RADIO
We've got a crazy day of baseball lined up as several doubleheaders mean 20 games will be played today. However, with MLB playing only seven innings for doubleheaders, those games will be left off the main slate so we've got a more manageable nine-game slate for our Friday night contests.
Yu Darvish stands out as the top pitching option available as he costs $1,500 more than the next-highest priced pitcher. Darvish is certainly a viable option, especially in cash games, but he doesn't have an easy matchup vs a Cardinals team that ranks second in team-OBP vs right-handed pitching. On the hitting side of things, expect ownership to be spread out. As of Thursday night, every game has an over/under between eight and 9 1/2 so there is a myriad of ways to go about constructing a lineup.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 9/3/2020. Be sure also to check out all the MLB player news including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like DraftKings, and other sports too.
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Carlos Carrasco- CLE vs. MIL ($9,300)
Carrasco is coming off a dominant effort in which he struck out six Cardinals across six shutout innings. He allowed just four baserunners and racked up 12 swinging strikes on only 85 pitches. Now he gets another juicy interleague matchup vs a Brewers lineup that hasn't lived up to expectations in 2020. Milwaukee has the second-highest strikeout rate vs right-handed pitching and has the third-lowest team-OPS vs righties.
Corbin Burnes - MIL @ CLE ($7,600)
On a night with so many hitting combos to consider, saving money on the mound may be the way to go. Burnes is one of the best values on the slate as the 25-year old has been a revelation for the Brewers. He's in the top-eight percent of baseball with a 35.1 percent strikeout rate and has a career-high 14.4 percent swinging-strike rate. Digging deeper, Burnes has justified the improvements in his game. He's all-but-abandoned his four-seam fastball in favor of throwing a sinker/cutter combo while also incorporating a changeup that has helped him vs left-handed batters. Burnes had a .274 batting average allowed to lefties in his career before this season. This year, with nine-percent higher changeup use to lefties, Burnes has a .185 average allowed. I fully believe in the improvements Burnes has made and think he will carve-up a Cleveland lineup that ranks 24th in OPS vs righties.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Brandon Belt, 1B - SF vs. ARI ($3,000)
Belt has been tearing the cover off the ball this season and his FanDuel price simply has not caught up to how good he's been swinging the lumber. Belt is in the top-10 percent of baseball in barrel rate, expected slugging percentage, wOBA, hard-hit rate and several other stats and now gets a matchup vs Taylor Clarke. Clarke's 2.22 ERA looks good, but the second-year pitcher has a much worse FIP (4.69) and xFIP (4.17) so regression should be expected. Additionally, Clarke is yet to pitch past the fifth inning this season so the Diamondbacks will roll out several relievers from a bullpen that was bad before they traded away closer Archie Bradley.
Max Muncy - 2B, LOS vs. COL ($3,600)
This isn't the slate to get cute at second base with the top-priced Muncy as the best option at the keystone. Muncy will face Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela who is a prime stack target even when he's NOT pitching at Coors Field. Senzatela gives up a ton of hard contact and Muncy has better career numbers vs right-handed pitching and has seven hits in his last six games
Alec Bohm, 3B - PHI @ NYM ($2,500)
The top-hitting prospect in the Phillies system has been as advertised in his first taste of the big leagues. The rookie is batting .317 through 71 plate-appearances and has been particularly hot lately with seven hits in his last four games. Bohm is making hard contact 51 percent of the time so far and now gets to face Rick Porcello who has had trouble with the long ball as he allowed a whopping 1.6 HR/9 last season.
Corey Seager - SS, LAD vs. COL ($3,800)
Seager is another lefty to target against Senzatela as the Dodgers shortstop has been red hot at the plate. He is batting .310 so far this season with an elite .595 slugging percentage. His quality of contact has also been elite as he is making hard contact at a 58.5 percent rate with strong expected stats. He bats second for a Dodgers lineup that has one of the highest implied run totals on the slate and is key in any Dodgers stack.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Brandon Nimmo, OF - NYM vs. PHI ($2,900)
Nimmo is a near-lock in a matchup vs a contact-prone righty as the leadoff hitter for the Mets. Jake Arrieta is giving up 89.9 percent contact on pitches in the strike zone this season and Nimmo is one of the best contact hitters in the game. Nimmo also sports an elite 16.6 percent walk rate so he'll either be making contact or reaching via base on balls. The Mets should be able to put up runs vs Arrieta and Nimmo should be on base plenty for the big bats in the order.
J.D. Davis, OF - NYM @ PHI ($2,700)
Speaking of big bats in the order, Davis is still priced under $3,000 despite another homer Thursday night. Davis should be in the cleanup spot vs the aforementioned Arrieta and has a positive park-shift to hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park. Davis has been making tons of hard contact this season with an 89.9 MPH average exit velocity and should see some good pitches to hit vs Arrieta.
Jay Bruce, OF - PHI vs. NYM ($3,000)
Bruce has homered in both of his starts since coming off the injured list and has a good chance to go yard again vs Mets starter Rick Porcello. The right-hander has an ugly 6.00 ERA supported by a 5.27 expected ERA and is among the worst pitchers in the league at inducing swings and misses. The veteran outfielder is a cheap play as part of a Phillies stack, or as a one-off with as good a chance to homer as anyone in his price range.
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