This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Hopefully 13 is a lucky number Friday. That's how many games are on the MLB slate Friday night. It's time to parse the lineups and pick your roster for your DFS squads. Here are some recommendations to try and help bring you some luck to start your weekend.
Pitching
Robbie Ray, SEA vs. LAA ($8,900): Ray is a pitchers who knows how to rack up strikeouts, but this year he's been decidedly better at home than on the road. In home starts he's posted a 2.96 ERA. The Angels are in the bottom six in runs scored, and of course right now there is no Mike Trout on the field.
Corey Kluber, TAM at DET ($8,200): The number of times that Kluber has gone exactly six innings this season is impressive. Of course, when you go six innings, you're eligible for the win. Kluber has a 4.03 ERA, but a 3.37 FIP. The Tigers are last in runs scored, and they are also battling the Athletics for last in team OPS as well.
Dean Kremer, BAL vs. PIT ($6,600): Kremer has been a middling pitcher, as his 3.86 ERA indicates. However, the Pirates are not a middling offense. The Pirates are 28th in runs scored and team OPS. Baltimore is a better squad this year, and that could lead to a home win over Pittsburgh for Kremer on Friday.
Top Targets
I was high on the White Sox on Thursday when they were supposed to face Glenn Otto for the Rangers, but then the Rangers called up Cole Ragans to make his MLB debut. That pushed Otto to Friday, and the matchup remains the same. Otto has a 5.50 ERA, and in his career his home ERA is 8.14. In addition to his .302 average and .383 OBP, Jose Abreu ($4,900) has an 1.005 OPS on the road this year, making him a great choice for this matchup.
The power that Cedric Mullins ($4,900) showed last year in his 30-30 season has dried up, but the speed is still there, as he has 23 swiped bags. Plus, the lefty still has a .781 OPS versus righties. Meanwhile, since 2020 lefties have hit.n 301 against Mitch Keller, who also has a career 5.41 ERA.
Bargain Bats
While Daulton Varsho ($3,700) primarily plays in the outfield, he's still eligible as a catcher, and that is a position with limited offensive upside. Varsho has 14 home runs and seven stolen bases and he also has a .784 OPS versus righties. German Marquez is in his seventh MLB season, all with the Rockies, but his 5.29 ERA is currently a career high.
The lefty Ji-Man Choi ($3,600) has a .359 OBP and since 2020, he has a .795 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. Chi Chi Gonzalez is expected to make a spot start for the Tigers on Friday, or maybe Garrett Hill will be on the mound. All I know is the pitcher who starts for Detroit in this one is almost definitely going to be both right handed and a bad pitcher by MLB standards.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays at Twins (Tyler Mahle): Vladimir Guerrero ($5,500), Alejandro Kirk ($4,400), Lourdes Gurriel ($4,000)
Mahle is expected to make his first start as a Twin. He brings with him a 4.40 ERA, in line with his career 4.35 ERA. It's not a problem that the Blue Jays don't really employ lefties. Mahle has consistently shut down lefties, but righties have hit .261 against him.
Guerrero has stepped down from his incredible 2021, but he's slashed .286/.359/.508 this year, so he's still a top hitter. Plus, over the last three weeks he has an 1.005 OPS. Kirk can slot in as your catcher, and he has a career .287/.366/.464 slash line. This year he's hit .303 with 12 home runs as well. Gurriel brings less power, but plenty of skill with his bat. He's hit .313 and has a .366 OBP, and since 2020 he has an .822 OPS versus righties.
Yankees at Cardinals (Dakota Hudson): DJ LeMahieu ($4,900), Anthony Rizzo ($4,700), Josh Donaldson ($4,100)
Hudson has a 4.10 ERA, and he's also been in a rough stretch, posting a 5.95 ERA over his last eight starts. Righties have hit him pretty well, as they have managed a .293 average against him, so I am down to have two righties in my stack.
LeMahieu has been scorching hot, as over the last three weeks he has an 1.034 OPS. On the season, he's put up a .289 average and .392 OBP. Rizzo is a lefty, but one who has slugged .511 with 27 home runs. He's also been almost as hot as LeMahieu, with a .949 OPS over the last three weeks. Donaldson has not enjoyed Yankee Stadium, but he's happy on the road. There he has an .821 OPS.
Mets vs. Braves (Ian Anderson): Pete Alonso ($5,400), Starling Marte ($5,400), Mark Canha ($3,500)
Yes, Anderson has been a decent pitcher in the past, and yes his last start was good. However, he still has a 4.99 ERA this year, and it had to be clarified after the trade deadline that he was keeping his spot in the bullpen. Now, since Anderson is a righty, you might think I would be stacking lefties. Not the case! Even in a down year, Anderson has held southpaws to a .202 average. Righties, meanwhile, have hit .317 against him.
Yes, Alonso has a .554 slugging percentage and 29 home runs, but he's not just a power hitter. He actually has hit .278 with a .356 OBP. Marte also hits for average, as he's batted .299 with 11 home runs and 12 stolen bases. Plus, he has a .943 OPS at home. Canha doesn't have much power, but he has a .270 average and .366 OBP. On top of that, he has reverse splits with a .792 OPS versus righties.
