This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
This is one of the final weekends of the MLB regular season, and we can only hope the weather cooperates. There are 15 games on the slate, starting at 7:05 PM ET. To try and kick the weekend off right, here are some recommendations…
PITCHER
Cole Hamels, CHC vs. CIN ($9,200): Hamels has been stellar since joining the Cubs. In eight starts since being traded he's posted a 1.42 ERA. Getting away from Texas has been great for him. As for the Reds, they rank in the bottom 10 in runs scored on the road.
GPP Fade: Walker Buehler, LAD at STL ($10,100): Buehler is a good, young pitcher, but this is not an ideal situation for him. For starters, the 24-year-old has a 3.80 ERA on the road. This is also a tough matchup. Since the All-Star break, the Cardinals rank first in runs scored.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Robbie Erlin, SD vs. TEX ($4,800): If you want to go cheap, Erlin is an intriguing option. His overall numbers may not wow you, but at home he actually has a 2.92 ERA. Pitching at Petco Park certainly has its benefits. The Rangers have bolstered their offensive numbers at home, where they rank first in runs scored. On the road, they are a much more pedestrian 25th in runs scored.
CATCHER
Francisco Mejia, SD vs. TEX ($3,900): Mejia's time in the majors has been limited, but he made his debut with the Padres as one of the top prospects in baseball. They are also giving him plenty of playing time now to see what they have in him. Yohander Mendez, who is expected to pitch the bulk of the game after opener Connor Sadzeck, has also seen limited action over the last few years, and in that time he has a 6.52 ERA.
FIRST BASE
Josh Bell, PIT at MIL ($4,100): Bell has been hot recently, posting a .279/.415/.512 slash line over his last 30 games. He's struggled at home, but he has a .835 OPS on the road for the second season in a row. Gio Gonzalez has a 4.57 ERA this season, but in his final 15 starts with the Nationals he had a 6.78 ERA.
SECOND BASE
Jed Lowrie, OAK at TAM ($4,300): Like Bell, Lowrie's numbers have been suppressed at home, which isn't surprising given the nature of Oakland's park. On the road, the veteran has a .944 OPS, and 17 of his 21 homers have come away from his own stadium. The Rays are going with an opener, so it's hard to get a read on how the pitching is going to shake out. However, it is isn't Blake Snell, you shouldn't be too worried, and Lowrie hits both lefties and righties fine.
THIRD BASE
Kris Bryant, CHC vs. CIN ($4,500): Even in an injury-plagued "down year," Bryant has slashed .282/.381/.471. When he's healthy, the slugger is one of the best hitters in baseball. Though Matt Harvey improved after being traded to the Reds, he has a 4.42 FIP with Cincinnati, and he's allowed 1.45 home runs per nine innings in that time.
SHORTSTOP
Paul DeJong, STL vs. LAD ($3,900): DeJong's numbers have dropped a bit this year, thanks largely to his BABIP going from .349 way down to .275. Perhaps he's been unlucky this season, although he's running out of time to turn things around. The 25-year-old also has 17 homers in 100 games, and he's hit a bit better recently. As noted earlier, Buehler has a 3.80 ERA on the road, and, in truth, unless you want to dish out big money the shortstop position isn't looking great Friday.
OUTFIELD
Rhys Hoskins, PHI vs. MIA ($4,900): Power is the name of the game for Hoskins. He has 30 homers in 136 games this season, and his .529 career slugging percentage is formidable. Hoskins has also been great at home (.906 OPS) while Wei-Yin Chen has been abysmal on the road. The Marlins starter has a staggering 9.35 ERA away from Miami.
Daniel Palka, CWS at BAL ($4,600): Palka doesn't get on base often, but when he does it's not uncommon for it to be a round trip. He has 22 homers in 109 games, and over his last 30 games he has a .500 slugging percentage. That's in line with the .503 slugging percentage he has against righties across this entire season. Luis Ortiz, who will be making his first MLB start, had a 4.39 FIP in Triple-A, and given that he's an Orioles pitcher it's hard to have any faith in him.
Lorenzo Cain, MIL vs. PIT ($4,500): It feels a little strange to see Cain, who's averaged 8.7 fantasy points per game, at this price. He's getting on base with gusto, as he has a .403 OBP. Though he doesn't have a ton of power, he does have 10 homers, and he supplements that with 27 stolen bases. Meanwhile, since joining the Pirates via trade Chris Archer has a 5.24 ERA.
