We’ve got a 12-game slate for Friday’s MLB action.
Let’s find some studs and values for your MLB DFS lineups on DraftKings. This article was written before lineups were announced.
Make your DraftKings MLB DFS picks here: MLB $100K Bat Flip [$25K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies ($11,000) — There is no price discount on Sale, but that’s because you’re purchasing premium goods. Even at age 37, Sale is averaging 96.2 mph on the fastball. Through 150 innings, the FIP is 2.26 while the K-BB% is 25.8. He’s allowed only nine home runs and the Statcast numbers bling with an average exit velocity of 87.9 mph and a 5.9% barrel rate. He’s put up over 20 FPTS 18 times with six of those over 30 and a high of 47 FPTS. L. O. L. On the road, the Phillies are dead-last in wOBA and wRC+ while being 27th in ISO.
Value
Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Texas Rangers ($6,400) — I’m squirming, and it’s not just from the brutal heat wave in Los Angeles. The chances of Kelly getting lit up are always high and he’s produced negative fantasy goodies five times on the season, with two of those coming in the last five games. That said, he has been pretty good in the three most recent outings, posting a 3.31 FIP with a 19.7% strikeout rate while allowing only one home run in 18.2 innings. The average exit velocity was 87.2 mph with a 5.6% barrel rate while the hard hit rate was 29.6%. The matchup isn’t great, as Texas is sixth in wRC+ on the road, but the price is cheap and the recent form has been good for Kelly.
INFIELD
Stud
Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies ($4,600) — Olson has 37 home runs, 94 runs, 81 RBI and four stolen bases in 632 plate appearances. The average exit velocity is 92.6 mph, the launch angle is 18.1 degrees, barrel rate is 14.7% and the bat speed is 74.8 mph. Translation: he is good. Against right-handed pitching, 23 home runs have been hit while the ISO is .268 with a 125 wRC+. Nola has been good recently, producing double-digit FPTS in eight straight while allowing only one earned run in five of those contests. That said, he has struggled against lefties, posting a 5.18 FIP with a 12 K-BB%. 19 home runs have been served up to lefties.
Value
Christian Koss, San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres ($2,500) — Koss is batting ninth in the order and the Statcast numbers are middling – 84.1 average exit velocity, 5.1% barrel rate and 69.7 mph bat speed. Over the last nine games, though, he’s produced double-digit FPTS four times with a high of 30 FPTS. Against left-handed pitching, all four home runs have been hit and the ISO is .295 with a 101 wRC+. Robbie Ray has allowed 19 home runs to righties while the FIP is 5.29 with a 6.8 K-BB%.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies ($4,300) — Guess we are stacking against Nola. Do I love it? I do not, but it is what it is. Harris has 24 home runs, 67 runs, 80 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 557 plate appearances. The average exit velocity is 90.4 mph with a 10.4% barrel rate and 75 mph bat speed. Against right-handed pitching, 16 home runs have been hit and the slash is .296/.318/.504 with a .208 ISO and 122 wRC+.
Value
Eli White, Boston Red Sox vs. Kansas City Royals ($2,600) — Since arriving in Boston, White is slashing .276/.300/.379 with one home run, 10 runs, 12 RBI and one stolen base in 60 plate appearances. He has been lucky with a .349 BABIP and the ISO is only .103. That said, he’s cheap and has been starting in center field due to injuries. White has been better against right-handed pitching, as the slash is .279/.295/.419 with a .140 ISO and 95 wRC+. Seth Lugo has a 4.26 FIP and 10.7 K-BB% against righties. Prior to last game’s bagel, White produced fantasy goodies in eight straight with six of those at least 7 FPTS and a high of 21 FPTS.
