This article is part of our PrizePicks MLB series.
Friday night should be a wild one across the majors with 15 games on the schedule. With so many games to choose from, it brings a great opportunity to win some cash on PrizePicks. For those unfamiliar with the platform, it provides a unique spin on DFS in which you pick two, three or four players and predict if each will go over or under their projected fantasy score.
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Here are some players to target and avoid while creating your entry.
Players to Target
Jacob deGrom vs. Miami Marlins: Over 47 FP: It's not usually a bad idea to take the over on any starting pitcher who is facing the Marlins. Miami is off to a historically bad start offensively, ranking last in runs scored (105), home runs (24) and OPS (.507). To put just how bad the Marlins have been into perspective, 15 teams have scored at least twice as many runs as Miami. That's staggering, especially since we're more than a quarter of the way through the regular season. In two starts against the Marlins this season, deGrom has allowed one run and recorded 22 strikeouts over 14 innings. Look for him to put forth another dominant performance.
Francisco Lindor vs. Dylan Bundy (Orioles): Over 8.5 FP: Already trotting out a less-than-stellar lineup, the Indians were forced to start the season with Lindor on the IL. He's quickly trying to make up for lost time, hitting 14-for-37 (.378) with a home run, two doubles and three steals across his last nine games. He won't get a much better matchup than this one against Bundy, who is once again struggling with a 5.14 xFIP. Bundy has allowed 1.8 HR/9 for his career, so Lindor has an excellent chance to hit a homer in this contest. Take the over since he should at least be on base plenty of times.
Michael Chavis vs. Gerrit Cole (Astros): Under 5.5 FP: One of the more highly thought of prospects in the Red Sox organization, Chavis was called up when the team was dealing with multiple injuries to their infield. He's hit so well that he might not be going back down anytime soon. Although he does strike out a lot, Chavis has a 14.6 percent walk rate and has shown plenty of power with a .284 ISO. The problem here is that he'll be facing one of the toughest pitchers in the league in Cole, who is blowing hitters away to the tune of a 38.9 percent strikeout rate this year. This is a low fantasy projection, but I'll still take the under.
Players to Avoid
Mookie Betts vs. Cole (Astros): 6.5 FP: Betts has really cranked it up after a slow start, hitting 31-for-85 (.365) with four home runs and a .481 OBP across his last 22 games. He's one of the best hitters in the league, but this won't be an easy matchup against Cole. On top of his excellent strikeout ability, Cole has held right-handed hitters to a .289 wOBA during his career. This could go either way based on the talent of both players, so it might be best to just avoid picking a side for Betts' projection.
Tommy Pham vs. CC Sabathia (Yankees): 7 FP: This should be a great game between the top two teams in the AL East. They faced off in Tampa Bay last week with the Yankees winning two of the three games. Pham had a rough series, hitting 1-for-12 with four strikeouts. He'll look to start off this series on a high note against Sabathia, especially since he has a career .368 wOBA versus left-handed pitching. The problem is that Sabathia can be a tough pitcher despite his lack of strikeout stuff, especially in significant games like this at home. This one is too close to call either way.
Anthony Rendon vs. Cole Hamels (Cubs): 7 FP: After scuffling through his first few games off the IL, Rendon is starting to heat up by hitting 6-for-12 with three doubles across his last three games. The good news for his matchup against Hamels is that Rendon has a career 138 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. The bad news is that Hamels has been a different pitcher since being traded away from the Rangers, which has included him recording a 3.58 xFIP and a 1.07 WHIP this season. It's hard to pick a side here, so with plenty of other options to choose from during a busy slate, this one doesn't seem like it's worth the risk.
