We have our customary chunk of day games Wednesday, leaving us with eight contests to choose from for the main evening slate in DFS. Despite the limited schedule, there are a lot of appealing matchups to exploit.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/8/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
June special! Use Code PAMLB30 at checkout
With only one day game Friday, we’re back to a packed night slate in DFS for baseball. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Justin Verlander vs. Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $11,600
DraftKings = $12,400
Verlander didn’t exactly struggle in his last few seasons with the Tigers, but he’s taken his game to another level since joining the Astros. His 1.24 ERA is likely to increase as the season wears on, but his 2.20 FIP indicates he could still finish with great numbers. Not only has he shown excellent control with a 1.8 BB/9, but his 31.9% strikeout rate is the highest of his career. He has already faced the Rangers three times this season, allowing two runs to go along with 23 strikeouts across 20 innings. He’s certainly expensive, but he has terrific upside.
Frankie Montas vs. Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $8,500
DraftKings = $7,900
Montas made 23 appearances out of the bullpen for the Athletics last year and did not pitch well with a 7.03 ERA, 7.13 FIP, and a 1.84 WHIP. He did show strikeout upside, though, with a 10.1 K/9. He had a 9.2 K/9 for his career in the minors, so that lofty mark wasn’t exactly out of left field. The Athletics have been hit hard by injuries, forcing Montas to join the starting rotation. He’s made two starts so far, allowing one run in 14 innings. His last start came against these same Royals and he threw eight shutout innings to go along with two strikeouts. The lack of strikeouts was disappointing, but the Royals do have the fewest strikeouts (454) in baseball. They are in the bottom-third in runs scored, though, leaving Montas as a cost-effective option in tournament play.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Mitch Moreland vs. Dylan Covey, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,600
Covey has trouble keeping runners off base, resulting in a 1.43 WHIP this season. He had a similar problem last year when he posted a 1.67 WHIP across 18 games, 12 of which were starts. Moreland is having the best season of his career not only with a .303 average but also a .612 slugging percentage. He has a .441 wOBA against righties as well, making him a strong option for your entry.
C.J. Cron vs. Marco Gonzales, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $3,700
Cron is slumping a bit in June, hitting 3-for-23 (.130) in six games. He’s been dragged down by a .111 BABIP during that stretch and was hitting well coming into the month, so expect him to rebound sooner rather than later. This might be just the matchup he needs to get back on track since he has a .393 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
Others to consider: Jose Martinez (first base) and Wilson Ramos (catcher)
SECOND BASE
Daniel Descalso vs. German Marquez, Colorado Rockies
Stadium – Coors Field
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,100
Descalso has never hit for much power since the highest slugging percentage of his career was a .424 mark set in 2016. That is the only season he has finished with a slugging percentage over .400. This year has been a different story as he enters Friday with a .514 slugging percentage. Part of that increase is likely due to his career-high 42.4% hard-hit rate. Marquez allows a lot of base runners with a 1.46 WHIP and this game will be played in hitter-friendly Coors Field, leaving Descalso with significant upside.
Starlin Castro vs. Eric Lauer, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,600
The Padres have very little pitching depth, which has kept Lauer in the starting rotation despite his 6.82 ERA and 1.98 WHIP. He has a 4.5 BB/9 and a 1.8 HR/9, which has left him susceptible to ugly outings. Righties have had plenty of success against him with a .421 wOBA, so Castro is a viable option if you’re looking to save money at second base.
Others to consider: Jose Altuve and Ian Kinsler
THIRD BASE
Jose Ramirez vs. Michael Fulmer, Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Comerica Park
FanDuel = $5,300
DraftKings = $5,500
Ramirez has supplied the Indians with a lot of power this season, hitting 19 home runs and 19 doubles in 59 games. His batting average hasn’t suffered at the expense of his increased power since he is still hitting .298. He is 4-for-10 with two home runs and a double against Fulmer in his career, who doesn’t exactly have overpowering stuff with a 6.9 K/9 for his career.
