This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Welcome to another huge Friday slate!
There are some oddities tonight, most notably, the lack of quality high-priced arms at the top of the board, which will require some careful planning, especially with the second pitcher spot.
Warmer weather and the barrage of low-quality arms should drive up offensive production around the league Friday night, which will in turn yield some interesting cheap bats to consider as lineups are revealed Friday afternoon.
As stacks go, I'm angling toward using multiple mini-combos (two players per team) instead of loading up with four-plus bats in the same lineup, while the Twins are shaping up to be my favorite group of hitters to back against White Sox starter Carson Fulmer.
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Pitcher
Cash: Gerrit Cole, HOU at ARI ($12,400) -- The humidor in Arizona is doing pretty much exactly what it was predicted to do, according to a recent article published by Mike Petriello of MLB.com. Reduced exit velocities mean less hard contact, which favors pitching, as more batted balls become outs, and fewer batted balls leave the yard and turn into home runs. Cole has been lights out this season, laying the groundwork to be an American League Cy Young Award contender through his first six turns in the Astros' rotation, piling up a 13.2 K/9 along with a 1.73 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. The D-backs have dealt with two major injuries to their starting rotation in recent weeks, putting Kris Medlen on the mound against a big-league opponents for his first start since 2016. In addition to the Astros being heavily favored, the Arizona offense has been right around league average against right-handed pitching this season in terms of wRC+, while striking out more than 26 percent of the time.
Also in play among the pricey starters: Jose Berrios, MIN at CHW ($9,800), Rick Porcello, BOS at TEX ($10,800)
Cheap GPP Consideration: Daniel Mengden, OAK vs. BAL ($6,400) -- The Orioles continue to be one of the league's worst offenses against right-handed pitching, holding one of the worst team wRC+ splits on the 15-game slate Friday, and striking out just less than 25 percent of the time against righties. Mengden's ability to limit free passes gives him a good floor, but the potential for a few extra whiffs nudges him into GPP consideration in this matchup. At the very least, he's a viable cash game option as a second pitcher.
Fade: Chris Stratton, SFG at ATL ($6,000) -- The Braves' excellent start to 2018 has made them a team to avoid, even as a tournament target. Consider that earlier this week, Noah Syndergaard's ownership rate dipped below five percent in tournaments with a home matchup against the Braves. Zack Wheeler at home against the Rockies is a more logical high-risk, high-reward consideration given extremely high strikeout rate (26.9% K%) and light offensive production (69 wRC+) against righties this season.
Catcher
J.T. Realmuto, MIA at CIN ($4,300) -- Paying up at catcher looks necessary Friday, though it's entirely possible that a few cheap options will stand out once the lineups are released in the afternoon. With a 110 wRC+ against righties since the start of last season, Realmuto is on the short list of above-average hitters available behind the plate Friday. Further, he draws Reds right-hander Sal Romano, whose mediocre same-hand splits include a .334 wOBA and 1.15 HR/9 allowed since the start of 2016, in a park that boosts right-handed home runs. If you can squeeze $600 out of your lineup elsewhere, Gary Sanchez at $4,900 facing Josh Tomlin at Yankee Stadium is worth the premium as the best player on the board at catcher on this slate. Devin Mesoraco ($2,900) is a tournament consideration, if he faces lefty Wei-Yin Chen on the other side of the Marlins-Reds matchup should the Reds want to give the left-handed hitting Tucker Barnhart a night off.
First Base
Matt Olson, OAK vs. BAL ($3,900) -- On a near-daily basis, Olson has become a consideration any time he faces a lower-end right-handed starter because his price has fallen due to a slow start. Since the start of last season,only Joey Votto has a higher wRC+ against righties since the start of last season than Olson (164) among first basemen. Because of his increased K%, Olson falls mostly into GPP consideration, as he's struck out nearly one-third of his plate appearances in 2018. Carlos Santana ($3,400) against Nats left-hander Gio Gonzalez is one of the best cash-game options with his mid-range price.
Second Base
Enrique Hernandez, LAD at SD in Mexico ($3,300) -- For those who are passing on Joey Lucchesi as a second pitcher (the over/under is 7.5 as Monterrey is 1,772 feet above sea level), Hernandez is a nice source of salary relief with big-time production against southpaws that includes a 140 wRC+ against lefties since the start of last season. The Dodgers' lineup is decimated by injuries, but even at full health, Hernandez would be entrusted with a prominent role. He's hit second or third for manager Dave Roberts in each of the team's last three games against a left-handed starter.
Third Base
Miguel Andujar, NYY vs. CLE ($3,600) -- Most likely, Andujar will hit around seventh in the order for the Yankees, but against a home-run friendly starter (Josh Tomlin) and facing a Cleveland bullpen that won't have Andrew Miller back until Sunday at the earliest, Andujar is one of the top values on the board at the hot corner. The over/under in this matchup is at 10 runs -- the highest on the board since the Rockies are on the road. Since his promotion to the big leagues, Andujar has slugged .622 against righties, and while that mark is unsustainable, he's a viable target as part of a loaded Yankees lineup. Jeimer Candelario ($3,900 at Kansas City vs. Ian Kennedy) and Eduardo Escobar ($4,000 at Chicago vs. Carson Fulmer) are also in play at a similar price point.
Shortstop
Brandon Crawford, SFG at ATL ($2,800) -- I'm impressed by what Mike Foltynewicz has done to this point, but I'm still willing to take the occasional shot with a left-handed bat against him, since he's allowed the fourth-highest wOBA to lefties (.347) on Friday's slate. On top of that, Crawford is getting a huge park boost and carries a discounted price. Crawford's home park (AT&T) is extremely tough on left-handed power. SunTrust Park is the complete opposite. Crawford might hit as low as seventh in the order, though he usually hits sixth, and occasionally gets a turn hitting second against righties. He's merely a cheap tournament option on a night where paying up for Didi Gregorius ($5,000), Carlos Correa ($5,100), or Francisco Lindor ($4,800) is very desirable.
Outfield
Jorge Soler, KC vs. DET ($3,800) -- Entering play Friday, Soler has been the No. 2 hitter in the Royals' lineup for the last four games. There's little reason to think that will change with a matchup against lefty Francisco Liriano on tap. While his chances have been very limited, since he spent most of 2017 at Triple-A, Soler has put together a .286/.386/.600 line (.986 OPS) against lefties since the start of last season. Over the last two seasons, Liriano has allowed a .351 wOBA and 1.35 HR/9 to right-handed hitters. After homering twice in the last three days, Soler isn't under the radar whatsoever, but he's playable in cash games at the very least.
Aaron Hicks, NYY vs. CLE ($3,700) -- There is a theme here. Pick on Josh Tomlin...at least at one position. Hicks is another discounted Yankee, likely hitting just behind the big boppers in the New York lineup (he's been regularly hitting fifth or sixth against righties). With a better OPS against righties than Christian Yelich and George Springer since the start of 2017, Hicks has played his way into regular consideration use in the outfield whenever the price drops under $4,000.
Max Kepler, MIN at CHW ($3,700) -- With Byron Buxton on the DL, Kepler has taken over as the Twins' regular center fielder, and in recent days, he's moved up to the No. 3 spot in the lineup for manager Paul Molitor. Like Hicks, Kepler is more productive than you might think, and his price does not reflect the current lineup spot, or the favorable matchup against White Sox right-hander Carson Fulmer, who has struggled to keep the ball in the park against hitters on both sides of the plate (1.30 HR/9) over the past year, while carrying the lowest K-BB% (5.1%) of the 30 starting pitchers in play.
