3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Tuesday 9/5/23

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 Tuesday's main slate.

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

Gerrit Cole, SP, New York Yankees ($11,500)

Gerrit Cole -- who currently shows a 3.69 SIERA -- is making the most of his fourth season in pinstripes. The New York Yankees have struggled as a team in 2023, but Cole has been quite masterful at the ripe age of 32. Cole's start on Tuesday will be his final appearance before turning 33 on Friday, as the dominant right-hander is still chasing that elusive Cy Young Award. At the moment, FanDuel Sportsbook has him as the favorite (-250 odds) to be named the AL Cy Young winner this year.

For tonight, Cole has his sights set on the Detroit Tigers. In 2023, Cole is already among the top pitchers in strikeout production. His 188 punchies are currently third in the American League, leaving Cole with a seasonal clip of 9.72 strikeouts per 9 innings. Additionally, Cole gets the benefit of taking on a Tigers team that goes down on strikes 9.07 times per game on average.

Of all players in action on Tuesday, Cole has the largest projection at 38.2 FanDuel points, according to numberFire. When surverying the opposing lineup, there is no hitter with a wealth of head-to-head success against Cole. Miguel Cabrera and Javier Baez have eached faced Cole in more than 20 at-bats with nothing notable to show.

Per numberFire's game projections, Detroit has the third-lowest run projection of tonight's slate (3.48). Considering that, I am confident in leaning on one of the most consistent arms of the last decade in front of a rowdy Yankee crowd.

Matt Olson, 1B, Atlanta Braves ($4,100)

Neck and neck with Shohei Ohtani for the 2023 MLB home run crown, Matt Olson is thoroughly enjoying the best full season of his eight-year career. With 44 homers through 136 games played, Olson and Ohtani are tied for the Major-league lead. That figure already displays a personal-best for Olson.

However, not even the almighty Ohtani has matched Olson's RBI production in 2023. With 113 runs-batted-in entering Tuesday, Olson is alone atop MLB right now. That all makes sense when you combine the Atlanta Braves' surrounding talent with Olson's crushing nature -- he is yielding a Statcast hard-hit rate of 43.3% through 515 at-bats this season.

Among tonight's hitters, Olson reflects the fifth-highest FanDuel DFS projection (14.1) on numberFire. He'll be at home against the St. Louis Cardinals and right-handed starting pitcher Miles Mikolas on Tuesday. Not only has Mikolas struggled in 2023 (4.81 SIERA), but he surrenders a vital platoon advantage to the lefty Olson, who has a .989 OPS against righties this year.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr., OF, Arizona Diamondbacks ($3,000)

Lourdes Gurriel is performing impressively for the Arizona Diamondbacks. On Tuesday, he and the D-backs are set for a divisional tilt against southpaw Kyle Freeland (who has a dismal 5.18 SIERA in 2023) and the visiting Colorado Rockies.

When glancing at numberFire's game projections, Arizona boasts the highest run projection (5.69 runs) of any side on tonight's main slate. Also, playing at Chase Field (1,100 ft. elev.) has its advantages -- the MLB venue in downtown Phoenix shows a 101 park factor, per Baseball Savant, which is better than most.

Gurriel ranks with the best outfielders on Tuesday evening in terms of DFS projections. At numberFire, Gurriel is estimated to produced 14.0 FanDuel points, which is the fourth-highest total at his position.

With 71 RBI this year, Gurriel has been the second-best run producer on the Diamondbacks. On Tuesday, he boasts the platoon advantage over Freeland. With Gurriel slugging at a .469 clip currently, I believe he will thrive in this favorable matchup.

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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.