This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
A nine-game slate gets going at a later, 8:05 p.m. EDT start. Four top arms are present for cash purposes, all with equally obvious GPP upside, then the arms seem to fall off a bit, which should make for some interesting lineup decisions.
Pitching
Lucas Giolito, CWS vs. DET ($10,800): Perhaps Giolito is too obvious a pivot to Shane Bieber's current dominance. The Tigers fan 28.5 percent of the time, and have just a .299 wOBA against righties. Giolito posted 70 FDPs on 13 Ks in an earlier matchup with the Tigers, and has fanned at least eight in four straight.
Kenta Maeda, MIN vs. CLE ($9,500): The third (Maeda) and fourth (Luis Castillo) arms don't seem to have the clearest paths to cash safety, but Maeda has had success against the Indians in two starts, posting 39 and 46 FDPs, allowing just six hits and one run while striking out 13. For as name worthy as the Indians lineup is, they carry just a .148 ISO and 90 wRC+ against righties into Friday.
Yusei Kikuchi, SEA at ARI ($7,900): I wouldn't normally suggest opposing pitchers (see below, written first), but this matchup features the two worst offenses against lefties. Arizona comes in with a paltry .263 wOBA, 60 wRC+ and .103 ISO. That suggests virtually no risk, even if a 21.5 percent fan rate suggests limited upside.
Caleb Smith, ARI vs. SEA ($7,100): Smith looks like a nice GPP option. Coming off a long layoff, he could be overlooked/lowly used, but he threw 70 pitches in his most recent ramp up, and a solid showing should get him through five-to-six innings. The Mariners have been pretty woeful against lefties, fanning 26.3 percent of the time while posting a .267 wOBA and 69 wRC+, the second and third worst in the league, respectively.
Top Targets
Mike Trout, LAA at COL ($5,000): You'll have to get creative with your budget to get Trout into a lineup, but the still arguably the league' best hitter, in Coors Field, needs to be heavily considered. He actually hasn't had extensive opportunities in Denver, and has been a bit homer dependent to date, but there's obviously huge potential.
Christian Yelich, MIL vs. CHC ($4,100): Yelich is still hitting only .213, but has a .466 wOBA, 192 wRC+, .400 ISO and 53.6 percent hard-hit rate against lefties. His season-long lack of stats should make him lowly used, the upside is apparent, and BvP guys can take solace in an 8-of-17 history against Jon Lester.
Value Bats
Whit Merrifield, KAN vs. PIT ($3,300): Pirates' starter Steven Brault seems targetable even if the Royals don't have favorable splits against lefties. Merrifield is priced right, and while his .365 wOBA isn't terrific, he fans only 6.5 percent of the time against lefties, meaning he'll get four chances to make his mark.
Erik Gonzalez, PIT at KAN ($2,600): Gonzalez has a .484 wOBA, 207 wRC+ and .379 ISO against lefties in limited exposure. It's challenging to find that potential at this tag, even if it's not a big name. Gonzalez hits atop the order and rode a nine-game hitting streak into Wednesday, seven times returning 3x value in that stretch.
Nick Madrigal, CWS vs. DET ($2,500): The Sox are stackable, as noted below, but Madrigal has stand alone appeal given his tag, which seemingly will make him heavily targeted. He's currently boasting a .406 wOBA against righties. The .062 ISO clearly tells you he needs help for a big night, but a single and a run easily returns 2x and allows for cap flexibility.
Stacks to Consider
Cubs vs. Brandon Woodruff: Ian Happ ($3,300), Jason Heyward ($2,700), Jason Kipnis ($2,800)
This column evolved in an unconventional way, with games presenting favorably for both sides. As such, this stack seem to differentiate and offer a nice savings. We're strictly trusting the stats here; Happ leads the Cubs with a .452 wOBA against righties, adding a .415 ISO. Heyward follows with a .450 wOBA, and Kipnis has an 87.2 percent medium-to-hard hit rate. Woodruff isn't immediately targetable for LvR splits, but the Cubs have hit him decently; five runs across 9.1 frames.
White Sox vs. Casey Mize: Jose Abreu ($3,900), Luis Robert ($3,600), Eloy Jimenez ($3,400)
Mize's swing and miss potential remains, but he's predictably struggling in his first tour through, allowing a .425 wOBA and .990 OPS to same-handed bats. Supplementing Madrigal above makes this even more affordable, but all of these options have at least a .373 wOBA and .263 ISO. Pick your poison within a fairly priced Sox lineup.
