DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Friday 9/10/21

Now’s your chance to get DFSR PRO, which will give you access to our MLB, NBA, PGA, NHL, and NFL optimizers and our new player lab! Get started for free by clicking the button below.

Pitchers

Robbie Ray FD - P 11200 DK - SP 10700
Opponent - BAL (Chris Ellis) Park - BAL
FD - 36.78 DK - 19.47

Ray has crept his way up to almost being the favorite for the CY Young award in the American League. Sure, his closest competition dealing with injuries has helped but Ray has been elite in his own right, especially down the stretch. He enters the night with four straight starts tallying double-digit K's and 32+ DK/55+ FD points. The matchup is only average as O's are much better against lefties than righties but Ray has been matchup-proof lately and is easily my top pitcher in all formats.

Framber Valdez FD 10500 DK 9100
Opponent - LAA (Shohei Ohtani) Park - LAA
FD - 37.14 DK - 19.64

Valdez has been on a roller coaster ride in the second half but we cannot ignore the matchup against the Angels as outside of Ohtani it is getting pretty ugly. Going back to the beginning of August they rank last in wOBA(.280), 2nd to last in wRC+(77), and 3rd in K rate(25.4%). Despite a few bad starts, Valdez enters the night with a sparkling 3.08 ERA backed up by a 3.51 xFIP but does lack big K upside(22%) so he falls to #2 in my rankings tonight. Still safe in all formats and my top SP2 on DraftKings.

Catcher/First Base

Salvador Perez FD - C 4200 DK - C 5800
Opponent - MIN (Griffin Jax) Park - MIN
FD - 10.02 DK - 7.62

I never thought I would be leading off with a nearly $6K catcher but here we are. The Royals are once again one of the top projected offenses in a great spot against Griffin Jax who has given up 19 earned runs(6 HR) over his last three starts and sits with a 6.79 ERA/5.66 xFIPon the season. For Perez, he has been in beast mode in the second half with a .403 wOBA/157 wRC+ and leads the league in that time with 21 home runs. It's another Royals chalk night and it starts with Perez in all formats.

Ty France FD - 1B 2900 DK - 1B 4700
Opponent - ARI (Madison Bumgarner) Park - SEA
FD - 9.05 DK - 6.91

For value at the position, I like turning to Ty France who continues to prove the Mariners won the 2020 trade. He has been good all season but even better in the second half hitting .333 with a .384 wOBA and 150 wRC+ and has been huge in the team's push for the playoffs. He faces Madison Bumgarner who has been good, not great this season and gets him at the right time as he has struggled allowing 18 hits and 14 earned runs over his last three starts. Fire up France in all formats.

Second Base

Jonathan India FD - 2B 3900 DK - 2B 4100
Opponent - STL (Miles Mikolas) Park - STL
FD - 9.57 DK - 7.33

India has all but locked up the NL Rookie of the Year award(-900 at this point) and has been on of the most mispriced DK plays all season long. Tonight is another example as the price is trending down while he is heating up and comes in with hits in seven of his last eight games with six extra-base hits. He also gets a plus matchup vs. Jon Lester and has been very successful against lefties with a .383 wOBA and 138 wRC+. While I will likely reserve for GPP formats on FanDuel, India is my top playa at second on DraftKings in all formats.

Brendan Rodgers FD - 2B 2900 DK - 2B 3800
Opponent - PHI (Undecided) Park - PHI
FD - 9.31 DK - 7.17

Rodgers is starting to become a regular in my articles in the second half and for good reason. First of all, he has been hitting at the top of the order since the end of July and hasn't really seen a price increase and once again comes under $4K on DraftKings. He let us down last night but has hits in six of his last nine including four multi-hit efforts. To top it off, he has been terrific against lefties with a .424 wOBA/153 wRC+ in 2021 and is my top PTS/$ play at the position.

