DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Friday 9/17/21

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Pitchers

Walker Buehler FD 9900 DK 10200
Opponent - CIN (Luis Castillo) Park - CIN
FD - 36.68 DK - 20.2

The CY Young awards are coming down to the wire and Buehler is firmly in the conversation in the National League. He has been especially dominant lately holding opponents to two or fewer earned in 11 of his last 12 starts(2.09 ERA). While pitching in Great Amercian Smallpark can be dangerous at times, the Reds have really struggled lately going 7-14 over their last 21 games while averaging under 3.5 runs per game. Buehler is my top pitcher on both sites and I will have exposure in all formats.

Dylan Cease FD 8600 DK 9100
Opponent - TEX (Taylor Hearn) Park - TEX
FD - 38.36 DK - 20.4

He has a little blip on the radar in his last start but overall has been a very consistent arm for the White Sox and fantasy. Before the last start, he had gone 5+ qualifying for a win in 14 straight and has been striking out about 4% more batters in the second half. Tonight he opens as a -195 favorite in a great matchup against the Rangers who rank dead last in every offensive category in the second half. Fire up Cease in all formats.

Catcher/First Base

Yuli Gurriel FD 3000 DK 4600
Opponent - ARI (Madison Bumgarner) Park - ARI
FD - 14.99 DK - 11.5

The Astros offense has been putting up runs at will recently(35 last 4 games) and I am going right back to the well on Friday. It starts with Gurriel who remains a tremendous value at these prices on both sites given his consistency all season(3.15/.382/.465 slash line) and especially lately as he enters with multi-hit efforts in four of his last five games. At these prices, he is easily my play at first in all formats.

Paul Goldschmidt FD 4000 DK 4200
Opponent - SD (Vince Velasquez) Park - SD
FD - 11.99 DK - 9.01

This is a case of a huge price differential between the sites as Goldy has reached the $4K mark on FanDuel yet comes cheaper than Gurriel on DraftKings. I am very interested in the latter and making it even better is the fact he comes in red-hot with hits in three straight including two doubles, two home runs, and seven runs scored. He nows faces Velazquez who hasn't pitched since the end of July and was torched when he did giving up 5+ earned runs in four of his last five starts. The Padres bullpen has also been pretty bad lately(9th worst ERA last 14 days) making Goldy a top play for me in all formats.

Second Base

Enrique Hernández FD 3400 DK 4300
Opponent - BAL (Keegan Akin) Park - BAL
FD - 14.6 DK - 11.01

Hernandez is slowly getting back up to speed since returning from Covid which has helped keep the price down. I am willing to take another chance here in a plus matchup as the Red Sox are projected as the top-scoring team tonight while Kike should be back in the leadoff spot with a  ton of opportunity. Before going on IL, he was cruising in the second half with a .300/.401/.536 slash line so here's hoping we see a glimpse of that success tonight.

Brandon Lowe FD 3500 DK 5400
Opponent - DET (Casey Mize) Park - DET
FD - 12.88 DK - 9.69

While I prefer the price on Hernandez on DraftKings, I will be going to Lowe on FanDuel in the same price range. His average(.238) is due to his inconsistency all season long but the good news is that he has been money down the stretch here with hits in eight of his last nine games including four multi-hit efforts. Like Hernandez, he hits leadoff giving him a ton of opportunity in a plus matchup.

Shortstop

Xander Bogaerts FD 3700 DK 4800
Opponent - BAL (Keegan Akin) Park - BAL
FD - 17.57 DK - 13.31

Bogaerts is another Red Sox that spent time on the Covid, missing nearly two weeks in early September. Unlike Hernandez, Bogaerts has picked up right where he left off with hits in three straight and four of five games with a double, triple, and home run. The price is still depressed, especially on DraftKings, making this a terrific buy-low spot and easily my top play at shortstop tonight.

Also Consider: Marcus Semien/Bo Bichette(TOR) as the Jays barely trail Boston in implied runs in a plus matchup or Miguel Rojas(MIA) as a value play at the position hitting leadoff in a plus matchup

Third Base

Jean Segura FD 3200 DK 4900
Opponent - NYM (Taijuan Walker) Park - NYM
FD - 9.45 DK - 7.33

This is an extension of my picks for second base on DraftKings but Segura comes with multi-position eligibility on fanDuel and I love plugging him in at third base tonight. The Phillies in general stand out in this matchup facing Taijuan Walker who has been nothing short of a disaster in the second half giving up 4+ earned runs in seven of 10 starts. For Segura, he comes in red-hot with hits in 15 of his last 17 games started(.341 avg, 141 wRC+) and is also priced down on FanDuel. Lock in and load in all formats.

Alex Bregman FD 4000 DK 4400
Opponent - ARI (Madison Bumgarner) Park - ARI
FD - 16.52 DK - 12.3

On DraftKings, the decision is pretty easy here as Alex Bregman is still massively underpriced. He spent over two months on IL but has had no problem finding his form since returning as he is hitting a cool .379 with .427 wOBA in 18 games. I also love this matchup as the Astros get Bumgarner at the right time as he has given up 26 hits and 19 earned runs in his last four starts. The price is getting up there on FanDuel but he is still a great play in all formats with his form plus matchup. Lock and load!

Outfield

Hunter Renfroe FD 3800 DK 4200
Opponent - BAL (Keegan Akin) Park - BAL
FD - 17.71 DK - 13.23

Everything lines up beautifully tonight for the Red Sox as they are tops on the implied run list and also have several players who are currently priced in buy-low range. Renfroe is yet another one of them who should be back in the two-hole tonight in a great matchup vs. Keegan Akin and he has crushed lefties to the tune of a .384 wOBA, 141 wRC+, and .244 ISO. Fire up Renfroe in all formats.

Odúbel Herrera FD 2600 DK 4800
Opponent - NYM (Taijuan Walker) Park - NYM
FD - 9.47 DK - 7.25

Back to the Phillies to close things out here as we get yet another value play in a great spot. Herrera hits leadoff and while he is not a big upside guy he has been very consistent lately with hits in 14 of his last 17 games. I am not as on board with the price tag on DraftKings and it largely depends on your overall exposure to the Phillies but on FanDuel I love Herrera as a one-off value in cash games if needed.

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