FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Helper: Tuesday 9/5/23

We have a pretty clear top option at pitcher, but there's also a fair bit of value at the position, too. For stacks, hitter-friendly weather could be a nice boost for some teams.

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

Pitching Breakdown

Gerrit Cole ($11,500) has the slate's highest salary, but he's the guy to start with at pitcher in a plum spot versus the Detroit Tigers.

Cole is tied for the league lead in quality starts (20), and despite regressing in the home run department lately, he's actually put up even better overall numbers since the All-Star break, boasting a 3.15 xFIP, 30.0% strikeout rate, and 5.1% walk rate.

This is his second straight start against Detroit, but that shouldn't deter us against one of the league's worst lineups versus right-handed pitching. In that split, the Tigers' active roster comes in with an 86 wRC+, .145 ISO, and 24.4% strikeout rate. They also have a slate-low 3.21 implied team total.

It's pretty clear we'll want exposure to Cole tonight.

But if you can't fit him in with your preferred bats, Chris Bassitt ($9,300) comes at a far lower salary cap hit, and his matchup is nearly as good versus the Oakland Athletics. Against righties, the A's active roster has a Detroit-esque 92 wRC+, .158 ISO, and 24.2% strikeout rate.

Bassitt comes with a far lower strikeout rate (21.9%), so he isn't someone we're typically expecting to rack up double-digit punchouts. But he's still tied for the second-highest strikeout prop (6.5) behind Cole (7.5), per FanDuel Sportsbook, so we should still expect a healthy dose of Ks in this particular matchup.

Workload is rarely an issue for Bassitt, too, as he's fresh off logging 110 pitches his last time out. If he's able to blank Oakland over six-plus innings, he could be in the running for the night's top score.

For value plays, we can look to Dylan Cease ($8,200) and Brandon Pfaadt ($7,300). These two are the other players who have a 6.5-strikeout prop alongside Bassitt.

Despite a fantastic matchup against the Kansas City Royals, Cease is staring at a 4.84 implied team total on the other side, which is likely due in part to high winds and temperatures expected in Kansas City tonight.

That makes Cease a boom-or-bust play, and that's pretty much what he's been anyway when we look at that unsightly 4.91 ERA. His 10.7% walk rate tends to be his undoing, but he otherwise has a solid 4.27 SIERA and 26.5% strikeout rate that we can work with.

The Royals are a neutral opponent for strikeouts, but their active roster has a middling 90 wRC+ versus right-handers. But what could really swing things in Cease's favor is their league-worst 5.8% walk rate in the split. Despite his issues, he hasn't allowed a ton of home runs this year -- a trait that dates back to 2021 -- so perhaps he can navigate these hitter-friendly weather conditions.

Pfaadt's season-long numbers are underwhelming, but he's shown flashes of his potential since getting called back up in late July. Over those eight games, he's produced a respectable 4.27 xFIP, 22.8% strikeout rate, and 6.3% walk rate.

While those figures won't blow us away, matchups don't get much better than the Colorado Rockies on the road. When facing righties, their active roster owns a bottom-of-the-barrel 84 wRC+ that's paired with a 26.5% strikeout rate.

Hitting Breakdown

The wind is blowing out at Wrigley Field, effectively making it a Coors Field this evening. We could see winds nearing 15 mph, and adding that to what should be a warm and humid evening in the 80s should produce some offensive fireworks.

The Chicago Cubs are displaying a 5.52 implied team total and will be likely treated to a bullpen game from the opposing San Francisco Giants. Starter Ryan Walker hasn't surpassed three innings in any appearance.

For that reason, we shouldn't be too concerned with playing matchups and should just prioritize the guys who are most likely to capitalize on these winds. Cody Bellinger ($3,900), Ian Happ ($3,100), and Jeimer Candelario ($3,000) rarely hit ground balls, making them ideal candidates. Dansby Swanson ($3,100), Seiya Suzuki ($2,800), and Christopher Morel ($2,800) also have the power we're looking for, though Morel has been stuck in a slump lately.

The Giants' bats should be able to get in on the fun against Kyle Hendricks, too.

Despite generally positive results, Hendricks' 4.57 SIERA is nearly a full run higher than his ERA, and his 16.2% strikeout rate should allow San Francisco to make plenty of contact. While he's back to being a guy who seldom gives up hard contact, that might not help him as much tonight.

San Francisco can be annoying to stack because they love to use pinch-hitters, but that could be less of an issue because the Cubs have just one lefty in their bullpen. Mike Yastrzemski ($2,700), Joc Pederson ($2,600), and LaMonte Wade Jr ($2,600) are all fly-ball hitters who will have the platoon advantage, and righty Mitch Haniger ($2,600) fits the mold we're seeking, as well. No batter in the lineup has a salary above $3,000.

Moving on to another spot, the Arizona Diamondbacks are up against one of the slate's weakest pitchers. Whether he's at Coors Field or not, lefty Kyle Freeland has found little success this season, and if anything, he's somehow been worse in away games with a 5.63 xFIP and 8.7% strikeout rate.

We'll naturally want to bump up Arizona's righties, and that has to begin with Christian Walker ($3,600) and his team-best .255 ISO. Ketel Marte ($3,400), Lourdes Gurriel ($3,000), and Tommy Pham ($2,800) give us three other appealing options, and Evan Longoria ($2,100) could be worth a look at a near-minimum salary if he starts.

The Atlanta Braves are just about always viable, and both New York teams have plus matchups. You could also consider taking a chance on either the Kansas City Royals or Chicago White Sox due to the aforementioned hitting weather in KC.

Miles Mikolas and his 16.0% strikeout is unlikely to get through unscathed against a Braves team that's now showing one of the highest implied team totals. The New York Mets are facing left-hander Patrick Corbin, who's allowed 1.72 home runs per nine innings to righties in 2023. The New York Yankees should be able to handle Alex Faedo (4.62 SIERA), a righty who has poor metrics against both sides of the plate.

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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.