3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Thursday 8/17/23

Hitting on value plays in MLB DFS on FanDuel can make or break a lineup on any given day, but locking in strong performances with some of baseball's star players provides the backbone for any good DFS lineup.

These stars rightly come with high salaries as they usually live up to expectations and have the ability to outclass their peers at their position.

Here are three studs to target for Thursday's main slate.

All advanced statistics come from FanGraphs. All projections via numberFire.

Zac Gallen, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks ($10,700)

With only eight teams on tonight's main slate, Zac Gallen of the Arizona Diamondbacks is a pitcher to look out for. Gallen is set for a divisional tilt visiting the San Diego Padres, which could ultimately play advantageously for him.

Gallen is in a favorable spot on the shores of San Diego Bay at Petco Park, which is notably one of the most pitcher-friendly venues in MLB. According to Baseball Savant, only 92 runs have been scored at Petco in 2023, tied for 25th out of the 30 standard ballparks. numberFire projects Gallen to produce 34.2 FanDuel points on Thursday, which is the second-best of tonight's hurlers.

On the year, Gallen is sporting an efficient 3.57 SIERA. That would be the second-best figure in his career if the season ended today. Additionally, his 1.07 WHIP has done well to keep opposing scoring opportunities down.

Head-to-head, Gallen has dominated the Friars in his last two outings, scoring 52 FanDuel points last week and 64 points back in April. Let us see if he can display a similarly masterful performance on Thursday.

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals ($3,600)

In his 13th MLB season, Paul Goldschmidt is still bruising the rawhide for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Over the 2023 campaign, Goldy's figures in both OPS (.824) and wOBA (.357) are proficient. Additionally, he will yield a platoon advantage over tonight's starter for the New York Mets: struggling southpaw Jose Quintana (5.13 SIERA in five 2023 starts).

Baseball is a game of matchups, and Goldschmidt tends to see Quintana's stuff well. Over 17 lifetime head-to-head at-bats, Goldy is hitting .647 with 3 homers and 11 RBI versus Quintana. In the wise words of longtime broadcaster Mike Krukow, sometimes "ownage is ownage."

numberFire also expects Goldschmidt to have a thriving night; his projection against the Metropolitans shows 13.7 points on FD, which is the highest figure of any batter on tonight's slate.

Keep in mind: Goldschmidt is currently riding a four-game hitting streak, showing multiple hits in three of those contests.

Francisco Lindor, SS, New York Mets ($3,600)

Staying in the same game, I also see Francisco Lindor having a solid night at Busch Stadium. For Lindor, he will take his initial at-bats against longtime Red Bird starter Adam Wainwright.

"Uncle Charlie" will likely have his name enshrined in Cooperstown one day, but the right-handed pitcher is experiencing the woes of Father Time. He is allowing 1.89 home runs per 9 innings, which is the worst rate of his 18-year tenure (all with St. Louis).

Additionally, the switch-hitting Lindor will be able to take hacks from his stronger side (batting lefty) against Wainwright. Lindor shows an OPS of .797 with 51 RBI when facing righties this season compared to .773 and 21 RBI against left-handed pitching.

Lindor yields a strong DFS projection on Thursday. numberFire's model has the dynamic shortstop producing 13.6 FanDuel points -- the aforementioned Goldschmidt is the only hitter tonight with a greater expected output.

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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.