FanDuel MLB DFS Picks and Helper: Friday 8/9/24

Our daily fantasy helper is available every day to analyze FanDuel's main slate and give you a starting point when you're building lineups.

Be sure to incorporate our MLB DFS projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- into your research process. numberFire also has the latest starting lineups and weather as well as heat maps to help you find the best matchups.

Let's check out the top options on today's main slate.

Note: All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

MLB DFS Picks

Pitcher Breakdown

The two most notable pitchers at the top of Friday's pitcher pool are Jack Flaherty ($11,000) of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Zack Wheeler ($10,700) of the Philadelphia Phillies. Flaherty has the better matchup against a Pittsburgh Pirates team that has the fourth-worst wOBA (.290), fourth-worst wRC+ (84), and worst ISO (.105) versus right-handed pitching in the last month. Meanwhile, Wheeler faces an Arizona Diamondbacks squad that has the third-best wOBA (.376), third-best wRC+ (143), and best ISO (.284) to begin August.

Robbie Ray ($9,500) stands out as a pitcher to target ahead of his fourth start of the season for the San Francisco Giants. The Detroit Tigers are logging the sixth-worst wOBA (.292), sixth-worst wRC+ (87), and eighth-worst ISO (.136) when going up against left-handed pitchers in 2024. Ray has scored 42 FanDuel points in two of his three starts -- with eight-plus Ks in each of those two outings -- despite not reaching the sixth inning yet.

By default, Jameson Taillon ($9,400) should be on our radars with a meeting versus the inferior Chicago White Sox. In the last 30 days, the White Sox are recording the worst wOBA (.244), worst wRC+ (53), second-worst ISO (.119), and the third-highest strikeout rate (26.3%) against righties.

Garrett Crochet ($8,800) would appear to be a fantastic value option if it weren't for the fact he's thrown 77 or fewer pitches in four consecutive outings. The salary-saving option I'd be most interested in is Martin Perez ($8,100) of the San Diego Padres. Perez produced 40 FanDuel points in his debut with the Padres, and the Miami Marlins have the 11th-worst ISO (.147) and 6th-highest strikeout rate (26.2%) against southpaws over the last month of action.

Stacks to Target

• Atlanta Braves (5.74 implied total) -- Tanner Gordon is projected to be on the mound for the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, and he's registering a 5.01 xERA and .295 xBA through four starts. Although it's a small sample, Gordon is logging reverse splits by giving up a .531 wOBA, 2.14 WHIP, and 4.82 HR/9 to right-handed bats. This gives a boost to players like Jorge Soler ($3,700), Austin Riley ($3,800), Marcell Ozuna ($4,500), Travis d'Arnaud ($3,400), and Orlando Arcia ($3,300).
• Kansas City Royals (4.57) -- Miles Mikolas is susceptible to getting hit hard, and he's doesn't generate many swings and misses, ranking in the 9th percentile in xBA (.278), 8th percentile in strikeout rate (16.1%), and 30th percentile in hard-hit rate (41.0%). Michael Massey ($2,800), Bobby Witt Jr.. ($4,600), Vinnie Pasquantino ($3,300), and MJ Melendez ($2,800) are my favorite targets in Kansas City stacks.
• Chicago Cubs (4.28) -- Speaking of Crochet, stacking the Cubs could be overlooked in tournaments. Crochet hasn't reached the fifth inning in five consecutive starts, and the White Sox's bullpen has the worst xFIP (5.25), worst WHIP (1.70), and sixth-worst HR/9 (1.5) in the last 30 days. On a slate where Flaherty could be the best pitching option, it helps that the Cubs have six players in their projected lineup with a salary of $3,000 or less.
• Cincinnati Reds (4.02) -- The Reds are posting the 5th-best wOBA (.346), 10th-best wRC+ (118), and 3rd-best ISO (.220) against right-handed pitching over the last month. Meanwhile, Aaron Civale is giving up a .358 wOBA and 1.78 HR/9 to lefties while permitting a .337 wOBA and 1.76 HR/9 to righties. Elly De La Cruz (4,300), TJ Friedl ($3,100), and Tyler Stephenson ($3,000) have all tallied 13-plus FanDuel points in three of their last four contests.

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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.