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 $150K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers at Atlanta Braves ($12,500) — The matchup isn’t great because Atlanta doesn’t strike out often and has power. That said, nobody beats The Miz. His FIP is 1.68, while his K-BB% is a whopping 33.1%. Paul Skenes is in second place at 25.5%. The average exit velocity is 87.3%, and the barrel rate is only 2.4%. Misiorowski has put up at least 30 FPTS in eight straight games, with two over 40 FPTS and a high of 58.6 FPTS. He went at least seven innings in five of those outings, which includes a complete game shutout. He’s expensive, but Misiorowski has been worth it, as the floor-ceiling combo appears unmatched.
Value
Tatsuya Imai, Houston Astros vs. Cleveland Guardians ($6,000) — Imai’s season has been all over the map. He’s put up single-digit FPTS four times, with three of those in the negatives. On the flip side, he produced double-digit FPTS five times, with two over 20 FPTS and a high of 31.2 FPTS. Imai averages 95 mph on the fastball and has a respectable 23.6% strikeout rate, but the walk rate is high at 15.3%. His FIP sits at 5.24 through 35 innings. Friday’s matchup is a good one, as Cleveland is 28th in ISO, 27th in wOBA and 23rd in wRC+. And those numbers are with Jose Ramirez, who is currently sidelined with an injury.
INFIELD
Stud
Dalton Rushing, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Baltimore Orioles ($4,400) — With Will Smith out due to injury, Rushing has been seeing consistent playing time. Against right-handed pitching, Rushing has a 146 wRC+ and a .271 ISO. Seven of his eight home runs have come off a righty. Trey Gibson has a 5.73 FIP and 2% K-BB% against lefties.
Value
Ryan McMahon, New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds ($2,300) — McMahon is only slashing .209/.271/.350 with a 30.6% strikeout rate. The ISO is .167 against right-handed pitching, and all seven of his home runs have come off a righty. Rhett Lowder has a 5.48 FIP and 0% K-BB% against lefties. All three home runs allowed have come off the bat of a lefty.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Cody Bellinger, New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds ($4,900) — Bellinger has 11 home runs, 45 runs, 49 RBIs, and eight stolen bases in 308 plate appearances. The slash is .280/.373/.487 with a 13.6% walk rate, 12.3% strikeout rate and .207 ISO. Those are pretty numbers. Against right-handed pitching, he owns a 138 wRC+ with a .189 ISO. Seven of his home runs have come off a righty. I mentioned the issues Lowder has had with lefties in the McMahon section. Cincinnati also has one of the worst bullpens in MLB, anchoring the majors with a 5.22 FIP.
Value
John Rave, Kansas City Royals vs. St. Louis Cardinals ($2,000) — Rave has five plate appearances on the season. Still, he will likely continue getting playing time due to his hot start and injuries to Kyle Isbel and Vinnie Pasquantino. On Wednesday, Rave went 2-for-4 with a home run and a triple, coming around to score both times. The average exit velocity was 100.5 mph, the launch angle was 28.7 degrees, and the barrel rate was 66.7%! Fine, small sample size, but the bat speed was 76.3 mph. He’s cheap, should get plenty of plate appearances, and has shown power. Can’t ask for more at the stone cold minimum. Rave sat Thursday against a left-handed pitcher, but should be back in the lineup against Michael McGreevy.
