

Staying with another Southern California star, Shohei Ohtani is a quality DFS choice for the Los Angeles Angels versus the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. We mentioned Ohtani earlier for his high strikeout numbers when pitching, but he won't be on the mound tonight. Instead, I like Ohtani as a position player, and numberFire projects him to produce 14.1 FanDuel points, the sixth-most among Wednesday's batters.

Ohtani will take his initial plate appearances against Texas starter Andrew Heaney. In 2023, Heaney has not been as sharp as he was a year ago, carrying a 4.32 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA). For Heaney, that number is higher than his SIERA in any of his previous nine seasons. Ohtani has only one lifetime at-bat against Heaney, but for what it's worth, that at-bat resulted in a solo home run.

Sporting an OPS of .973, Ohtani currently ranks in the top five of MLB. Additionally, his wOBA (weighted on-base average) is at a career-best .407 in 2023. Against a division rival, Ohtani is positioned for a productive night in the batter's box.

Matt McLain, SS, Cincinnati Reds ($3,700)

A couple of years removed from Jonathan India winning the NL Rookie of the Year, the Cincinnati Reds may have another infielder win the award in 2023: Matt McLain. The rookie from Orange County, California, has largely taken the Majors by storm since debuting last month.

In 27 career MLB games, McLain has already collected 10 RBI behind 38 hits, 13 of which have gone for extra bases. The speedster has also done well to leg out 3 triples along with scoring 21 total runs. He has only stolen two bases thus far, but he is absolutely a threat to swipe a bag (or more) on any given night.

Equally as impressive, McLain currently showcases a hard-hit rate of 42.2%. Combining that with his ability to run has the potential to translate to lots of value in DFS. Even better: McLain usually has India and Elly De La Cruz hitting behind him.

On Wednesday, McClain will go against lefty Daniel Lynch of the Kansas City Royals. Lynch is not having his best year, currently yielding a 4.30 expected ERA, and McClain will have the platoon advantage in this spot.

Per numberFire's projections, McLain (9.8 FanDuel points) is a solid option at shortstop.

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.