3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Wednesday 8/23/23

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.

Clayton Kershaw, P, Los Angeles Dodgers ($10,800)

Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw has a pretty sweet matchup to kick off today's slate, pitching against a Cleveland Guardians that has cooled off in the hotter months. He has the second-highest salary on FanDuel for today's contests at $10,800, and also carries numberFire's third-highest FanDuel points projection (30.3).

Kershaw has pretty much looked like Kershaw this year -- a locked-in future Hall of Famer. He has the second-best ERA (2.48) among qualified pitchers this year, the seventh-best WHIP (1.03), and is still averaging over a strikeout per inning. Behind the scenes, his 3.61 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) is still an impressive mark, though it places 23rd among qualified starters -- a step behind his sterling ERA and WHIP marks. His .259 BABIP is one of the lower rates among starting pitchers, the strong defense he has supporting him this season -- the Dodgers' pitchers as a whole have the fourth-best BABIP allowed at .279 this season, so we probably won't have to worry about much regression towards the mean in that department.

The Guardians will fill the batter's box across from him for today's contest. They've been slumping through the summer months, with the 24th-best wRC+ (89) in MLB since July. They have the second-lowest (3.59) implied total on today's slate, with only the lowly road Colorado Rockies expected to put up fewer runs. Even with his steep salary, Kershaw is worth building lineups around on today's slate.

Yandy Diaz, 1B/3B, Tampa Bay Rays ($3,600)

The Tampa Bay Rays batters get arguably the softest matchup on today's slate, squaring off against struggling left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber at home. This puts their strong hitters, like Yandy Diaz, in play for fantasy lineups.

For his part, Diaz has a strong .906 OPS against left-handed pitchers this year. The Rays as a whole have feasted on lefties as well -- their 115 wRC+ is tied for the fifth-best mark in MLB against southpaws. It's a good setup for Diaz to knock in some runs as well as score a few of his own.

On the mound, Gomber has had a tough go of things this year. His 1.47 WHIP is tied for the worst mark among starting pitchers this year, meaning he should help the Rays get on base. He has a 5.52 ERA on the season (third-worst) in addition to a 5.18 SIERA (third-worst). The Rockies have kept him out there for at least 5 innings for all but 7 of his 25 starts this season too, so the Rays should be able to feast if things get out of hand.

Ronald Acuna, OF, Atlanta Braves ($4,900)

If you have a chance to start the highest-scoring player in fantasy baseball, you might as well take it, right? Ronald Acuna has been on fire this season and is projected for the most FanDuel points (16.2) of any hitter on today's slate.

The star has already mashed 28 home runs this season (tied for 12th-most) and leads the majors with an astounding 58 stolen bases. He pads the stat sheet, which is reflected by his third-ranked 165 wRC+.

He and his Atlanta Braves will take on Jose Quintana and the New York Mets this evening. Quintana has been strong for his team when he has been available, but has pitched just 35.2 innings so far this season. He gave up four hits and three walks when these two teams squared off earlier this month, but only allowed a single earned run in that outing. The Braves -- and especially Acuna -- should be able to capitalize on those runners Quintana and his 1.26 WHIP has been allowing on base this season.

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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.