This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Batten down the hatches for a busy Friday across baseball. All 15 games will be included in the main evening slate on Yahoo, leaving us with a ton of options to wade through. Let's get right down to business and highlight some of the better players and stacks to consider.
Pitching Overview
One of the most pleasant surprises in the pitching department this year has been the performance of Caleb Smith ($48) for the Marlins. Despite allowing five runs in three innings during his last start, he still has a 3.45 xFIP and a 0.96 WHIP. He's provided a tremendous amount of value in the strikeout department with his 33.2 percent strikeout rate. That could prove to be the most important stat for him since he'll be facing a Padres lineup that has struck out the third-most times (545) in the league. Look for him to get back on track with an excellent start.
Sticking in that same game brings us to Joey Lucchesi ($39). He's quietly putting together another valuable campaign with his 3.60 xFIP and 1.18 WHIP. His strikeout rate has declined compared to last season, but it's still not bad at 24.9 percent. With his career 3.37 xFIP at home, he's a more cost-effective option to consider against the Marlins.
As we continue to zero in on bad lineups, we've reached Mike Foltynewicz's ($44) start against the Tigers. Foltynewicz hasn't been able to get on track after missing some time with an injury, leaving him with a 5.40 xFIP and through his first six starts. The problem has been his inability to keep hitters inside the ball park, resulting in him allowing 10 home runs across 33.1 innings. However, the Tigers might not present much of a threat in that area since they have hit the second-fewest home runs (44) in baseball. There is some risk here, buy Foltynewicz is a viable option in tournament play.
Key Values/Chalk
The Rockies will be playing at home, so that should make them one of the more popular lineups to target. It also helps their cause that they will be facing Edwin Jackson, who somehow manages to claw his way onto a new team every season, His first three starts with the Blue Jays have been a disaster with him allowing 16 runs (14 earned) and six home runs over 14 innings. This could get ugly for him in a hurry.
This might have sounded like blasphemy a few years ago, but targeting stacks against Chris Archer has been a wise strategy this year. He's off to a terrible start in his first full campaign with the Pirates, posting a 5.45 xFIP and a 1.55 WHIP through eight starts. His strikeout rate has plummeted all the way down to 21.7 percent and he's been taken deep eight times over 40.2 innings. Look for the Brewers to also be one of the more popular lineups to pursue.
While the advantage isn't as good as Coors Field, playing at Globe Life Park in Arlington provides a significant boost for the Rangers' lineup. They'll have a chance to keep things rolling at home against Danny Duffy, who has a 4.94 xFIP that indicates he hasn't pitched as well as his 3.12 ERA would leave you to believe. He is tough on left-handed hitters, but deploying a Rangers' stack full of righties could prove to be profitable.
Stacks
Rockies vs. Jackson (Blue Jays)
Nolan Arenado (3B - $27), David Dahl (OF - $17), Daniel Murphy (1B - $15)
Arenado has some pretty extreme splits, posting a career .412 wOBA at Coors Field compared to a .336 wOBA on the road. He's been tearing up his home park again this season with a .436 wOBA, making him the top option for a Rockies stack. Dahl and Murphy both thrive against right-handed pitching and won't destroy your budget, making them a viable duo to deploy with Arenado.
Brewers vs. Archer (Pirates)
Christian Yelich (OF - $27), Mike Moustakas (3B - $20), Orlando Arcia (SS - $16)
With the rate at which Archer has been giving up home runs, Yelich and Moustakas are obvious choices here. The issue will be trying to fit them into your budget. Arcia at least provides a little relief in that area. He's bounced back after struggling at the plate most of last season and has been especially hot of late by hitting 12-for-35 (.343) with two home runs and two doubles across his last 11 games.
Rangers vs. Duffy (Royals)
Hunter Pence (OF - $22), Logan Forsythe (SS - $14), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (C - $7)
With all of the left-handed hitters that the Rangers have, this trio is important whenever a left-handed pitcher is on the mound. Forsythe has actually been the best of the bunch with his 135 wRC+ against lefties this year with Pence right on his heels with his 129 wRC+. Kiner-Falefa has a career 107 wRC+ against lefties, so he could be a great cheap option to fill in your catcher's spot.
Indians vs. Dylan Covey (White Sox)
Francisco Lindor (SS - $22), Jose Ramirez (3B - $16), Oscar Mercado (OF - $19)
If the White Sox had other options, Covey probably wouldn't be starting for them right now. He's been horrible yet again with a 6.66 xFIP and a 1.41 WHIP. He's allowed 1.6 HR/9 for his career and recorded only 145 strikeouts over 218 innings. Lindor brings the highest upside to the table while Ramirez has started to turn things around by hitting 11-for-35 (.314) with four doubles over last 10 games. Mercado has proven to be a key part of the lineup since being recalled from the minors with his .358 wOBA.
