MLB DFS Playbook September 12: Top Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel
Published: Sep 12, 2023
We have 11 games on tonight's MLB DFS main slate with some interesting pitching matchups and great spots for offenses to put up some nice run totals. Be sure to check in with our MLB DFS Tools, with the daily MLB projections, MLB DFS rostership projections, and our MLB DFS Lineup Generator when building those lineups today to help you decide which players you should be targeting!
MLB DFS Playbook: September 12
MLB Weather Updates
No weather issues for tonight's slate!
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
We have a 11 game slate here with some pretty obvious builds that should get some decent ownership. I'm not going to shy away from the chalk plays which likely center around the matchup in Coors Field and Justin Verlander's chalk matchup against the Oakland A's on this slate but I will look to find ways to be different while still having the chalk plays in my lineups.
Recommended DFS Starting Pitchers
Top Options for Strikeouts
Best Odds for a Win
- Justin Verlander vs Oakland Athletics
- Max Scherzer vs Toronto Blue Jays
- Joe Ryan vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Freddy Peralta vs Miami Marlins
- Lance Lynn vs San Diego Padres
- See More
Favorite Starters to Use for DFS Lineups
Justin Verlander, Houston Astros
Listen, he is going to be a chalk monster here against the Athletics but that doesn't mean we have to not play him. On FanDuel he is locked in as my top starting pitcher without question. On DraftKings he anchors as my SP1 and I'll look to be different elsewhere. Attacking the A's presents too much of a ceiling opportunity here for Verlander to not be in my lineups.
Javier Assad, Chicago Cubs
We talked on the podcast how using a pitcher in Coors Field isn't as scary as it once was and we saw that play out again on Monday night when Jordan Wicks held the Rockies to just one run over six innings. Assad isn't a sexy pick by any stretch but the Cubs are again big favorites on this slate which should put some win equity behind the value here and though he had zero strikeouts in his last start, he had back-to-back outings with seven strikeouts prior.
Cal Quantrill, Cleveland Guardians
If you want to save even more money from Assad then Quantrill could be your target here. In his two starts since returning to the Guardians he has allowed just two runs on five hits over 12 innings while striking out eight. He just tossed six shutout with eight strikeouts against the Angels in his most recent start. The Giants are a bottom five team against right-handed pitching this season.
Recommended DFS Hitters
Highest Expected Run Totals
Favorite Hitters to Use for DFS Lineups
Juan Soto, San Diego Padres
He's the cover of the playbook so you knew he would be right here. Lynn is allowing lefties to hit .309 with a .402 wOBA and a .587 slugging percentage. Soto has a .256 ISO with a .930 OPS against right-handed pitching. Feels like a good spot for Soto to do some damage.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
Could very well be one of the highest rostered players on the slate. PCA made his MLB debut on Monday as a pinch runner but could very well get the start here on Tuesday. He has both power and speed here which is great for DFS. What's also great for DFS is getting to hit against Chris Flexen which is the pitcher taking the mound for the Rockies on Tuesday.
Jose Abreu, Houston Astros
Astros got three-hit on Monday in a spot that everyone expected them to mash. Ken Waldichuk tossed six no-hit innings. With another lefty on the mound Tuesday I look for the Astros to bounce right back and I'll ride with Abreu at first base here once again.
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Player Pool
| $ Tier | SP | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Justin Verlander  $10,300 |  Cody Bellinger $4,600 |  Mookie Betts $4,300 |  Corey Seager $4,300 |  Julio Rodríguez $4,500 | |
| Freddie Freeman $4,200 |  Jose Altuve $4,200 | Yordan Alvarez $4,100 | ||||
| Medium | José Abreu $3,100 |  Nico Hoerner $3,800 |  Royce Lewis $3,700 |  Bo Bichette $3,000 |  Corbin Carroll $3,900 | |
 Alex Bregman $3,600 |  Xander Bogaerts $3,000 | Kyle Tucker $3,700 | ||||
 Christopher Morel $3,500 |  Juan Soto $3,600 | |||||
| Chas McCormick $3,500 | ||||||
| Low |  Nolan Schanuel $2,800 | Edouard Julien $2,800 | Eugenio Suárez $2,900 | Jeremy Peña $2,700 | Teoscar Hernández $3,100 | |
| Ty France $2,800 | Ronny Mauricio $2,500 | Willi Castro $2,700 |  Max Kepler $2,900 | |||
 Mike Moustakas $2,500 | Pete Crow-Armstrong $2,400 | |||||
| James Outman $2,800 | ||||||
| DJ Stewart $2,600 |
Stacks
| Astros | Chas McCormick | Jose Altuve | José Abreu | Kyle Tucker |
 DraftKings | 4500 | 6300 | 3800 | 5900 |
| Fanduel | 3500 | 4200 | 3100 | 3700 |
| Cubs | Pete Crow-Armstrong | Seiya Suzuki | Cody Bellinger | Jeimer Candelario |
| DraftKings | 3000 | 4200 | 6800 | 4900 |
| Fanduel | 2400 | 3500 | 4600 | 3600 |
| Twins | Royce Lewis | Alex Kirilloff | Max Kepler | Edouard Julien |
| DraftKings | 4900 | 2800 | 3900 | 3800 |
| Fanduel | 3700 | 2600 | 2900 | 2800 |
| Dodgers | Mookie Betts | James Outman | Jason Heyward | Freddie Freeman |
| DraftKings | 6500 | 3700 | 3100 | 6200 |
| Fanduel | 4300 | 2800 | 2600 | 4200 |
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.
Endy Rodriguez (finger) had his splint removed this week.
Rodriguez suffered a lacerated right index finger on April 14th. Now that he is out of his splint, he “is playing catch and doing a slightly modified swing.” Once he can progress to taking full swings, we’ll have a better sense of the timeline for his return.