3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Wednesday 7/26/23

When building a daily fantasy baseball lineup on FanDuel, nailing the high-salary players is crucial to come out ahead of the pack.

For hitters, we want players with the capacity to put up big numbers, those with favorable matchups, and with a strong supporting cast that can increase their chances for runs and RBI. Looking at pitchers, strikeouts are king -- although, inning-eaters and win potential can't be ignored.

The high-salary picks are the backbone of your lineups, so we don't want to mess around. Let's take a look at some of the top high-salary players for today's main slate on FanDuel, which begins at 7:05 p.m. EST.

Austin Riley, 3B, Atlanta Braves ($4,000)

Atlanta Braves' third baseman Austin Riley leads off for our top DFS studs to target today, July 26th. In a road matchup with the Boston Red Sox, Riley carries a 15.7-point projection via numberFire -- the highest projection of any batter.

Riley is a bonafide stud, but his intrigue tonight specifically starts with his recent hot streak. Last week Riley homered six times in a five-game span, driving in 16 runs in the process. With an average of 35.6 FanDuel points per game, Riley was the definition of a contest-winner.

Looking ahead into tonight, Riley faces off against righty Brayan Bello. Bello has been solid for the season but is coming off a brutal outing against the lowly Oakland Athletics that saw him give up six runs, including three home runs, in just four innings of work.

Bello features a varied mitch mix, shuffling a sinker (34.3%), changeup (23.4%), 4-seam fastball (22.8%), and slider (17.9%).

Per Baseball savant, Riley has posted a positive run value against all of those except the fastball -- though, his 56.3% hard-hit rate and .355 wOBA against fastballs aren't exactly cripplingly.

Riley has performed well against righties all season, batting .274 while posting an efficient .342 wOBA.

He likely won't be short on run-scoring opportunities considering Atlanta's 5.47 implied team total is the highest of the slate. Fenway Park has the second-most favorable park factor for offensive players this season -- making Riley a top stud to target in DFS.

Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston Astros ($4,000)

The Houston Astros are facing a lefty tonight -- meaning it's a prime opportunity to feature Kyle Tucker in DFS lineups.

Tucker has established himself as one of the top batters in the MLB, but he has a case for being the single-best hitter in the game against southpaws.

In 137 plate appearances versus lefties this season, Tucker owns an astronomical .440 wOBA. He's further collected a 187 wRC+ and measly 8.8% strikeout rates in that split -- both top-10 marks in the majors.

Looking at this specific lefty, Andrew Heaney toes the rubber for the Texas Rangers. Heaney is having one of the least productive seasons of his career, posting career-worst marks in SIERA (4.41), strikeout rate (24%), and walk rate (9.6%).

Heaney is a heavy fastball user, utilizing the 4-seamer on 58.9% of pitches. That is music to Tucker's ears, as he's now posted a double-digit run value against 4-seamers in four consecutive seasons. With a 60.7% hard-hit rate and .461 expected wOBA against the fastball, Tucker should feast against the lefty Heaney.

The rest of the Astros' lineup should give Tucker plenty of opportunities to produce fantasy points as they have the third-highest implied team total of the slate at 4.8 runs. In a dream matchup, Tucker is a top DFS stud to target on Wednesday night.

Chas McCormick, OF, Houston Astros ($3,700)

I'm not sure anyone had Chas McCormick rising to $3,700 in DFS on their preseason bingo sheet but here we are. Posting a .434 wOBA over a two-month span has a way of inflating one's DFS salary but Chas McCormick is well worth the capital tonight.

He's seen a massive uptick in counting stats this month, blasting 6 of his 12 home runs and driving in 21 of his 42 RBI. While it remains to be seen how long he can keep up this torrid pace, this matchup should keep him going for at least one more game.

Andrew Heaney is the gift that keeps on giving for DFS hitters. Everything said about why Tucker can thrive against Heaney holds true with McCormick.

Like Tucker, McCormick has absolutely crushed left-handed pitching to the tune of a .450 wOBA and .333 ISO. That alone makes his date with Heaney intriguing, but the lefty's aforementioned pitch mix is where things start getting really exciting.

McCormick has posted a .574 wOBA and a 46% hard-hit rate against 4-seam fastballs, culminating in an absurd 19-run value. This is the second year in a row he's recorded a 15+ run-value against the 4-seam fastball as it is clearly the pitch he's looking for.

His numberFire projection of 9.6 isn't anything to write home about but given Houston's implied team total, McCormick has a safe floor and massive ceiling -- making him a top target in DFS 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.