This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Friday is Tax Day in the United States, but I'm more interested in a payday. Namely, a payday for you on the DFS front. There are 11 games in the featured slate for DraftKings. First pitch for these contests is at 7:05 p.m. ET. Let's get to it!
Pitching
Carlos Rodon, SF at CLE ($9,800): It's not a great day for pitchers Friday, but I am enthused about Rodon. He was stellar when healthy last year, posting a 2.64 FIP and striking out 12.55 batters per nine innings. The only issue was that he only made 24 starts. His health is probably why the White Sox were cool with letting him leave for San Francisco, but then Rodon went out and struck out 12 guys in only five innings. When he's on the mound, Rodon has as much upside as anybody, and the Guardians do not have an imposing lineup outside Jose Ramirez (I'm not buying into Steven Kwan just yet).
Jordan Montgomery, NYY at BAL ($8,800): Montgomery finally got to pitch a full season in 2021, and his 3.68 FIP was a perfectly reputable number. In a favorable matchup he's a worthwhile choice for a DFS lineup, and the Orioles are definitely that. Perhaps the worst team in baseball, Baltimore finished 26th in runs scored last season.
Ross Stripling, TOR vs. OAK ($7,700): Stripling is getting a spot start Friday, and I think there is a chance for him to give you some bang for your buck at this salary. If he goes five innings, I expect him to pick up the win thanks to his presumed offensive support. Plus, the Athletics dealt away almost every worthwhile bat they had this offseason.
Top Targets
Playing his home games a Petco, Manny Machado ($4,800) still managed 28 home runs and a .489 slugging percentage last season. He stole 12 bases for good measure. Kyle Wright blanked the Reds for six innings in his first start this year. Good for him! It lowered his career FIP all the way to 6.05, and he's allowed 1.78 home runs per nine innings in his career as well.
Across the last three campaigns, Brandon Belt ($4,800) has effectively played a full-season's worth of games. In that time, he's slashed .290/.397/.604 with 40 home runs. That's impressive! In that time he has a 1.030 OPS against righties. Zach Plesac, for his part, only managed a 4.67 ERA last season.
Bargain Bats
Put a righty on the mound and watch Jesse Winker ($4,700) mash. Since 2020 he has a 1.019 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. Jake Odorizzi is the epitome of a middling righty starter. He posted a 4.47 FIP in 2021, his fifth campaign with the Astros.
Over the last three seasons, Kolten Wong ($4,100) has averaged .276 and had two campaigns with double-digit home runs and stolen bases. In Miles Mikolas' first season back from Asia he managed an impressive 2.83 ERA, but since then he's only put up a 4.18 ERA across 42 starts.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Vladimir Gutierrez ($5,900): Freddie Freeman ($5,100), Max Muncy ($4,400), Gavin Lux ($2,900)
As a rookie last year, Gutierrez posted a 5.22 FIP and allowed 1.58 home runs per nine innings. In his first start this year, he allowed two runs in 4.1 innings. Since he's a righty, I decided to stack three lefties from the Dodgers, and the bullpen from the Reds isn't too concerning either for when they inevitably come into play.
Freeman is always a good play when a right-handed pitcher is on the mound. He's posted a 1.021 OPS versus righties since 2020. Muncy is getting to DH this year, allowing a guy with an .888 OPS since joining the Dodgers to focus on hitting. Lux didn't quite live up to his promise last year in a utility role, but he started this season with a .333/.409/.556 slash line.
Blue Jays vs. Daulton Jefferies ($6,200): Vladimir Guerrero ($6,000), George Springer ($5,200), Raimel Tapia ($3,300)
Sure, Jefferies threw five scoreless innings to open the year, but his career ERA is 4.50. Also, he's one of the least-remarkable pitchers in baseball when it comes to generating strikeouts. He's struck out 4.50 batters per nine innings in his career, and he's spent a chunk of time coming out of the bullpen! Jefferies is a pitcher who allows a lot of contact, and this is not a lineup that makes me think "soft contact."
Vladito has already hit three home runs in a game this season after going yard 48 times last year. He also hit .311 last year as well. Springer hit 22 home runs in only 78 games in 2021, and over the previous three campaigns he put up a .369 OBP and .570 slugging percentage. Tapia is not a power hitter, but he is a lefty, and the Blue Jays don't really have many lefties. He also has speed, as he swiped 20 bags in 133 games.
Yankees vs. Jordan Lyles ($7,400): Aaron Judge ($5,400), Anthony Rizzo ($5,000), Josh Donaldson ($5,100)
The Orioles rotation: The last refuge of the scoundrel. Lyles has landed in Baltimore after two seasons in Texas where he had FIPs over 5.00. In his first start with the Orioles, he allowed five runs in five innings. Lyles has allowed at least 1.60 homers per nine innings every season since 2019. The Yankees have the bats to handle a homer-happy pitcher.
Judge and power go hand in hand. His career slugging percentage is .554, and he hit 39 home runs in 148 games last season. The lefty Rizzo already had three home runs this season, and he has a career .369 OBP as well. Even when Donaldson doesn't hit for average, his discipline keeps his OBP high. He has a .377 OBP since leaving Oakland, and last year he hit 26 homers in 135 games.
