This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There's only one early start time in the majors Friday, leaving us with a bevy of options to choose from for the main evening slate on Yahoo. Let's not waste any time. Here are some of the best options to consider across the price scale.
Pitching Overview
Among the top-tier pitchers at our disposal is Gerrit Cole ($64). He's been just as spectacular in his second season with the Astros, recording a 2.73 ERA that is supported by a 2.80 FIP. Amazingly, he has increased his strikeout rate from 34.5 percent in 2018 to a whopping 39.4 percent. That should spell trouble for the Royals, who already have one of the worst lineups in baseball.
Cole's former teammate Charlie Morton ($48) is also having an excellent campaign, his first as a member of the Rays. He has a 3.11 ERA that is backed by an even better 2.75 FIP and his 1.10 WHIP is on pace to be the best mark of his career. He also has a 30.4 percent strikeout rate, bringing plenty of upside into his matchup against the Angels. There is a chance that Mike Trout (toe) will be back, but Justin Upton (knee) might not be able to play and Shohei Ohtani (knee) is now out for the remainder of the year.
At first glance, Masahiro Tanaka ($38) is not having the best of seasons with a 4.35 FIP. However, some of that is because of his struggles against the Red Sox, who have scored 22 runs against him over eight innings. The Blue Jays have proven to be a much easier opponent with Tanaka holding them to six runs across 20 innings. If you're looking to fade one of the expensive arms in tournament play, Tanaka could be worth taking a chance on.
Key Values/Chalk
The Padres lineup isn't filled with impact hitters, but they still figure to be a popular bunch for their contest with the Rockies at Coors Field. Jeff Hoffman has been just awful across his 11 starts, recording a 7.06 ERA and a 6.27 FIP. Not only do the bigger names like Manny Machado ($16) and Eric Hosmer ($17) stand out, but Nick Martini ($15) is also a viable option. While he hasn't hit for much power, he is 15-for-43 (.349) with three doubles over his last 11 games.
Cole isn't the only player on the Astros to seek out for this slate. Their hitters could be in for a big night against Danny Duffy, who is having another subpar campaign with a 4.94 FIP and a 1.38 WHIP. Two players that carry massive upside are Jose Altuve ($20) and Alex Bregman ($27), who have a 203 wRC+ and a 180 wRC+, respectively, against left-handed pitchers.
Outside of Lucas Giolito, there isn't a lot to be excited about with regards to the White Sox's starting rotation. They'll start Dylan Covey against the Mariners, who is coming off an outing in which he allowed seven runs over just 2.2 innings against the Angels. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise considering his 6.15 FIP for the season. Left-handed hitters have an astonishing .447 wOBA against him, making Daniel Vogelbach ($14), Kyle Seager ($27) and Omar Narvaez ($12) all options to consider.
Stacks
Yankees vs. Anthony Kay (Blue Jays)
Aaron Judge (OF - $20), Gleyber Torres (2B - $23), Austin Romine (C - $13)
Injuries continue to mount for the Yankees, who lost Edwin Encarnacion (oblique) and Gary Sanchez (groin) during Thursday's doubleheader against the Tigers. That's been a common theme for them all season, so they are no strangers to bouncing back from adversity. Romine will likely get the start at catcher in place of Sanchez, making him a great cheap option since he is 30-for-84 (.357) with five home runs and seven doubles over his last 25 games.
White Sox vs. Yusei Kikuchi (Mariners)
Jose Abreu (1B - $23), Tim Anderson (SS - $19), James McCann (C - $14)
Even though the White Sox have scored the third-fewest runs in baseball, this is still a matchup to exploit. Kikuchi's first season in the majors has been a struggle with him posting a 5.24 ERA and an even worse 5.76 FIP. One of his main problems has been the fact that he has allowed 2.1 HR/9. Abreu is someone to build a White Sox stack around given his 169 wRC+ against lefties. McCann has been no slouch in that department, either, with his 130 wRC+ against them.
Athletics vs. Brock Burke (Rangers)
Matt Chapman (3B - $19), Marcus Semien (SS - $23), Mark Canha (OF - $20)
Burke looked sharp in his first three outings with the Rangers, but he was hit hard in his last start when he gave up six runs and three home runs across five innings against the Orioles. He'll be met with a much tougher foe here in the A's and the game being played at hitter-friendly Globe Life Park likely won't help matters, either. Semien is a must for any A's stack with him having already set career-highs in most major offensive categories.
