This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
A 12-game slate is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. et Friday evening, and I'm just going to assume every game happens, and lineups are as expected. It goes without saying that you'll want to be around a device near lineup-lock time to make any necessary adjustments. It's not a particularly appealing slate when it comes to pitching options unfortunately, so there will be some interesting decisions made on the bump.
Pitching
Max Scherzer, WAS at BOS ($10,600): Scherzer hasn't been himself over the last two starts, allowing nine runs and 15 hits over 11.2 frames to the Marlins and Orioles. Miami's lineup is performing almost identically to that of the Red Sox, where Friday's opponent checks in with a .313 wOBA, 92 wRC+, .165 ISO and 24.3 percent K rate. His recent struggles could lead to lower usage, but Scherzer is far from a must play option Friday.
Zac Gallen, ARI vs. SFG ($10,000): Gallen presents as the safest option Friday, having failed to reach 34 FDP just once in his first six starts, never allowing more than two earned runs. He's coming off of a 37 FDP outing against these Giants, allowing just one run and fanning six over six frames. He figures to be popular, but I'll question some of the upside, given that the Giants only fan 22.1 percent of the time against righties.
Sixto Sanchez, MIA vs. TAM ($6,600): In trying to find some cheaper GPP options, it's all about upside, and what Sanchez lacks in innings/pitch count upside, he makes up for with velocity and high-strikeout potential. The Indians' Tristan McKenzie ($8,700) has been priced out of that upside against a Cardinals lineup that fans only 22.5 percent of the time, so a consideration of Sanchez against a Rays side that fans 23.9 percent of the time offers some savings.
Reynaldo Lopez, CWS vs. KAN ($6,300): Lopez was serviceable in his return to action last time out against the Cubs, and assuming his control holds up, he'll likely throw a few extra innings in this contest. He's been shelled by lefties, something the Royals lineup has a void of, and they carry just a .165 ISO and 87 wRC+ as a group against righties. This could absolutely explode in your face, but he returned 2.5x value against a better offense in only 3.1 innings last outing, so there is some GPP hope.
Top Targets
Trevor Story, COL vs. SDP ($4,500): Story profiles the best of the top bats in this contest, as adversary Fernando Tatis hasn't faired terrifically against opposite-handed arms. Story has a nice .384 wOBA and .270 ISO against righties to date, making for a reasonable offensive anchor against Zach Davies, who's been surprisingly serviceable.
Bryce Harper, PHI vs. ATL ($4,300): Harper is 5-of-7 against Braves' starter Robbie Erlin, homering off of him in their last meeting. Erlin has faced the Phillies twice already, allowing six runs across 6.2 innings. He won't be around too long, making a stack a little less appealing, but Harper is a bat to build around Friday.
Jose Abreu, CWS vs. KAN ($4,100): Abreu's power surge makes the upside difficult to fade, even if Royals' starter Danny Duffy allows just 1.23 HR/9. Abreu has homered seven times in five games, and has an ample sample size against Duffy, going 18-of-56 (.321), giving him more stability that usual, and not fully homer dependent, something he's done against Duffy just twice.
Value Bats
Wil Myers, SDP at COL ($3,500): A bit of an elevated tag given the Coors Field contest, but Myers offers a cheaper in to this contest. He's raking against lefties to the tune of a .558 wOBA, .500 ISO and 58.3 percent hard hit rate. Rockies' starter Kyle Freeland has been consistently solid to date, so fading top bats while still getting a small slice seems like a decent contrarian play.
A.J. Pollock, LOS at TEX ($3,000): Pollock leads the Dodgers with a .404 wOBA against lefties, chipping in a .313 ISO, making for an upside option against Mike Minor, who is allowing a .366 wOBA and 2.53 HR/9 to righties thus far.
Starling Marte ($3,200)/Ketel Marte ($3,000), ARI vs. SFG: Lumping these two together, because the Diamondbacks as a team have shown very little power against lefties. Tyler Anderson has been surprisingly hit harder by lefties. But Marte seem to provide some stability at a lower tag. Starling leads the team with a .402 wOBA and 153 wRC+ (and .125 ISO) against lefties, while Ketel currently owns a .392 wOBA and 147 wRC+ (.092 ISO).
Stacks to Consider
White Sox vs. Danny Duffy: Tim Anderson ($3,700), Yoan Moncada ($3,300), Eloy Jimenez ($3,500)
This figures to be pretty chalky, and Duffy has actually been pretty decent, allowing just one run in three of his last four starts. But the White Sox are hot, and crush left-handed pitching. Anderson has an obscene and unsustainable .832 wOBA, 451 wRC+ and .880 ISO against lefties. Moncada sports a .390 wOBA while Jimenez leads regulars with a .310 ISO. This offers a chance to differentiate some by fading Jose Abreu's homer binge. James McCann/Yasmani Grandal offer appear too at discounts, depending how the lineup shakes out, while Edwin Encarnacion is also starting to show signs of life.
Angels vs. Nick Margevicius: Mike Trout ($4,500), Anthony Rendon ($3,800), David Fletcher ($3,100)
Trout has surprisingly been limited by lefties this year, hence him not being in the Top Targets section above, posting only a .290 wOBA and 84 wRC+, so maybe we get lower usage here with other more obvious plus matchups. He's posted a 47.1 percent hard-hit rate and only a .200 BABIP; he's likely due some progression. Rendon hasn't had the same struggles, carrying a .403 wOBA, .296 ISO and 50.0 percent hard hit rate, while Fletcher sets the table here, offers some salary relief, a .373 wOBA and only a 4.3 percent strikeout rate.