Shortstop

Marcus Semien FD 4500 DK 5600
Opponent - BAL (Chris Ellis) Park - BAL
FD - 14.95 DK - 11.33

The Jays are on an epic September run and top the charts in terms of implied runs once again as they open a series in Baltimore. They face a young pitcher in Chris Ellis who has had success early on with a 2.16 ERA through three starts(4 appearances) but the regression monster is getting close. His xFIP(5.08) is nearly three runs higher and is running an insanely unsustainable .186 BABIP.

Semien is 2B only on DraftKings but I wanted to find a way to get him in here anyway as he has heated up with hits in nine straight including a huge power surge. Priced considered, he is my favorites Jays bat in all formats tonight.

Nick Ahmed FD 2700 DK 2800
Opponent - SEA (Marco Gonzales) Park - SEA
FD - 8.15 DK - 6.23

With so many players priced up but needed to cash on a nightly basis, the Ahmed's of the world are needed to tie it all together. While he isn't going to win us a GPP very often, he does provide a ton of PTS/$ opportunity as he is projected to leadoff for the D-backs tonight. That is due to his ability to hit lefties as he comes in with a .339 wOBA/110 wRC+/.221 ISO in the split. Stay tuned for lineups but if he is back in the leadoff spot, he will be one of my top value plays at any position.

Third Base

Eduardo Escobar FD 3400 DK 4000
Opponent - CLE (Eli Morgan) Park - CLE
FD - 11.21 DK - 8.53

Third base is much like first tonight in that we have one top play(JRam) with a crazy price tag followed by some tough matchups. This has me going down into the mid-range where we have a nice PTS/$ value with Eduardo Escobar who has been terrific for the Brewers since the deadline with a .301/.363/.485 slash line. He hits near the top of the lineup, gets an above-average matchup, and comes with a value price tag. Lock and load in all formats.

Abraham Toro FD 3000 DK 4800
Opponent - ARI (Madison Bumgarner) Park - ARI
FD - 9.79 DK - 7.4

Like Escobar, Toro was traded at the deadline and has provided tremendous value for his team's push for the playoffs. Across 39 games with the Mariners, he is hitting .301 with a .371 wOBA and 141 wRC+ and more importantly comes in scorching hot with hits in five straight including four multi-hit efforts and a double in each game. With their respective prices, I prefer Escobar on DraftKings and Toro on FanDuel if looking at them 1 v 1, and both are in my player pool in all formats.

Outfield

Nick Castellanos FD 4100 DK 4900
Opponent - STL (Jon Lester) Park - STL
FD - 11.61 DK - 8.79

The Reds have found the worst possible time to be inconsistent as a team but still have so much to play for sitting just one game back in the NL Wildcard race. For DFS purposes, they are very interesting as the prices have dropped but they provide a ton of upside. As a team, they don't hit lefties well but Castellanos isn't one of them as he comes in with an insane .399 wOBA/148 wRC+/.270 ISO in the split and also comes in with hits in seven of his last eight games overall. I will have exposure in all formats with him and India being one of my top two-player stacks in cash games.

Teoscar Hernández FD 4200 DK 5000
Opponent - BAL (Chris Ellis) Park - BAL
FD - 13.88 DK - 10.43
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. FD 3800 DK 3900
Opponent - BAL (Chris Ellis) Park - BAL
FD - 12.52 DK - 9.56

With George Springer dealing with a bruised knee, the other Jays outfielders have stepped up in a big way. It starts with Teoscar who is having a monster breakout season entering the night with a .296/.346/510 slash line with 25 home runs and 94 RBI. he also provides a ton of speed and which elevates his upside yet the prices never really get into the elite territory. In play in all formats.

For Gurriel, He does hit lower in the lineup which takes him out of play for me on FanDuel at that price but sub $4K on DraftKings has me very interested. He has hits in 10 of his last 12 games and some big ones at that with two doubles, two triples, and two home runs. The Jays are the top team on the board tonight and I have no problem running Gurriel in cash on DraftKings.