3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Friday 6/9/23

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.

Shohei Ohtani, SP, Los Angeles Angels ($10,000)

The debate remains whether Shohei Ohtani is better as a hitter or a pitcher. We'll look to target him on the mound today, as he is set up to be one of the best pitchers on the slate.

Ohtani's 33.9% strikeout rate is the best in his career, and the third-best in the Majors this season. He has given up a bit more home runs than would be ideal, but that seems like a bit of a fluke. He's getting more ground balls than ever and also has the lowest average exit velocity of his career. If the home run rate regresses, Ohtani should be even more dominant.

Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels will face the Seattle Mariners at home tonight. Seattle's lineup has struggled this season. Their active roster has the fifth-lowest weighted on-base average (wOBA) in the league and also has the second-highest strikeout rate at 25%.

He only has the fifth-highest salary for pitchers on the main slate today, but Ohtani carries the highest projection, according to numberFire's model. That makes him a fairly easy choice if looking to roster a high-end pitcher in a lineup today.

Fernando Tatis Jr, SS/OF, San Diego Padres ($4,500)

After a wild 2022 which did not see him take the field at all, Fernando Tatis Jr. is back in action. While his numbers haven't quite been as good so far this season, he's in a perfect spot on Friday night.

Tatis is currently posting career lows in wOBA and isolated slugging percentage (ISO), but most of those struggles have been against right-handed pitchers. He's been a lefty masher throughout his career, including this season. In a small sample size, his .458 wOBA and .425 ISO are elite.

He's not just facing any lefty today, as the San Diego Padres get to face a struggling Austin Gomber. Gomber has been getting walloped this season, allowing over two home runs per nine innings while sporting a fielding independent pitching (FIP) of 6.25.

In the hitter's haven that is Coors Field against a lefty who is having a hard time getting anyone out this season, Tatis is a no-brainer to put into lineups. The Padres have a massive team total of 6.55 runs tonight, so fireworks are expected from them in this spot.

Mookie Betts, OF/SS/2B, Los Angeles Dodgers ($4,300)

Mookie Betts is now eligible at three different positions on FanDuel, which makes him easier to get into lineups. Tonight's a night where you'll want to be doing that.

Betts is having arguably his best season as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. His .272 ISO is his highest since his MVP season with the Boston Red Sox in 2018. His wOBA is also the best he's produced since the shortened 2020 season.

The Dodgers continue their road trip as they begin a series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. Philly will be starting lefty Ranger Suarez tonight. Suarez isn't a horrible pitcher, but he isn't one to be feared. This is especially true for Betts with the platoon advantage, as he has a .419 wOBA and .373 ISO against southpaws this season.

Mookie will likely bat leadoff for the Dodgers tonight, which should mean he will see plenty of plate appearances in a hitter's park. He should be able to do damage and is a great addition to lineups in all formats tonight.

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.