This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Welcome to Friday. It's a big night of baseball. There are 14 games on the slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later. You've got to make your DFS decisions, and here are some suggestions for your DFS lineup to try and bring you some success.
Pitching
Blake Snell, SD vs. WAS ($9,300): Snell has been a different pitcher since the start of July. In eight starts he has a 2.08 ERA and has struck out 13.9 batters per nine innings. The Nationals have sunk into the bottom five in runs scored, and given the trades they made, they are likely to stay there.
Cole Irvin, OAK vs. SEA ($7,400): Irvin has been stellar at home in Oakland's pitcher-friendly ballpark. He has an 1.66 ERA at home. Now, the A's don't provide a lot of offensive support, but the Mariners are 20th in runs scored, and their starter Marco Gonzales has a 5.10 FIP.
Patrick Sandoval, LAA at DET ($7,200): As a key piece of the Angels' rotation for the first time in his career, Sandoval has taken a step forward. He's made 19 starts and has a 3.26 FIP. Now, of course, he gets to face MLB's worst offense, as the Tigers are a lock to finish last in runs scored and team OPS for all intents and purposes.
Top Targets
Once again, Mookie Betts ($6,300) has notched at least 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases, and he's done it while hitting .271 as well. He also has a .944 OPS at home and a .984 OPS versus lefties. Jesus Luzardo is a southpaw, and while he's dropped his ERA from 6.61 last season, a 3.72 ERA is not exactly good either.
All season long, Nolan Arenado ($5,400) has been raking, and he hasn't slowed down. Over the last three weeks he has an 1.078 OPS. Additionally, since 2020 he has a .904 OPS versus lefties. The rookie Tommy Henry has made three starts for the Diamondbacks, and he has a 5.13 FIP.
Bargain Bats
Nathaniel Lowe ($3,200) has posted a .289 average and has hit 17 home runs. He's been decidedly better on the road as well, having managed an .868 OPS in away games. Dylan Bundy has a 4.76 ERA and has only struck out 6.86 batters per nine innings. On top of that, he's allowed lefties to hit .283 against him.
The lefty Jake Fraley ($2,500) has struggled with southpaws but he has an .830 OPS versus righties since 2020. In limited action this year, he has a .914 OPS against right handers as well. Bryse Wilson has a 6.69 ERA at home over the last three seasons, and he's gotten absolutely crushed by lefties. This year, southpaws have hit .352 against him.
Stacks to Consider
Giants at Rockies (Jose Urena): Joc Pederson ($3,900), Brandon Belt ($2,800), Brandon Crawford ($2,000)
After spending a few games in the bullpen for the Brewers, Urena was traded to the Rockies. Since then, he has a 5.02 ERA in eight starts. He's allowed 1.42 home runs per nine innings this year, and this game is at Coors Field. Plus, Urena is a righty, and the Giants, and this stack, have a lefty-heavy lineup.
Pederson has plenty of power upside, and this year he has a .502 slugging percentage versus righties. Fifteen of his 17 home runs have come in those matchups as well. Belt is having a down year, but since 2020 he has a .932 OPS versus righties. He's also struggled on the road this year, but Coors Field is different than most ballparks, and since 2020 his road OPS is .801. Crawford, meanwhile, has an .841 OPS versus right-handed pitchers since 2020. He's also picked it up recently, posting an .841 OPS over the last three weeks.
Guardians vs. White Sox (Lance Lynn): Jose Ramirez ($5,700), Andres Gimenez ($5,000), Steven Kwan ($4,200)
Something has gone amiss between last season and this one for Lynn. His ERA has soared to 5.62, including a 7.46 ERA at home. His big problem? He's allowed 1.78 home runs per nine innings. Lynn is on the road Friday, and clearly that is not a place he likes to be.
Ramirez has slashed .281/.351/.534 with 22 home runs and 14 stolen bases. While he's a switch hitter, he has a .933 OPS versus righties in 2022. Gimenez's breakthrough campaign has him doing his best Ramirez impression. He's slashed .310/.376/.500 with 14 home runs and 15 stolen bases. Kwan leads off, and why not? He's hit .303 with a .376 OBP and has stolen 12 bases as well.
Padres vs. Nationals (Paolo Espino): Juan Soto ($6,100), Jurickson Profar ($4,500), Trent Grisham ($3,300)
Espino has a 4.20 ERA, but his success mostly came in the bullpen. Since joining the starting rotation, the righty has a 5.27 ERA. He's allowed 1.77 home runs per nine innings this year, and 1.75 in his career. Since 2020, lefties have hit .277 against him, so I have two lefties and a switch hitter here.
Soto has a career .965 OPS. This year his "down" numbers include a .984 OPS against right-handed pitchers, and since 2020 he has an 1.017 OPS on the road. Since he just moved to his new home ballpark, that feels relevant. Profar tends to lead off, and this is quite the lineup to be leading off for these days. He's been slightly better at home, where he has a .789 OPS. Grisham has 15 home runs and five stolen bases after he had 15 of the former and 13 of the latter in 2021. While he's had a down year, over the last three weeks he has a .933 OPS.
