3 FanDuel MLB Studs to Target for Tuesday 7/18/23

In daily fantasy baseball on FanDuel, rostering the right high-salaried studs is an important aspect of building lineups.

For hitters, we're looking for guys with big numbers, strong matchups, and players around them who are likely to produce, as well, increasing our chances for runs and RBI. For pitchers, we want big strikeout numbers, while the ability to go deep in a game and pick up a win is also valuable.

With these high-salary picks playing such a big role in your lineup, you can't afford to miss on these guys, so let's take a look at a few top high-salary plays for today's main slate. Sometimes it's easy as the best in baseball.

Advanced stats via FanGraphs.

Mitch Keller, P, Pittsburgh Pirates ($10,900)

There is no option better to take the lead in DFS lineups today than Mitch Keller.

Keller has been great all season long, and he has the numbers to show for it. The right-handed hurler is having his best season, and his career-best 3.67 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) says as much. We look for big strikeout numbers in DFS, and Keller should be able to supply those with the best strikeout rate of his career at 26.7%. He's also got a low walk rate of 7.0%.

A matchup with the Cleveland Guardians benefits Keller. The Guardians are not a good offensive team, signaled by their 26th-ranked .302 weighted on-base average (wOBA). The one struggle Keller may have against the Guardians is that Cleveland manages to avoid strikeouts very well -- their 18.7% strikeout rate is the lowest in the majors. But given Keller's strikeout stuff, he should be able to record some punchouts.

numberFire's model has Keller projected for 34.3 FanDuel points, the highest total among all pitchers.

Ronald Acuna, OF, Atlanta Braves ($4,700)

It can't get much better than running out the NL MVP favorite in your lineups.

There's little doubt that Ronald Acuna has been one of baseball's very best in 2023, and there shouldn't be any doubt about putting him in your lineup tonight as a must-play stud. Acuna's stats are almost too good to be true with a career-high .427 wOBA -- which is second in the league -- to go with 23 home runs, 43 stolen bases, and staggering 169 weighted runs created plus (wRC+).

Maybe Acuna's most impressive feat this season is how he's transformed at the plate, going from a 23.6% strikeout rate in 2022 to a minuscule 11.6% K rate this season.

The Atlanta Braves are firmly on the stacking radar with a slate-leading 6.01 implied total, and the matchup against Zach Davies sweetens the pot all the more.

Davies has not been all that good this season, finding limited success in his 11 starts. The Arizona Diamondbacks' pitcher has a SIERA sitting at 4.93. His strikeout rate is only 18.9%.

Acuna is projected for 16.4 FanDuel points, per numberFire. That's the top number for any non-Coors bat.

Shohei Ohtani, OF, Los Angeles Angels ($4,500)

If one MVP favorite wasn't enough, how about two?

It seems as if Shohei Ohtani makes history every night, and he is arguably having the best season of his career right now -- which is all the more special when you consider that he's a former MVP and would likely be a two-time MVP if Aaron Judge didn't break the American League record for home runs in a season in 2022.

The dynamic two-way player has been nothing but incredible at the plate this year. Through 93 games, he has 35 home runs -- more than he had a season ago -- and 37 RBIs. Ohtani's .438 wOBA is the best in baseball. He's homered in three straight games, and he can keep it going tonight in a nice matchup.

The New York Yankees will fire up Domingo German in this one. Despite throwing a perfect game, German makes for a solid matchup. He has a 4.04 SIERA and 4.63 fielding independent pitching (FIP), and the Los Angeles Angels -- more specifically Ohtani -- can take advantage.

numberFire forecasts Ohtani to finish with 15.7 FanDuel points, the fourth-most of any batter on the slate.

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.