FanDuel MLB DFS Picks: Monday 9/23/24

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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

Today's four-game MLB slate leaves us with few options to choose from at the pitcher position, especially since the Chicago Cubs are sending out a relief pitcher this evening.

Aaron Nola ($10,200) is the top-dollar pitcher and will take on that aforementioned Cubs team. Nola averages a slate-leading 33.54 FanDuel points per game and is projected for 35.3 FanDuel points in this matchup, nearly five more points than the next-highest projected thrower. The Cubs strike out at a 22.9% rate versus righties, and Nola's 23.7% K% has helped him notch 43 FanDuel points or more in three of his last five outings.

Past Nola, the best pitcher to consider might be Hunter Brown ($9,300). Brown enters the night with a 3.30 xERA and 24.8% strikeout rate, all while letting up just 0.99 home runs per nine innings. His matchup against the Seattle Mariners draws plenty of intrigue as the Mariners strike out at a league-high 27.0% rate. Brown exhibits a decent floor, bottoming at 21 FanDuel points across his last 12 starts. He notched 43 and 46 FanDuel points in his two most recent outings versus Seattle, totaling 14 Ks in that span. The Houston Astros are looking to clinch the AL West tonight, so Brown checks all the boxes in this matchup.

Bryce Miller ($9,700) of the Mariners carries the second-highest salary in his matchup against Houston. Since the Astros strike out at a measly 19.1% rate (third-lowest in MLB), I'd have a hard time siding with Miller over Brown.

Eduardo Rodriguez ($7,500) is an interesting dart throw if you're looking for a lower-salaried and less popular option that carries a large upside in the face of glaring downsides. E-Rod has been marred with a 5.32 xERA through eight starts this season. With that said, he's struck out a massive 18 batters across his last two outings, totaling 86 FanDuel points in this span. He'll take on the San Francisco Giants, a team that strikes out at a gaudy 24.8% rate versus lefties (sixth-highest).

Stacks to Target

• Arizona Diamondbacks (5.03 implied total)
  • Hayden Birdsong comes in with a 4.75 xERA, 4.54 SIERA and lets up a .268 ISO, .505 SLG, 50.7% fly-ball rate, and 2.39 home runs per nine innings to right-handed batters. In turn, Ketel Marte ($4,200), Eugenio Suarez ($3,600), and Christian Walker ($3,400) make up a priority stack for baseball's hottest offense.
• Philadelphia Phillies (4.50)
  • The Cubs will send out relief pitcher Nate Pearson to start tonight's game. Pearson lets up a 41.2% fly-ball rate and 1.71 home runs per nine innings. The Phillies can pack on the runs in this one, be it by exploiting Pearson's fly-ball tendencies or ravaging a Chicago bullpen that is primed to slip up in a relief game. Key targets here include Kyle Schwarber ($4,000), Trea Turner ($3,800), and Bryce Harper ($3,700), all of whom are projected for 12.3 FanDuel points or more on Monday.
• Boston Red Sox (3.96)
  • Chris Bassitt has been terrible against lefties this season. To this handedness, he relents a .300 BA, .372 wOBA, .474 SLG, 39.1% fly-ball rate, and 1.56 home runs per nine innings. That sample accounts for 80 2/3 innings pitched, so these splits are quite stabilized. This opens a door for us to target a mini-stack among Boston's lefties. Triston Casas ($2,700) is my favorite option of the bunch, and he can be joined alongside lefties Jarren Duran ($3,800), Wilyer Abreu ($3,000), or Masataka Yoshida ($3,000) depending on how much of your roster you want to build around Boston considering the underwhelming implied team total.

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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.