This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Welcome back! The MLB season returns with gusto Friday. There are 11 games on the DFS slate, with the first pitch at 7:05 p.m. ET. Let's get into the swing of things. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Gerrit Cole, NYY vs. TAM ($9,000): Yes, the reigning AL Cy Young winner has started slow since returning from injury, but he went 6.0 innings and only allowed one run against the Orioles in his last outing, which is encouraging. Also encouraging: Year after year of being one of the best pitchers in MLB. Meanwhile, have you realized just how bad the Rays' offense has gotten? They are 28th in runs scored, AKA last among "real" MLB offenses.
Michael Wacha, KC vs. CWS ($8,200): The White Sox are one of those two MLB offenses that are only proper MLB offenses by belonging to what is technically an MLB team. Chicago has scored 313 runs in 98 games. The Rays, in 28th, are closing to the Reds, in 14th, than the White Sox are to the Rays. Oh, and Wacha has been no slouch, either. He has a 2.61 ERA over his last nine starts.
Sean Manaea, NYM at MIA ($7,600): Turns out, the three best pitching options for Friday are facing the three worst offenses in terms of runs scored. The Marlins are 29th on that front, and also have a .638 OPS as a team. Manaea has been mediocre in his new home park, but he has a 2.44 ERA on the road this season.
Top Targets
The AL MVP race is shaping up to be quite intriguing, and Gunnar Henderson ($6,200) is fully in the thick of it. He has a .957 OPS with 28 homers and 14 stolen bases, and in his career he has a .923 OPS versus righties. Jon Gray has a 4.01 ERA, but he also has allowed lefties to hit .296 against him, which is what intrigues me the most.
As a rookie, Brenton Doyle ($5,000) had kind of a classic "promising-but-flawed" rookie campaign. In 126 games he had 10 homers, five triples and 22 stolen bases, but with a .250 OBP. Well in his sophomore season, the center fielder has batted .276, and he already has 15 homers and 20 stolen bases. Logan Webb allows very few home runs, but he also allows a lot of contact. Since 2022 he has a 3.71 ERA on the road, compared to a 2.66 ERA at home, as well.
Bargain Bats
On June 13, Colt Keith ($3,500) got a day off. In 27 games since then the rookie has posted an 1.001 OPS with 13 extra-base hits. Kevin Gausman has had a puzzlingly poor season for the Jays. While his 7.19 ERA at home is eye-popping, two seasons ago he did have a 4.57 ERA at home compared to a 2.30 ERA on the road. There's a smidge of precedent there!
Though he is hitting below the Mendoza line, Jo Adell ($3,300) has still managed to accrue 15 homers and 10 stolen bases in 87 games. Notably, he's been awful against his fellow righties, but he has a .986 OPS versus southpaws. JP Sears is a southpaws, and he also has a 4.55 ERA over the last two seasons.
Stacks to Consider
Giants at Rockies (Cal Quantrill): Heliot Ramos ($5,200), Jorge Soler ($5,000), Patrick Bailey ($4,700)
The MLB schedule has done us a solid with getting back into the DFS swing by offering up a series at Coors Field. Quantrill, who has a career 6.75 K/9 rate, is in his first season with Colorado and, unsurprisingly, his profile has not worked out. He has a 4.13 ERA but also a 4.76 FIP. Though Quantrill is a righty, his fellow right-handers have hit .279 against him since 2022. Thus, all three of these guys can hit right-handed.
Things have clicked for Ramos this season, as he's slashed .298/.365/.523 with 14 homers in 60 games. Now, his 1.354 OPS versus lefties has helped him quite a bit, and his .735 OPS versus righties is only serviceable. This is Coors Field, though, and Quantrill has issues with righties, so I think he will be fine. Soler is also much better against lefties, and he has a longer track record of that. He also has a lot of power. The Cuban has slugged .476 over the last seven seasons and in that time he has a 48-homer and a 36-homer campaign. Bailey is a catcher who is getting on base at a .354 clip. He's also a switch hitter, but he has an .803 OPS versus righties, and all seven of his homers have come in those matchups.
Royals vs. White Sox (Chris Flexen): Vinnie Pasquantino ($4,700), Maikel Garcia ($4,400), Michael Massey ($4,200)
Flexen's 4.98 FIP is right in line with his career 4.97 FIP. Additionally, his 1.97 K/BB rate actually improves upon his career number of 1.89, which is particularly poor. Home runs? You bet! He's allowed eight of them over his last seven starts. I decided to opt for a stack that can save some salary given the quality of the matchup. Lefties have hit .275 against Flexen this season, but since 2022 righties have hit .289 against him, so I have a mixed stack.
Pasquantino has hit 22 doubles, and in his career he has a .780 OPS versus righties. He also has an .825 OPS at home in his career for good measure. It's easier to steal on a righty, and stealing bases is Garcia's biggest contribution on the DFS front. He's stolen 21 bases in 95 games, and his speed has also helped him hit five triples. Massey walks as rarely as anybody in MLB, but he's batted .272 and slugged .483. Notably, he has a .908 OPS at home as well.
