MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, August 16

MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Wednesday, August 16

This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.

What's Wednesday got on the docket? How about eight MLB games starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later? You've got some good options for your DFS lineups, but which are the best? These are a handful of recommendations to help you make your key DFS decisions.

Pitching

Blake Snell, SD vs. BAL ($10,600): Snell and his 2.63 ERA are pacing the majors, and it is thanks to how hot he has been for quite some time. Over his last 15 starts he has an 1.16 ERA. His fellow lefties have hit .215 against him, but righties have actually been held to an .192 average. Baltimore has a top offense, but I'll take Snell, who has been a top performer himself. Plus, the Orioles have a few key lefties, and Snell can keep them in check.

Charlie Morton, ATL vs. NYY ($9,100): Morton has been decent this year, posting a 3.71 ERA. Mostly his job is to eat up innings, but this is a game where that should help him pick up a win. Atlanta has baseball's best offense, while the Yankees…do not. New York is just fighting to avoid the bottom 10 in runs scored and a losing record, and it has a .307 OBP as a team as well.

Top Targets

Facing a righty at home is the perfect scenario for Matt Olson ($4,500). He has an 1.044 OPS versus righties and an 1.076 OPS at home, a big part of his 43 homers and 107 RBI. Righty Randy Vasquez has an 1.89 ERA, but a 5.11 FIP. He also had a 4.19 FIP down at Triple-A before his MLB debut.

If you are looking for a lefty from the Padres, Juan Soto ($3,700) is a cut or two above. He has a .407 OBP with 24 homers. Since 2021 he has a .994 OPS versus righties as well. Why do I want a lefty? Because Dean Kremer has a 4.96 FIP and has allowed southpaws to hit .286 against him.

Bargain Bats

If Lane Thomas ($3,700) played for a different team, he'd probably be getting more love. He's hit .282 with 20 homers and 15 stolen bases. That has been bolstered by a .995 OPS against southpaws. James Paxton has been good at home, but on the road the lefty has a 4.07 ERA.

The fact Brandon Belt ($3,000) has an .844 OPS against righties is not surprising. That is business as usual for the left. However, in his first season with the Blue Jays he also has an .865 OPS at home. Aaron Nola has had a tough year, having allowed 1.58 homers per nine innings. Additionally, he has a 5.15 ERA on the road.

Stacks to Consider

Cubs vs. White Sox (Mike Clevinger): Cody Bellinger ($4,200), Nico Hoerner ($3,600), Christopher Morel ($3,400)

In his first season with the White Sox, Clevinger has a 3.55 ERA, but a 4.59 FIP. He also has a 4.85 ERA on the road. Righties have hit .258 against the righty Clevinger, so I have gone with two righties in this stack.

Bellinger is a lefty, but with the kind of season he is having, I wanted him in this matchup anyway. He has a .325 average with 18 homers and 17 stolen bases. Bellinger has a .900 OPS against righties and a .963 OPS at home. Hoerner has stolen 30 bases. He doesn't have a ton of power, but he has an .803 OPS at Wrigley Field over the last three seasons. Morel has 18 homers and 13 doubles in only 76 games, which is how he has slugged .505. While he is a righty, he has an .876 OPS against his fellow righties this year.

Red Sox at Nationals (MacKenzie Gore): Rafael Devers ($3,500), Justin Turner ($3,300), Trevor Story ($3,200)

Gore has given the Nationals 23 starts and he at least is an honest pitcher. By that, I mean he has a 4.62 ERA and a 4.62 FI2. That's not good, though, and over his last 12 games he has a 5.64 ERA. Gore is a southpaw, so I have two righties in this stack. I did include a lefty, but with a good reason.

Devers is the southpaw in question. Usually much better against righties, Devers has an .869 OPS versus left-handed pitchers this year. Meanwhile, Gore has allowed his fellow southpaws to hit a whopping .333 against him. Turner has two homers in three games since returning from injury, and has slashed .285/.351/.483 in his first season with Boston. That's been bolstered by a .925 OPS against lefties. Story missed almost all of the season with injury, but he's healthy and already stealing bases. He's swiped three bags in five games. Since 2021, he has a .945 OPS versus lefties as well.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Morgan plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: cmorgan3, DraftKings: cmorgan3.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan is a writer of sports, pop culture, and humor articles, a book author, a podcaster, and a fan of all Detroit sports teams.
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