This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
It feels weird to say that the MLB season is almost over, but it's true. We've been speeding through the 60-game sprint, and Friday there are 15 games starting at 7:00 p.m. ET or later. However, three of those games are the second legs of back-to-backs. You're out of luck when it comes to the Cardinals, Pirates, Nationals, Marlins, Phillies and Blue Jays. Still, there are plenty of options for my recommendations.
PITCHING
Zack Greinke ($10,100) is the biggest named pitcher going Friday, and, while he's coming off a bad start, he has a 2.94 FIP. He'll be at home facing his old team the Diamondbacks. Despite a hitter-friendly ballpark, Arizona has struggled offensively, as indicated by its .376 slugging percentage.
Chris Paddack ($8,800) impressed as a rookie in 2019, posting a 3.33 ERA while striking out 9.79 batters per nine innings. This year has been a little rough, as he has a 4.64 FIP, but he has a lot of offensive firepower supporting him. While he won't be pitching in San Diego, Seattle also has a pitcher-friendly ballpark, and it also ranks in the bottom 10 in runs scored.
There are two offenses worth targeting anytime you can: Texas and Pittsburgh, and since Pittsburgh is playing a doubleheader, it's off limits. That leaves the Rangers, who are visiting the Angels. The man getting the opportunity to take the mound Friday is Jaime Barria ($6,500), who has only pitched 24 innings but has a 3.38 ERA. This is mostly about the matchup with Texas' woeful offense, however.
TOP PICKS
Manny Machado ($5,400) has more than lived up to San Diego's hopes when they signed him to that massive contract. In fact, despite having a successful career basically since his prospect days, Machado currently has career highs in all three of the slash categories. He's even stealing bases a little more, with five swiped bags in 51 games. The former Oriole should be able to tee off on Yusei Kikuchi, who has allowed a .291 batting average to righties in his MLB career.
Who leads the majors in homers? That would be New York's Luke Voit ($5,300). Hey, who needs Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton when you have a guy with 20 homers in 46 games? It's not like he hasn't shown power in his career, as his slugging percentage in the majors is .529. Martin Perez has a career 4.53 FIP, and this season his FIP is up to 5.12.
VALUE PLAYS
Tommy La Stella ($4,800) started the year with the Angels, but now he's with the Athletics and he's posted a .297 batting average with the A's. That's after he had a .295 average with the Angels last year to go with 16 homers in 80 games. Currently, former Athletic Trevor Cahill is scheduled to start Friday, but it could also be Kevin Gausman returning from injury. For now, let's assume it's Cahill, who has a 5.25 ERA on the road in 2020.
For an outside-the-box choice, this is value plays after all, I'd consider Tyler Naquin ($2,500) in Cleveland. He's been truly brutal against fellow lefties, and also struggled at home, but versus righties, he has an .839 OPS and on the road he has an .837 OPS. Michael Fulmer is starting for the Tigers, and somehow he has a 9.27 ERA. While he never really goes longer than three innings, Naquin could benefit from the new rule about relief pitchers. It's tougher to just throw a LOOGY at Naquin after Fulmer leaves the game.
STACKS
Dodgers vs. Ryan Castellani: Corey Seager ($5,300), Will Smith ($4,800), Cody Bellinger ($5,800)
I don't want to pick on Castellani, who I have targeted seemingly every time he's taken the mound, but when I see a pitcher with a 7.17 FIP who has allowed 2.36 homers per nine innings starting at Coors Field, I get excited. That's especially true when he's a righty, which allows you to select the Dodgers' lefties for your lineup. Seager who posted an 1.058 OPS versus right-handed batters this season has a .907 OPS since 2018. Smith isn't one of those bargain catchers, but with a .303/.417/.596 slash line, he's still a great option at the position. Here's how skilled Bellinger is: Even in a terrible down year where his OBP is .300, he still has 10 homers and six stolen bases.
Angels vs. Wes Benjamin: Mike Trout ($5,900), Anthony Rendon ($5,700), David Fletcher ($5,300)
It could be a nice day for the teams from Los Angeles (or teams pretending to be from Los Angeles when they are actually in Anaheim). Benjamin has pitched in five games for the Rangers this season, but all out of the bullpen. This is his first career MLB start. Call me crazy, but I don't trust a 27-year-old who is only now getting a chance to start for a team as bad as the Rangers, especially since Benjamin has a 4.38 ERA. I don't think I need to get too in depth into Trout or Rendon. They both have an OPS over 1.000 at home and are two of the best hitters in baseball for the last few years. Fletcher may not be as instinctual of a choice. However, the righty recently returned from injury and has a .314 batting average.
Red Sox vs. Jordan Montgomery: Xander Bogaerts ($4,700), Michael Chavis ($3,600), Christian Arroyo ($2,800)
The left-handed Montgomery has allowed a .289 batting average to righties since 2018 and posted a 6.38 ERA on the road. For me, the tricky thing was finding three right-handed batters from the Red Sox who I felt were trustworthy in a lineup that's not what it has been in the past. Consider this a stack with some lower salaries that offers some upside. Not that Bogaerts is cheap, nor should he be. He's not walking as much, but he has a .500 slugging percentage with 10 homers and five stolen bases. Chavis surprised by batting .254 with 18 homers in 95 games as a rookie last season, and this year in limited action he has three home runs and three stolen bases. He's only now in line for regular playing time. Arroyo has only played in seven games, but he's the new starting second baseman, and he has a .500 slugging percentage.
