This article is part of our PrizePicks MLB series.
While it's not a full Friday slate in the majors, it will still be a busy night with 13 games on the schedule. That leaves us with plenty of opportunities 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.
If this is your first time playing on PrizePicks, be sure to sign up using our promotional offer. New members who sign up and make their first deposit get a free 2-pick entry to win $25 and a 25% first deposit instant match. For the instant match promotion, the maximum deposit is $4,000 for $1,000 in Promo Money. If downloading the app, use promo code: WIRE.
Here are some players to target and avoid while creating your entry.
Players to Target
Masahiro Tanaka vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Over 34 FP: The Yankees are starting to put some distance between themselves and the Rays. A lot of that is because the Yankees have won eight of their 10 meetings against Tampa. Tanaka started three of those 10 games, allowing one run and recording 23 strikeouts across 22 innings. The last time they faced off, he only allowed three base runners in a complete game shutout. This isn't a very high number to hit, making the over very appealing.
Austin Meadows vs. Masahiro Tanaka (Yankees): Under 8.5 FP: There were few players in baseball as hot as Meadows at the beginning of the season. Before he went on the IL towards the end of April, he was batting. 351 with a 1.097 OPS. He continued to hit well immediately upon being activated, but he's enthralled in a slump right now that has seen him hit 18-for-97 (.186) with no home runs over his last 25 games. Add in how well Tanaka has pitched against the Rays and I'll take the under.
Trey Mancini vs. Aaron Sanchez (Blue Jays): Over 8.5 FP: The Orioles don't have many players to be excited about, but Mancini is one of the few exceptions. Coming off of back-to-back seasons with exactly 24 home runs, he's already launched 17 homers this year to generate a career-high .233 ISO. His strikeout rate is also down, which has helped propel him to a .368 wOBA. Sanchez has been awful with a 6.31 ERA, 5.53 FIP and 1.77 WHIP, leaving Mancini with plenty of upside in this matchup.
Players to Avoid
Bryce Harper vs. Jacob deGrom (Mets): 7 FP: This should be a fun matchup between two of the better players in the league. Despite the Mets disappointing campaign, deGrom has pitched well with a 3.12 FIP and 1.11 WHIP. If there has been a negative with him, it's that he's allowed 1.1 HR/9, up from 0.4 HR/9 last year. There is certainly the potential for him to dominate the Phillies lineup, but Harper can go deep against even the most talented of pitchers. Since this is a very low projection, it's hard to feel good about taking either side.
Ronald Acuna Jr. vs. Jordan Yamamoto (Marlins): 10.5 FP: The Marlins have to be ecstatic with the way Yamamoto has performed in his first four starts, posting a 2.91 FIP and 0.96 WHIP. Most impressive is that in this homer-happy era, he has yet to give up a long ball across 23 innings. Acuna is as dangerous as they come, but he isn't exactly on fire right now having hit 15-for-61 (.246) over his last 15 games. If you want to take a side here, I'd lean towards the under. However, with so many other viable options, avoiding it all together could be a sound strategy.
Nicholas Castellanos vs. Eduardo Rodriguez (Red Sox): 8 FP: It's hard to determine which type of start you are going to get from Rodriguez whenever he takes the mound. He's had his troubles of late, allowing at least four runs in five of his last eight games. However, he allowed two runs or fewer in each of the other three outings, two of which came against the Astros and Yankees. This isn't a tough matchup for him against a horrible Tigers' lineup, leaving him with the potential for one of his stronger performances. However, if someone is going to get to him, it could be Castellanos, who has a 171 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. The problem for Castellanos is that the lack of talent around him has contributed to his meager 32 RBI across 80 games. For that reason, I'm avoiding this one despite his success against lefties.