Matt Carpenter vs. Matt Harvey, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,000
Carpenter had batted at least .271 in each of his first five seasons in the majors but took a step backward last year with a .241 average. His strikeout rate only slightly increased and his walk rate actually improved, but he was somewhat unlucky with a .274 BABIP. His flyball rate was also almost 10 percentage points higher than his career mark. He’s continued to struggle with a .225 average this year and he only has a .267 wOBA against lefties. He is hitting righties better with a .332 wOBA and Harvey has allowed a .410 wOBA to left-handed hitters, so this matchup does swing in Carpenter’s favor.
Others to consider: Anthony Rendon and Brian Anderson
SHORTSTOP
Xander Bogaerts vs. Dylan Covey, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = $4,500
Bogaerts made the All-Star team in 2016 and finished the season with 21 home runs and 34 doubles. It looked like he was going to provide power at the shortstop position for years to come and while he did still have 32 doubles in 2017, he hit just 10 home runs. A lot of that had to do with a hand injury that he played through for much of the season. He’s healthy now and already has nine home runs. He has a .367 wOBA against righties as well, so don’t shy away from him just because he doesn’t have the righty/lefty advantage against Covey.
Brock Holt vs. Dylan Covey, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,500
With Dustin Pedroia (knee) back on the disabled list, it’s open up increased playing time for Holt again. Holt has cashed in his opportunity to get more at-bats this season as he is hitting .319 with a .389 OBP. He doesn’t hit for power, but he does only have 15 strikeouts compared to 11 walks. Most of his at-bats this year have come against right-handed pitchers, who he has a .348 wOBA against.
Others to consider: Jean Segura and Marwin Gonzalez
OUTFIELD
Andrew Benintendi vs. Dylan Covey, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $4,900
DraftKings = $5,600
Benintendi enters this game red-hot as he has four home runs in his last five games. He has at least two hits in five of his last eight games to increase his average to .299. After posting his first 20 home run, 20 stolen base season last year, he looks to be on his way to reaching that mark again with 11 homers and 10 steals. If you’re looking to stack Red Sox hitters against Covey, Benintendi should be towards the top of your list.
Matt Kemp vs. Brandon McCarthy, Atlanta Braves
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $4,500
Kemp has at least one hit in 12 of his last 13 games, hitting 19-for-45 (.422) with five home runs. He is hitting .349 overall, but don’t expect that to hold considering his .404 BABIP. McCarthy’s 4.83 ERA isn’t great, but it really could be worse since he has a 1.50 WHIP. Keep riding Kemp’s hot bat.
Joc Pederson vs. Brandon McCarthy, Atlanta Braves
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $2,400
DraftKings = $3,900
Pederson is hitting well right now also, batting 8-for-16 with five longballs in his last four games. He only has six home runs this year total, but he can do a lot of damage when he’s locked in. His .389 wOBA against righties makes him another Dodger worth considering for your entry.
Others to consider: Marcell Ozuna and David Peralta
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/22/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
May special! Use Code PAMLB30 at checkout
With several bad starting pitchers taking the mound Tuesday, there could be plenty of runs to come by across the majors. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Gerrit Cole vs. San Francisco Giants
Stadium – Minute Maid Park
FanDuel = $11,800
DraftKings = $12,900
It’s hard to argue against starting Cole regardless of who he is facing. To illustrate how great of a season he is having, his worst outing of the year came in his last start against the Angels. He didn’t exactly get hammered either, giving up three runs and recording seven strikeouts in five innings. Cole’s 1.75 ERA has been backed by a 1.95 FIP and he is getting a ton of strikeouts with a 13.6 K/9. He gets a great matchup Tuesday against the Giants, who have struck out the fourth-most times (455) in baseball this season.
