MLB DFS Playbook September 3: Top Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel
Published: Sep 03, 2023
Hello and welcome to the MLB DFS Playbook for September 3! We have a 7-game slate on DK and 8-game slate on FD on our hands today (FD including the Toronto Blue Jays vs. Colorado Rockies game). We have a 1:05 pm ET start time, so plenty of time to get those lineups made! Make sure to check out all of our amazing MLB DFS tools as they are always worth going through before building your lineups as are the Vegas Odds. However, as I am sure you have figured out by now, the new playbook will be a one-stop shop that includes everything from easy-to-read player write-ups and suggestions to MLB Weather Reports to lineup construction tips to our best value plays for DraftKings and FanDuel. You will be given core plays around which to build your lineups, DFS stacks to consider for GPP tournaments and key statistics to help you in your DFS research. Let’s dive in!
MLB DFS Playbook September 3
MLB Weather Updates
None.
Games that appear to have a decent wind blowing out:
None.
Games that appear to have a decent wind blowing in:
None.
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
It’s amazing how different one game can change slates, but if you’re playing on FD today, you’re playing a very different slate than the one on DK, because adding in the Blue Jays offense at Coors Field changes things big time. As for pitching, Sandy Alcantara leads the way as the top option on the slate. We don’t have to worry about weather really so, overall, this looks like an enjoyable slate.
Recommended DFS Starting Pitchers
Top Options for Strikeouts
Michael Kopech, Chicago White Sox
Best Odds for a Win
Kevin Gausman (Toronto Blue Jays -244)
Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox -217)
Sandy Alcantara (Miami Marlins -175)
Favorite Starters to Use for DFS Lineups
Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins
He hasn’t been great over his last couple outings, but that was against the Dodgers, Padres, and Rays. He still has a 3.13 ERA over his last 10 starts after starting the season on the struggle bus. He has scored 35.2 and 40.6 dk points in some of his recent outings, so there is plenty of upside here and I like the fact that he is taking on the Nationals today.
Sale has been a big strikeout guy his whole career and this year has been no different as he has 96 Ks across 77.2 innings of work thus far. Of course, the 4.75 ERA isn’t wowing anyone, but he still has had some good outings and we are going to hope for one of those today against the lowly Royals. He does have three starts with at least 28.8 dk points this season.
Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies
Suarez makes his return from the IL today and that is a bit scary, but he had been pitching pretty well before landing on IL, giving up two or fewer runs in three straight starts while pitching at least 5.2 innings in all three. His last outing being the best of the bunch, scoring 20.9 dk points. He has been FAR better on the road this year with a 2.76 ERA, compared to a 5.03 ERA at home.
Recommended DFS Hitters
Highest Expected Run Totals
6.53 – Toronto Blue Jays (FD only)
5.75 – Colorado Rockies (FD only)
5.26 – Boston Red Sox
5.16 – Pittsburgh Pirates
Favorite Hitters to Use for DFS Lineups
Davis Schneider, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays (FD Only)
Keeping this short since it’s only a play for FD, but this rookie is locked-in right now and posting big games on a daily basis. He still has a mid-tier price and is at Coors Field facing Chase Anderson, expect high rostership.
Xavier Edwards, 2B/OF, Miami Marlins
He might not be in the starting lineup but, if he is, I like him today. He has been productive when given the opportunity this season and is coming off a nice game yesterday in which he went 2-5 with a double a run scored. Josiah Gray has completely fallen off a cliff, posting a 5.21 ERA and 1.63 WHIP over his last 10 starts.
Trea Turner, SS, Philadelphia Phillies
Ever since the Philly standing ovation, Trea has turned into Barry Bonds. He is hitting .357 with SEVEN home runs, three steals, and 32 total R/RBI over his last 10 games! Absurd. He has homered in five straight games and has six bombs in that span. He hasn’t scored fewer than 7 dk points in 11 games. There is just no reason to not play him right now.
Lars Nootbaar, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Noot smashed a homer run yesterday and is now hitting .300 with two home runs and a steal over his last 10 games, averaging 10.2 dk ppg. He has 13 home runs and eight steals on the year in just 92 games of action. Johan Oviedo is not a scary matchup by any means as he has a 4.20 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and has allowed 16 home runs this season.
Julio Rodriguez, OF, Seattle Mariners
Jrod continues to swing a scorching hot bat as he is hitting .489 with a 1.397 OPS over his last 10 games with four home runs and six steals in that span. He now has 24 home runs and 36 steals on the year, giving up massive upside in a variety of ways. He has been far better on the road too with a .298 average and 11.2 dk ppg, compared to .275 and 9.6 at home.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | SP | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  George Kirby  $10,300 |  Bryce Harper $4,100 |  Davis Schneider $3,500 |  Rafael Devers $3,700 |  Bobby Witt $4,000 | Julio Rodríguez $4,300 |
 Sandy Alcantara $9,700 | Vladimir Guerrero $4,000 | Trea Turner $3,900 | ||||
| Medium |  Chris Sale $9,200 | Triston Casas $2,900 |  Ji Hwan Bae $2,700 | Ke'Bryan Hayes $3,300 | J.P. Crawford $3,100 |  Lars Nootbaar $3,300 |
 Tarik Skubal $9,100 |  Royce Lewis $3,200 | Trevor Story $3,000 |  Jazz Chisholm $3,000 | |||
| Low | Ranger Suárez $8,900 | Daniel Vogelbach $2,300 | Zach McKinstry $2,300 |  Ronny Mauricio $2,500 | Masyn Winn $2,200 | Bryan De La Cruz $2,700 |
| Tylor Megill $7,900 | Xavier Edwards $2,000 | Wilyer Abreu $2,700 |
Stacks
| Phillies | Trea Turner | J.T. Realmuto | Bryce Harper |
 DraftKings | 5900 | 5400 | 6200 |
| Fanduel | 3900 | 2900 | 4100 |
| Marlins | Xavier Edwards | Jazz Chisholm | Bryan De La Cruz |
| DraftKings | 2600 | 5400 | 3800 |
| Fanduel | 2000 | 3000 | 2700 |
| Mariners | J.P. Crawford | Julio Rodríguez |
| DraftKings | 4600 | 6400 |
| Fanduel | 3100 | 4300 |
| Red Sox | Triston Casas | Trevor Story | Rafael Devers |
| DraftKings | 4400 | 4500 | 5800 |
| Fanduel | 2900 | 3000 | 3700 |
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.