3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Thursday 8/24/23

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 today's main slate.

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

Justin Steele, P, Chicago Cubs ($10,400)

Justin Steele has been on fire this year. The third-year Chicago Cubs starter took a step forward last year, but has been on a different level in 2023. His 14 wins this year are tied for the most in Major League Baseball and look even more impressive considering his team's near .500 record as we head towards September.

The ace has been elite when it comes to avoiding quality contact this season. He's been allowing just 0.68 homers per nine innings, the third-lowest rate among all qualifying pitchers. He isn't letting guys get on base for free, either, with a top-notch 5.1% walk rate.

He has a fantastic matchup for today's slate, squaring off against a Pittsburgh Pirates team that has cooled off considerably since their exciting start to the season. Steele's opponent for the night ranks 23rd out of the 30 major league teams in wRC+. The team as a whole is batting for a lowly .226 average since July (29th of 30) and shouldn't put up much of a fight against Steele in tonight's tilt. He has a $10,400 salary on FanDuel and is projected for 36.9 fantasy points.

Corey Seager, SS, Texas Rangers ($4,500)

Arguably no batter has been hotter this season than Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager. He's slugging for a ridiculous .720 rate since July (the highest rate in the majors) and has the second-highest wRC+ in that span at a whopping 201. Injuries have limited him to 83 games so far this season, and yet only Aaron Judge has hit more home runs (27) than Seager's 23 in fewer games (72) than Seager has played.

As a general rule of thumb, if a guy has a 1.062 OPS over the course of a nearly full season, you'll want him in your daily fantasy lineups. Seager's $4,500 salary is steep, but he's projected for a healthy 12.7 fantasy points in spite of a potentially tricky matchup against the Minnesota Twins and stud righty Pablo Lopez. It kind of goes without saying that you can't keep your OPS over the 1.000 mark across 83 games by playing poorly against tough pitchers.

Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays ($3,300)

If you'd rather not break the bank to get Seager into your lineup today, consider Bo Bichette as his Toronto Blue Jays take on the Baltimore Orioles and right-handed starter Kyle Gibson. Bichette is projected to score the third-most FanDuel points (13.8) of any batter on tonight's slate according to numberFire's model.

Bichette's 133 wRC+ is tied for the 12th-best mark in the entire league this season, putting him alongside impressive company like Luis Robert and Bryce Harper as August comes to an end. His 149 hits rank fourth in the league so far as well.

Orioles starter Kyle Gibson is having a season to forget. His 4.37 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) ranks 18th-worst among qualifying pitchers this season. Bichette and his Blue Jays should be able to put some points on the board against Gibson tonight.

Looking to build some MLB DFS lineups? Check out FanDuel’s daily fantasy baseball lobby to see all the offerings for today’s slates.

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.