MLB DFS Playbook September 8: Top Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel

Published: Sep 08, 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 8
MLB Weather Updates
Lots of weather concerns here today. Rain in the Northeast has the matchup between the Brewers/Yankees, Marlins/Phillies, Dodgers/Nationals and Orioles/Red Sox with some concerns that could lead to delays. Make sure you check out the latest weather reports if you have exposure to these games.
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
Chalk pitching is going to be attacking the Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Guardians tonight. Not a ton of value when it comes to pitching tonight so look for the value hitters to be prevalent in the lineups this evening.
Recommended DFS Starting Pitchers
Top Options for Strikeouts
- Kodia Senga vs Minnesota Twins
- Jordan Montgomery vs Oakland Athletics
- Kyle Harrison vs Colorado Rockies
- Mitch Keller vs Atlanta Braves
Best Odds for a Win
- Jordan Montgomery vs Oakland Atheltics
- Bryce Elder vs Pittsburgh Pirates
- Kodai Senga vs Minnesota Twins
- Tyler Bradish vs Boston Red Sox
- See More
Favorite Starters to Use for DFS Lineups
- Jordan Montgomery, Texas Rangers
- Kodai Senga, New York Mets
- Kyle Harrison, San Francisco Giants
- Bryce Elder, Atlanta Braves
Recommended DFS Hitters
Highest Expected Run Totals
- Baltimore Orioles vs Tanner Houck
- Atlanta Braves vs Mitch Keller
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs MacKenzie Gore
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Collin Snider
- See More
Favorite Hitters to Use for DFS Lineups
- Pete Alonso
- Francisco Lindor
- Nelson Velasquez
- Ryan O'Hearn
Tune Into Today's MLB DFS Livestream at 5pm ET
Player Pool
$ Tier | SP | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF |
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Low | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
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Stacks
Mets | Francisco Alvarez | Mark Vientos | Francisco Lindor | Pete Alonso |
![]() | 3600 | 2200 | 4800 | 4900 |
![]() | 2700 | 2300 | 3800 | 4000 |
Braves | Eddie Rosario | Marcell Ozuna | Matt Olson | Ronald Acuña |
![]() | 4100 | 4800 | 6200 | 6800 |
![]() | 2800 | 3800 | 4200 | 4800 |
Royals | Nick Loftin | Bobby Witt | Vince Velasquez | Salvador Perez |
![]() | 3300 | 6300 | 7700 | 4400 |
![]() | 2400 | 4000 | 8600 | 2500 |
Red Sox | Triston Casas | Alex Verdugo | Justin Turner | Rafael Devers |
![]() | 4300 | 4700 | 4700 | 5600 |
![]() | 3200 | 3300 | 3500 | 3900 |
Player News
MJ Melendez went 2-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI, and two runs scored for Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.
Melendez is now up to 11 home runs, 39 RBI, and a .703 OPS at Triple-A, which is not exactly setting the world on fire. The 26-year-old has settled in around a .245 average since the middle of May, which would be an improvement from his .216 career MLB average, but there remains a lot of plate discipline growth that needs to happen before he can become a consistent hitter at the big league level.
Royals signed LHP Dallas Keuchel to a minor league contract.
Keuchel last pitched 40 innings in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, registering a 3.60 ERA and 29/15 K/BB ratio. The 37-year-old had a workout with multiple teams last week and was up to 92 mph on his fastball, which likely means he was sitting closer to 90 mph. He’ll start at Triple-A Omaha and could be insurance for the Royals with Cole Ragans still on the injured list with a groin injury. When Ragans returns, Keuchel would likely be the seventh starter for the Royals with both Kyle Wright and Alec Marsh battling injuries of their own. If Keuchel gets to the big leagues, he would make $2 million prorated.
Braves recalled RHP Nathan Wiles from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Wiles will take Didier Fuentes’ spot on the active roster after posting a 3.33 ERA and 78/24 K/BB ratio in 81 innings (15 starts) at Triple-A. He threw one inning of relief for Atlanta earlier in the season, but they could certainly use him in the rotation now after injuries to Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach. We’ll see if Wiles can stick in the rotation after the All-Star break.
Braves optioned Didier Fuentes to Triple-A Gwinnett
This seemed like a given after Fuentes had another rough start on Tuesday and raised his MLB ERA to 13.85 in 13 innings across four starts. The Braves thrust Fuentes into the rotation after an injury to Chris Sale, but even with a spot in the rotation still up for grabs, the team decided it was best for the 20-year-old to head back to the minors for more seasoning.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he expects Starling Marte (knee) back “soon after the All-Star break.”
The All-Star break is just next week, so it sounds like Marte should be able to rejoin the Mets before the end of July. When he does return, the Mets will need to decide if they’re keeping both him and Jesse Winker on the active roster, which would likely mean that Mark Vientos or Ronny Mauricio would need to head to the minor leagues.
Cristian Javier (elbow) threw 35 pitches in a live batting practice session on Monday.
Javier is working his way back from Tommy John and is about a week behind his teammate, Luis Garcia, who is recovering from the same injury. Garcia moved from live batting practice to a two-inning rehab start in the Florida Complex League, so we should expect a similar path for Javier. At this rate, Javier could return to the starting rotation or a piggyback “bulk follower” role by early August.