Kevin Gausman vs. Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $8,300
DraftKings = $7,600
The Orioles always seem to be searching for reliable starting pitchers, but Gausman has been a bright spot for their rotation. His 3.88 ERA and 4.56 FIP aren’t great, but a lot of the damage against him came over two starts where he allowed a total of 12 runs. Outside of those two bad performances, he has allowed two runs or fewer in six of seven outings. The White Sox lineup still leaves a lot to be desired, scoring the second-fewest runs (168) in baseball. Gausman doesn’t have a ton of strikeout upside, but the price might be right to take a chance on him in tournament play.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Mark Reynolds vs. Eric Lauer, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Nationals Park
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $3,700
The Nationals lost their regular first baseman in Ryan Zimmerman (back), but they luckily still have great options at the position with Reynolds and Matt Adams. Reynolds has only played six games this season, but he’s made an immediate impact with four home runs. He’ll likely get the start against left-hander Eric Lauer, who has been terrible this year with an 8.14 ERA and 2.10 WHIP.
Matt Olson vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $3,800
Olson continues to strike out way too much with a 29.5% strikeout rate. His power numbers are down too, but the good news is that he has a 50% hard-hit rate. He’s shown signs of coming out of his early slump as well, hitting 8-for-27 with three home runs and two doubles in his last seven games. He also has a .394 career wOBA against right-handers, leaving him as a cost-effective option with upside against Leake.
Others to consider: Josh Bell (first base) and John Hicks (catcher)
SECOND BASE
Jed Lowrie vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,200
Lowrie has slowed down a bit after his hot start as he hasn’t hit a home run in his last nine games. He’s still hitting .288 in May with his BABIP at a more reasonable .327, which is good news for his value moving forward. Leake presents a prime stacking opportunity with his 6.00 ERA and 1.53 WHIP this season. Lowrie also excels against right-handers, following up his .353 wOBA against them last year with a .424 wOBA this season.
Starlin Castro vs. Zack Wheeler, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,300
The Marlins rebuilding efforts have considerably weakened their lineup, resulting in them scoring the fewest runs in baseball so far. Castro has been one of their few bright spots, batting .296 in the early going. His power numbers are way down with only two home runs and he doesn’t get a lot of chances to drive in runs, which has resulted in only 20 RBI. He’s still someone to consider playing against Wheeler though, who has struggled to keep runners off base with a 1.55 WHIP through seven starts.
Others to consider: Gleyber Torres and Dee Gordon
THIRD BASE
Anthony Rendon vs. Eric Lauer, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Nationals Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $3,900
With Lauer taking the mound for the Padres, filling your lineup with Nationals’ hitters could pay off. Rendon has been limited to 27 games due to injury this season and has yet to get into a groove with only a .248 average. He’s been a bit unlucky with a .259 BABIP and he still isn’t striking out much, so expect him to turn things around soon. With a 186 wRC+ against lefties last year, he could be in line for a breakout performance Tuesday.
Colin Moran vs. Matt Harvey, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,500
Moran doesn’t hit for a lot of power, but he is batting .286 and only has 15.8% strikeout rate. He does a great job getting on base in general as well with a .381 OBP. Not only does he have a .359 wOBA against righties this year, but he gets a great matchup against a struggling one in Harvey. If you don’t want to pay up for Rendon, Moran is an excellent budget-friendly option.
Others to consider: Mike Moustakas and Travis Shaw
SHORTSTOP
Trea Turner vs. Eric Lauer, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Nationals Park
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $4,800
Lauer has held lefties to a .260 wOBA in his brief time in the majors this season, but righties have had a ton of success with a .472 wOBA. As we continue to look for righties to stack against him, Turner leads the way as one of the best options available at shortstop. He is only hitting .246 in May, but a lot of that has to do with his abnormally low .234 BABIP. He does have five home runs this month, so don’t hesitate to add him to your entry.
Marcus Semien vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $4,000
Semien has been one of the Athletics most consistent hitters of late, recording at least two hits in six of his last 10 games. He’s not just slapping singles either, recording two home runs and two doubles during that same stretch. He doesn’t get the lefty/righty advantage against Leake, but Leake hasn’t exactly been lights out against righties this year, allowing a .387 wOBA.
