This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Friday night belongs to MLB on the sports front, and they aren't letting us down. There are 12 games on the docket starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later. One of those is the second half of a doubleheader between the Phillies and Nationals, and I'd want to wait and see before picking any players from that game. Doubleheaders have more variables and concerns than most matchups. With that in mind, here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Carlos Rodon, SF at PIT ($9,900): Rodon got off to a great start to the season before getting stopped in his tracks with a brutal start against the Cardinals. Since then, though, he has a 2.73 ERA over his last five starts. The Pirates rank 28th in runs score and have a sub-.300 OBP, so this is a matchup that should help keep Rodon on the right track.
Frankie Montas, OAK vs. KC ($8,300): This is likely going to be a low-scoring game, with two teams in the bottom five in runs scored in Oakland's expansive, pitcher-friendly ballpark. Montas has a 2.45 ERA at home this year, and a 3.06 ERA at home since 2020. The only concern is whether Montas will get enough offensive support to pick up a win.
Devin Smeltzer, MIN at ARI ($6,500): Smeltzer has posted a 2.38 ERA through his first six starts this season. The Diamondbacks are in the bottom 10 in runs scored, but the particular issue here is the fact they have a .217 batting average as a team. That's 29th in MLB.
Top Targets
It's actually kind of a tricky night for batter recommendations, as there's a lot of strong pitching expected out there. I was able to lock into my three stacks pretty easily, but after that, the pickings are a little slimmer. As such, I'm going to the top of the market with Mike Trout ($5,700). He's, you know, Mike Trout. The best hitter of his generation had an 1.090 OPS in limited action last year and is on pace to have an OPS over 1.000 once again in 2022. Robbie Ray won the Cy Young last season, but the lefty has a 4.59 FIP in 2022.
Forget that slow start Carlos Correa ($5,100) had in his first year with the Twins. He's now slashed .304/.371/.458. The power hasn't quite been there yet, but maybe the hitter-friendly ballpark in Arizona will help. Madison Bumgarner has really struggled since joining the Diamondbacks, as he has a 4.67 ERA in that time. Also, he has a 5.03 FIP this year.
Bargain Bats
J.P. Crawford ($4,400) returned from an illness Thursday, so I like him on Friday. He's become a guy who can hit for average the last couple of years, posting a .279 batting average over his last 218 games. Crawford also has an .897 OPS against righties this year and also at home this year. Michael Lorenzen doesn't allow home runs, but he has allowed lefties to hit .274 against him in 2022.
It's been a weird season for Austin Meadows ($3,600). He's hitting .250 with a .347 OBP, but he doesn't have a home run or stolen base yet. This from a guy who had 33 homers and 12 swiped bags in 2019. I'll take a shot on the lefty versus Jon Gray. Gray is allowing fewer homers now that he isn't a Rockie, but he has a 5.26 ERA on the road nonetheless.
Stacks to Consider
Padres at Rockies (Kyle Freeland): Manny Machado ($6,100), Jurickson Profar ($4,300), Luke Voit ($3,800)
Coors Field enters the equation, and that's good for DFS players. Freeland has a career 4.21 ERA, and this year he has a 5.35 ERA at home. Now, for a Rockies pitcher, Freeland is actually good at avoiding home runs, but the Padres bring power to the table, and Coors is a good ballpark for doubles, too. You don't need the long ball to rack up the fantasy points in Denver.
Machado started red hot, cooled a smidge and now is raking once again. All in all, he's slashed .328/.400/.537 with 11 home runs and seven stolen bases. Profar has been unexpectedly solid for the Padres, slashing .253/.349/.436 with eight home runs and four swiped bags. Also, over the last three weeks he has a .919 OPS. Voit had to get into the swing of things after an injury, but he has three home runs in his last five games. Don't forget that in the 2020 campaign he hit 22 home runs in 56 contests.
Dodgers vs. Guardians (Zach Plesac): Freddie Freeman ($5,300), Will Smith ($5,100), Cody Bellinger ($4,000)
Well, Plesac managed to avoid allowing a home run in his last start, but that broke a seven-game streak of him allowing a homer. That's a big reason why he has a 4.70 ERA. Additionally, he's allowed lefties to hit .302 against him in 2022. Thus, I have two lefties in my stack.
It's been an up-and-down season for Freeman in his first year as a Dodger, but he still has slashed .286/.372/.444 with five homers and six stolen bases. Additionally, since 2020 he has a .980 OPS against righties. Smith is a righty, but he's also a catcher, and you need a catcher for your lineup. This particular catcher has a career .868 OPS and he has eight homers this year. Bellinger's not going to wow you with his OBP, but he's picked up seven home runs and seven swiped backs. Plus, he has a .725 OPS against righties, so as long as there isn't a southpaw on the mound he's got upside.
Giants at Pirates (Zach Thompson): Brandon Belt ($5,000), Joc Pederson ($4,500), Mike Yastrzemski ($4,300)
The Giants have a lefty-heavy lineup, so lucky for them there is a righty starting for the Pirates. A righty in Thompson who also happens to have a 5.06 FIP and has allowed 1.62 home runs per nine innings.
Belt just returned from injury, and hopefully that means he's ready to show his old form after a slow start. After all, this is a guy with a .988 OPS over the last two seasons, and even with his struggles, Belt has an .804 OPS against righties in 2022. Pederson is the classic lefty who mashes righties but can't hit his fellow southpaws to save his life. This year has been particularly good for him, as he has an .931 OPS with 12 home runs in 159 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers. Even though his average and OBP plummeted in 2021, Yastrzemski managed to hit 25 home runs to appease fantasy players. This year he's rebounded, hitting .269 with a .376 OBP to go with six homers.
