MLB Friday: Daily fantasy baseball picks
There will be no day games Friday, leaving us with a ton of baseball to enjoy at night. That also means we have a bevy of options to sift through on Yahoo. Let's try to help narrow down the field by discussing some pitchers and hitters to target.
Pitchers
Shohei Ohtani ($52) continues to miss a ton of bats, posting a 33.8 percent strikeout rate. That could spell doom for the Mariners, who have struck out the third-most times in baseball. When Ohtani faced them earlier this season, he allowed one run and recorded eight strikeouts over six innings. Expect him to give them plenty of problems in their rematch.
Cristian Javier ($49) has allowed exactly one earned run in seven of his 12 starts, including in each of his last four outings. He had a 0.95 WHIP last season and has continued to excel in that regard with a 0.99 WHIP this year. The Guardians already have the second-lowest OPS in baseball, and this matchup against Javier isn't likely to help their cause.
Unlike Ohtani and Javier, Marcus Stroman ($44) doesn't carry tremendous strikeout upside. Still, he has pitched well this season with a 2.39 ERA and a 3.49 FIP. He induces a lot of soft contact, which has resulted in a 3.8 percent barrel rate against him. Facing the Giants in San Francisco leaves Stroman with the potential for another valuable stat line. The Giants have a .776 OPS on the road, but just a .709 OPS at home.
Top Targets
Whenever a left-handed pitcher is on the mound, Alex Bregman ($17) stands out. For his career, he has a .223 ISO and a .381 wOBA against them. While Logan Allen ($25) has pitched well since being added to the Guardians rotation, Bregman is still an excellent option.
It has been a rough adjustment to the majors for Michael Grove ($25). He has made five starts for the Dodgers, recording an 8.14 ERA and a 4.90 FIP. One of his issues is that he has given up four home runs over just 21 innings. That was also an issue for him in the minors, including last year when he allowed 1.5 HR/9 at Triple-A. Despite only having three home runs through 31 games, Bryce Harper ($19) has plenty of power to exploit this matchup.
Bargain Bats
The Astros are going to need improved production from Jose Abreu ($11) with Yordan Alvarez (oblique) set to miss some time. This matchup against Allen could be just what he needs to get back on track. For his career, he has a .381 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
Tommy Pham ($11) has had problems against right-handed pitchers, posting a .333 wOBA against them for his career. However, he has a .365 wOBA against lefties. That makes him worth considering against Ranger Suarez ($29), who enters with a 1.54 WHIP.
Stacks to Consider
Padres vs. Austin Gomber ($25), Rockies: Fernando Tatis Jr. ($24), Manny Machado ($19), Gary Sanchez ($17)
Gomber is usually a pitcher to stack against in DFS. He has been awful, posting a 6.99 ERA that is supported by a 6.25 FIP. His WHIP enters at 1.64, and he has allowed 2.1 HR/9. An intriguing name for a Padres' stack is Sanchez, who just joined the team a couple of weeks ago. He has immediately made an impact, hitting 9-for-29 (.310) with four home runs and two doubles over nine games.
Brewers vs. Sam Moll ($25), Athletics: Christian Yelich ($19), Willy Adames ($15), William Contreras ($16)
It is expected that Moll will serve as an opener for this game with Luis Medina set to work as a bulk reliever behind him. Medina has a 1.62 WHIP and has allowed 10 home runs over 29.2 innings. That's not a recipe for success. He was torched by the Marlins in his last outing, giving up six runs over two innings. Despite having the seventh-worst OPS in baseball, this is an excellent opportunity to roll with a Brewers stack. Left-handed pitchers have limited Yelich to a .225 wOBA this season, but he has a .358 wOBA versus righties.
Orioles vs. Daniel Lynch ($28), Royals: Adley Rutschman ($17), Ryan Mountcastle ($14), Austin Hays ($15)
Lynch returned from the IL with two favorable matchups at home against the Nationals and Rockies. He responded by allowing seven runs (five earned) and posting a 1.45 WHIP over 10.1 innings. This will be a more difficult task on the road against the Orioles, who have scored the eighth-most runs in baseball. One of their leaders has been Rustchman, who has a .361 wOBA. He even has a higher walk rate (16.5 percent) than he does strikeout rate (13.9 percent).