Others to consider: Xander Bogaerts and Jean Segura
OUTFIELD
Mookie Betts vs. Jake Faria, Tampa Bay Rays
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $5,400
DraftKings = $6,000
Unless Betts is facing one of the truly elite pitchers in baseball, you can pretty much make a case for playing him every day. There are a ton of crazy stats showing that he is off to one of the best starts we have seen in a long time, including his .365 average, 15 home runs and 48 runs scored in 43 games. Just as impressive is that he has almost as many walks (20) as he does strikeouts (21). Don’t expect Faria to be able to slow him down.
Corey Dickerson vs. Matt Harvey, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $3,900
After moving on from franchise player Andrew McCutchen, Dickerson has proven to be a prudent addition for the Pirates. He made his first All-Star team last year and is off to a great start, batting .307 with five home runs and 29 RBI. He has hit at least 33 doubles in back-to-back seasons and is on pace to reach that feat again this year with 14 doubles already. Harvey allowed a .426 wOBA against lefties last year and hasn’t been much better by allowing a .397 wOBA to them this season.
Austin Meadows vs. Matt Harvey, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $4,100
Rounding out our trio of Pirates’ lefties to play against Harvey, the up-and-coming Meadows checks in as a viable cheap option, especially on FanDuel. He went 5-for-11 with a home run in his first three games against the Padres after posting a .294 average in Triple-A. With a career .292 average during his time in the minor leagues, his future is certainly bright. It’s unclear if he’s going to stick around once Starling Marte (oblique) returns, but that’s of no concern Tuesday.
Others to consider: Mike Trout and Joey Gallo
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/27/18
Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/27/18
Earlybird special! Use Code PAMLB10 at checkout
There is only one day game Friday, leaving you with a lot of options to sift through for the night slate in DFS. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Jacob deGrom vs. San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $10,600
DraftKings = $12,400
deGrom was one of the few Mets starters to stay healthy last year, logging a career-high 201.1 innings. He made significant strides in the strikeout department, finishing with a 10.7 K/9 that was a full strikeout higher than his previous career best. He’s continued his increased pace this season with an 11.3 K/9 through five starts. Not only does he have excellent control with a career 2.3 BB/9, but he doesn’t allow many baserunners in general with a career 1.12 WHIP. The Padres have struck out more times (273) than any other team in baseball this season and have the sixth-lowest batting average against right-handed pitchers (.223), leaving deGrom as someone to target for your entry Friday.
Miles Mikolas vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – PNC Park
FanDuel = $6,700
DraftKings = $7,600
Mikolas returned to the majors for the first time since 2014 after pitching the last three years in Japan. The transition back has gone smoothly so far, posting a 3.46 ERA and 3.89 FIP across four starts. He’s done a great job limiting base runners with a 1.00 WHIP and has shown impeccable control with a 0.7 BB/9. His strikeout upside isn’t great, but he has the potential to sustain a low ERA if he can continue to limit walks. If you are looking to go really cheap in tournament play, he has the potential to at least throw a quality start.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Joey Votto vs. Phil Hughes, Minnesota Twins
Stadium – Target Field
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,100
Votto certainly didn’t play well out of the gate, but it appears he has righted the ship. Not only is he on a five-game hitting streak, but he has also hit a home run in three straight. His .270 BABIP is well below his career mark of .352, so expect his batting average to continue to improve. He dominated right-handed pitchers last year with a .433 wOBA, leaving him with significant upside against Hughes on Friday.
C.J. Cron vs. Drew Pomeranz, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $3,800
Cron is on fire right now, batting 16-for-47 (.340) with five home runs and 14 RBI in his last 11 games. He’s hitting the ball with authority this year, posting a 42.9% hard-hit rate compared to his 32.6% career mark. Pomeranz has held left-handed hitters to a .273 wOBA in his career, but righties have posted a .315 wOBA. It might not be a bad idea to ride Cron’s hot bat for at least one more game.
