FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Helper: Saturday 8/19/23

Our daily fantasy helper is available every day to analyze FanDuel's main slate and help give you a starting point when you're building lineups.

Be sure to also incorporate numberFire's great tools into your research process, including daily projections, the latest starting lineups and weather, and batting and pitching heat maps to find the best matchups.

Let's check out the top options on today's main slate.

Pitchers

Framber Valdez ($11,100)

After a 6.7% increase to his highest salary point this month, Valdez will take the mound against a Seattle Mariners' lineup with a .343 weighted on-base average (wOBA) and a 25.6% K-rate for the second time this season.

Through his second largest sample size as a starting pitcher, the 29-year old has accounted for above average metrics in 149.2 innings, recording a 3.29 xFIP and a 24.6% K-rate.

While Valdez has not been in the best form in his last four starts (4.67 xFIP, 14.0% K-rate), the Astros' southpaw still ranks as our third overall pitcher with a 32.4 fantasy projection against six Seattle batters with K-rates over 28.8%

Tanner Bibee ($9,800)

In a divisional matchup versus a Detroit Tigers' unit with a 25.8% K-rate and a .283 wOBA, Cleveland's rookie right-hander ranks second among his position with a 34.5 FanDuel point projection.

Overall in his first season in the Majors, the 24-year old has provided solid production through 108.2 innings, recording a 23.5% K-rate and a quality start in 47% of his appearances.

While regression can be a concern when comparing his 4.35 seasonal xFIP with his 2.90 Earned Run Average, Bibee has an ideal spot to provide a ceiling performance against seven Detroit hitters with K-rates ranging from 24.1% to 34.1%.

Sonny Gray ($9,400)

Despite recording three straight quality starts, Gray's salary has moved down to his lowest point in August against a Pittsburgh Pirates' offense with a .313 wOBA and a 25.3% K-rate.

After struggling through June and July (4.19 xFIP, 18.9% K-rate), the Twins' veteran has regained his form in his last three starts, producing a 2.21 xFIP, a 14.1% swinging strike percentage, and a 33.8% K-rate.

When evaluating his recent improved metrics and today's appealing opportunity against six Pittsburgh batters with K-rates over 23.8%, there are plenty of reasons to back Gray as today's top rated pitcher especially when analyzing his slate-high 34.9 fantasy projection with 6.2 expected strikeouts.

Stacks

Colorado Rockies

Riding high after accumulating 14 runs on Friday night, the Rockies will have another spot to produce with an appetizing 5.83 expected run total against Chicago's journeyman Jesse Scholtens and his concerning expected metrics (4.90 xFIP) over one run higher than his current 3.20 Earned Run Average.

To best attack Scholtens' unique reverse splits (5.19 xFIP, 14.3% K-rate) and elevated home run to fly ball ratio (19.6% in AAA), ideal Colorado combinations should feature their top right-handed and power bats including Brendan Rodgers (11.1% barrel rate), Charlie Blackmon (.262 expected average, .406 expected slugging percentage), Nolan Jones (15.1% barrel rate), and Ryan McMahon (.462 expected slugging percentage, 12.2% barrel rate).

Chicago White Sox

Despite scoring just one run at Coors Field in the first game of their series, the White Sox are today's top stack with a slate-high 6.17 expected run total versus Kyle Freeland.

Since August 4th, the Rockies' left-hander has been awful in his last six starts, accounting for a 5.69 xFIP, 11.0% K-rate, and a 10.9% opposing barrel rate while his yearly metrics tell a similar story with a 5.23 xFIP and a career-low 38.8% ground-ball percentage.

With most of his struggles occurring against the opposing side of the plate (5.53 xFIP, .380 wOBA), Andrew Vaughn (9.2% barrel rate, .431 expected slugging percentage), Luis Robert (14.8% barrel rate, .355 expected wOBA), Trayce Thompson (17.8% barrel rate), and Yoan Moncada (6.2% barrel rate) ranks as top targets among Chicago's lineup with their pop from the right side of the plate.

Baltimore Orioles

In an underrated matchup against Ken Waldichuk, Baltimore's offense are in an optimal spot against a wild pitcher with a 12.1% walk percentage and glaring trouble versus both sides of the plate (5.51 xFIP / .399 wOBA against LHH, .371 wOBA / 5.00 xFIP versus RHH).

Ideal Baltimore stacks can contain any of their top power hitters to capture Waldichuk's trouble against the long ball (1.45 home run / 9 innings) including Gunnar Henderson(11.0% barrel rate, .449 expected slugging percentage), Ryan Mountcastle(13.8% barrel rate, .528 expected slugging), Anthony Santander (10.2% barrel rate), and Austin Hays (9.0% barrel rate).

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.