The Monday, September 16, the DraftKings fantasy baseball slate features nine games. Get a head start on the competition by checking out the best MLB DFS stud and value picks for each position.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $100K Relay Throw [$25K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals ($9,800) — Enjoy it while it lasts. The season ends in two weeks. No more Skenes starts until the spring. Skenes’ stats are spectacular — 10-2, 2.10 ERA (2.69 xFIP), 11.3 K/9, 86% Strand Rate and 50% Ground Ball Rate. The Cards are cold (80 wRC+ over the last week). St. Louis has been average cold against right-handers (102 wRC+), but this isn’t the average righty.
Val
Jonathan Cannon, Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels ($5,000) — He’s a pitcher with the name Cannon. How can this not work out? His salary suggests Jonathan Squirtgun should be his name. Chicago’s No. 11 Prospect (2022 third-round pick) is experiencing the regular rookie growing pains. He’s handled it well (4.56 ERA). In his last start, he held the Guardians to three runs through 5.1 innings. Before that appearance, he limited the Orioles to one run in 5.2 innings. The Angels are a much softer matchup — 24% K-Rate, .143 ISO, .294 wOBA and 88 wRC+ vs. right-handed pitchers.
INFIELD
Stud
Michael Toglia, Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($4,800) — It’s a Coors Field slate. It’s time to chase home runs and extra-base hits. Toglia has a .235 ISO against right-handed pitching. He’s riding a modest three-game hit streak with two games of 14 DKFP or more on this tiny run.
Stud
Christian Walker, Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies ($5,900) — Meangiful at-bats matter in September. Meaningful at-bats at Coors are magical. The D-Backs are holding a slim lead in the Wild Card race. They can’t mess around. Walker isn’t messing around — 11 DKFP or more in three of the last five games.
Value
Josh Bell, Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies ($4,300) — SP Antonio Senzatela ($5,500) finally made it back to the field. Maybe, he should wait until next season. Colorado’s former ace has been out since 2023. He’s been tuning up in the minors. The problem is he’s getting tuned up — 6.17 ERA in three Double-A starts. Bell scored 12 DKFP on Saturday and 18 DKFP on Sunday.
Value
Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs vs. Oakland Athletics ($4,000) — It’s still Swanson summer. Swanson struggled in the spring but posted a .339 wOBA and 121 wRC+ in August. He has a .361 wOBA and 136 wRC+ in September. SP Joey Estes ($6,300) has a 5.03 xFIP vs. right-handed hitters.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres vs. Houston Astros ($5,100) — There are plenty of Coors options. The Padres are the pivot. SP Spencer Arrighetti ($8,200) can be a terrific pitcher. He also has flaws — .337 wOBA and 1.6 HR/9 vs. right-handed hitters. Tatis has a .239 ISO, .374 wOBA and 145 wRC+ vs. RHP.
Stud
Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres vs. Houston Astros ($4,700) — From the other side of the plate, the Padres lefty has a .239 ISO, .377 wOBA and 148 wRC+ vs. RHP. The Padres are hot and have smashed right-handed pitching all season. This could be one of Arrighetti’s blow-up games.
Value
Sam Hilliard, Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($4,100) — SP Merrill Kelly ($6,800) has been average this season (4.26 ERA). Average doesn’t work in Colorado. Kelly allows 1.6 HR/9. That number increases to 1.8 HR/9 vs. left-handed batters. Fellow lefty, OF Jake Cave ($4,200), is another cheaper Coors option on Monday.
Value
Jesse Winker, New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals ($3,500) — Has the magic worn off? What better way to regain the magic than a matchup with Winker’s former team? SP Jake Irvin ($7,100) allows a .327 wOBA, 1.5 HR/9, 4.43 xFIP and 36% Hard Contact to left-handed hitters.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $100K Relay Throw [$25K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