Others to consider: Gary Sanchez (catcher) and Jose Martinez (first base)
SECOND BASE
Scooter Gennett vs. Phil Hughes, Minnesota Twins
Stadium – Target Field
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $3,400
Gennett almost doubled his previous career high with 27 home runs last year but has only gone deep twice in 2018. He’s still hitting for average though at .283, which still keeps him in the discussion for DFS despite his lack of power. He had a .388 wOBA against righties last year and faces a struggling one in Hughes on Friday. Hughes has been limited by injuries the last two years but hasn’t pitched well when healthy, posting a WHIP of at least 1.51 in both of those seasons.
Starlin Castro vs. Tyler Anderson, Colorado Rockies
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $3,200
Speaking of players who haven’t hit for power this year, Castro has only hit four doubles and is still looking for his first home run. His 39.5% hard-hit rate this year is actually much higher than his career mark, but his 56.6% ground-ball rate is also a career high. Anderson has a 1.52 WHIP through five starts this season and a 1.33 WHIP for his career, so he generally has a hard time keeping runners off base. At this cheap price, Castro has upside while also providing salary relief for your entry.
Others to consider: Cesar Hernandez and Gleyber Torres
THIRD BASE
Jeimer Candelario vs. Chris Tillman, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,200
Candelario continues to impress in his first full season as a starter, hitting .290 with a .908 OPS. He’s been batting second in the Tigers lineup, which is a great spot with Miguel Cabrera providing him with protection. Tillman has been awful this year with a 9.87 ERA and 2.37 WHIP, so don’t hesitate to add Candelario to your lineup.
Matt Davidson vs. Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $3,500
Davidson is only batting .225 this year, but he’s been lethal when he makes contact with a 55% hard-hit rate. It’s led to seven home runs and three doubles despite his 31 strikeouts in 85 plate appearances. Duffy dominated left-handed hitters last year, holding them to a .199 wOBA. Righties hit him much better though with a .329 wOBA. I wouldn’t be surprised if Davidson goes deep in this game.
Others to consider: Todd Frazier and Daniel Roberston
SHORTSTOP
Paul DeJong vs. Steven Brault, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – PNC Park
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,300
DeJong burst onto the scene for the Cardinals last year, batting .285 with 25 home runs in 108 games. He’s showed no signs of a sophomore slump, hitting .281 with seven home runs so far. He recorded a .392 wOBA against left-handers last year and will take on one in Brault on Friday, who doesn’t have overpowering stuff either with a career 6.5 K/9.
Adeiny Hechavarria vs. Drew Pomeranz, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $2,600
DraftKings = $3,100
Hechavarria didn’t get a hit Thursday against the Orioles but had at least two hits in four of six games entering that matchup. Known for his defensive abilities, Hechavarria is batting .273 overall this season. He’s hit better against lefties throughout his career, so he might be with the risk at this price against Pomeranz on Friday.
Others to consider: Francisco Lindor and Eduardo Nunez
OUTFIELD
Tommy Pham vs. Steven Brault, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – PNC Park
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $4,700
Pham is doing his best to prove that his breakout season in 2017 was no fluke, batting .368 with a .484 OBP so far this year. After finishing last season with 23 home runs and 25 steals, he’s also continued to show his power and speed combo with three homers and five steals through 22 games. With a 153 wRC+ against lefties last year, Pham is another Cardinals right-handed hitter to key in on Friday.
Yoenis Cespedes vs. Clayton Richard, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,100
Cespedes is only batting .211 this year, but his .300 BABIP is right in line with his career numbers. The problem is he has struck out a whopping 41 times in 103 plate appearances. To put that into perspective, he struck out 61 times in 321 plate appearances last year. He’ll need to show significant improvement in that area to makes gains with his batting average, but he still has a ton of power. Richard allowed 23 of his 24 home runs to right-handed hitters last year, leaving Cespedes as an option to consider for your entry.
Matt Kemp vs. Derek Holland, San Francisco Giants
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,800
This matchup screams split advantage. Holland was awful against righties last year, allowing a .408 wOBA. On the flip side, Kemp has a .391 wOBA against lefties for his career. If you are looking for a cost-effective outfielder Friday, look no further.
Others to consider: Mookie Betts and Leonys Martin