After a lighter slate on Thursday, Major League Baseball is back in business in a big way on Friday night with 12 games on the main slate, which gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET. As usual at this point in the season, weather is still important to monitor leading up to lineup lock. The games in Baltimore and Cleveland look to be the spots with the most potential impact, but five games in domes are alternatives if you want to take the weather out of play.
We’re over a week into the regular season now and most starting pitchers are making their third start of the season. As a result, we can get a better idea of the current form and strength of matchup for each team. The slate includes some great matchups to attack as well as some strong value options. Let’s dive into Friday’s player pool and find the best bargains to help balance your lineup and save salary cap space.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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SP Brandon Pfaadt, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. St. Louis Cardinals, $7,500
Pfaadt is off to a promising start to the season, even though his surface numbers are a little mixed. The 25-year-old righty is brimming with potential and rose through the minors finding success at each level. Last year, he went 3-9 in 19 games in his first taste of the MLB, posting a 5.72 ERA and 5.18 FIP with an 8.8 K/9. Despite his struggles, he continues to show plenty of potential. He had more mixed results in Spring Training but has started the season showing strikeout upside, with 13 strikeouts in 10 2⁄3 innings in his first two starts. He had a career-high 20 swinging strikes on 87 pitches against Atlanta last Saturday, but he was roughed up by the Braves’ strong lineup late in the start, allowing five runs in 5 2⁄3 innings. He should have an easier matchup this time out against the Cardinals. It also helps that he’ll be at home, where he started the season with five strong innings against the Rockies in a start that resulted in 21.1 DKFP. He has shown much-improved control, excellent stuff and good poise so far this season, and he comes at a great price for a pitcher with such a high strikeout ceiling.
2B/OF Cavan Biggio, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Colorado Rockies $2,800
Biggio has started 11 of the Blue Jays’ 13 games this season since the team has faced mostly right-handed starting pitchers. The extra work has opened the opportunity for Biggio to get off to a strong start, going 10-for-34 (.294) with one homer, one stolen base and a .382 wOBA. He has averaged 6.0 DKFP per game and has hit in six straight games coming into Toronto’s home series against the Rockies. Last year, Biggio had a .343 wOBA at home compared to just a .297 wOBA on the road. The fact that he’s at home against Ryan Feltner ($5,600) sets him up a as good bargain play on Friday since Feltner had a 5.82 ERA last year and allowed a .339 wOBA to lefties. Feltner has been much better this year, but I’m not ready to buy in just yet. Biggio comes at a great salary and has extra flexibility since he can fit at either 2B or OF.
OF Jacob Young, Washington Nationals at Oakland Athletics, $2,100
Young has started each of the last five games in CF for the Nats after the injury to Victor Robles (hamstring). Young played 33 games for the Nats last season, hitting .252 with 13 stolen bases after making his debut. He started the season in Triple-A despite hitting .304 in Spring Training with four stolen bases in 20 games. In his five straight starts, Young has gone 3-for-18 (.188) but has swiped four bases and scored three runs. He filled in as the team’s leadoff hitter while C.J. Abrams ($4,500) was sidelined, producing 14 DKFP in those two games. Even when he moved to the bottom of the order, though, he showed his upside with a three-steal, 25-DKFP performance on Tuesday against the Giants. Young and the Nats are in a favorable matchup as they head to Oakland to face Paul Blackburn ($7,600) and the Athletics. Young doesn’t bring a ton of power upside, his stolen base potential is enough to make him a solid play at barely over the minimum salary on Friday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) 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 skill 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.
