This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
A busy 12-game slate is featured in FanDuel's main slate Friday evening, with first pitch coming at 7:05 p.m. EDT. All 24 teams have confirmed starting pitchers, though only three are priced in five-figures, so initial indications are we don't have to pay a premium for our arm.
Coors Field is present, but thanks to the Rockies putrid start, it's not our highest run total of the evening. That honor goes to Yankees-Blue Jays at 9.5, with Rockies-Reds and Athletics-White Sox sitting at 9.0. We need to keep an eye on rain in Cleveland, so that eliminates two pitchers from this column's consideration. Wind appears to be blowing in in Kansas City, Minneapolis and Denver, and out in Los Angeles and San Francisco, while other parks look to have more side to side gusts.
Pitching
Logan Gilbert, SEA vs. MIA ($10,400): Paul Skenes ($10,200) is likely your lower rostered GPP high-end option against the Dodgers, while Gilbert and Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($10,800) are higher floor options with similar high ceilings. Gilbert gets a home matchup and ballpark boost against a light-hitting Marlins squad with a 94 wRC+ and 25.0 percent K rate off righties. Gilbert has reached at least 35 FDP in all five of his starts to date.
Luis Severino, ATH vs. CWS ($8,100): There are ample options priced above Severino who merit consideration, with Pablo Lopez ($8,700) against the Angels being a favorite, but we've got a matchup here with a pathetic offense and inbound winds, making for a nice landing spot for Severino. Chicago sits with a .275 wOBA and 78 wRC+ against righties, striking out 23.8 percent of the time. The A's seem fine with Severino throwing a high volume of pitches, allowing him to toss at least 92 in all five of his starts, reaching the sixth in each. That puts him in a plus spot to record a win and a quality start.
Andrew Abbott, CIN at COL ($7,900): Abbott has been elite in two starts, striking out 16 while allowing four hits and two runs across 11 innings. He's priced down due to the ballpark factor, which can create a buying opportunity for us in tournaments. Until the Rockies prove otherwise, they simply stink, striking out 28.9 percent of the time against lefties with a .133 ISO and 67 wRC+. It looks like it will be under 50 degrees at first pitch with inbound winds, not ideal offensive conditions.
Top Targets
Bobby Witt ($4,000) is riding a 16-game hitting streak and, when on base, he's always a threat to steal and score. The power hasn't flashed frequently just yet, and it's an inbound wind spot, but there likely aren't any safer plays Friday in the top tier.
While somewhat shocking to write, we likely want shares of the Athletics offense. Tyler Soderstrom ($3,700) and his .461 wOBA, 211 wRC+ and .375 ISO is an obvious answer, but White Sox starter Sean Burke is allowing a .415 wOBA and .960 OPS to righties, so perhaps Brent Rooker ($3,400) merits consideration as a boom or bust option.
I don't love the price up on Matt McLain ($3,800, and he's been nothing more than a power or bust guy to date, but he boasts a .407 wOBA and .545 ISO off lefties in the early going, making for a fair target despite the elements that don't suggest an offensive outburst in Colorado.
Bargain Bats
Wyatt Langford ($3,400) has 10 hits across his last 19 at bats, including three homers. His price is rising, but it's not too high yet given the current surge.
Marlins starter Cal Quantrill has allowed 16 runs across 17.1 innings, and while more vulnerable to righties overall, the splits have been more even on the road in a small sample. That seemingly puts the entire Mariners lineup in play. Dylan Moore ($3,300) offers position flexibility, and Jorge Polanco ($3,100) has hit safely in seven of nine.
I can't advise stacking Cardinals bats Friday, but Brewers starter Chad Patrick has been vulnerable to righties, allowing a .408 wOBA and .966 OPS overall, numbers that rise on the road. Willson Contreras ($2,800) looks to be awakening with nine hits in his last six, while Pedro Pages ($2,600) or Masyn Winn ($2,500) can be options to round out lineups.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Carlos Carrasco (Yankees): George Springer ($3,100), Vladimir Guerrero ($3,100), Bo Bichette ($2,800)
This feels too obvious, but Carrasco isn't a viable MLB arm at this point, and the Jays are priced too low to not load up. Carrasco is allowing a massive .550 wOBA and 1.312 OPS to righties. Toronto isn't hitting for much power throughout their lineup, so we'll unfortunately have to rely on this trio to feed off each other, but for the prices, we don't necessarily need elite upside. We simply need a hit from each paired with some combination of a run or RBI and we've got a 3x return for the investment. Carrasco is allowing a 42.6 percent hard hit rate, an identical pull rate and a 44.1 percent fly ball rate. With winds blowing right to left, it's conceivable one of these three can launch one and boost the return.
Astros vs. Seth Lugo (Royals): Yordan Alvarez ($3,300), Jose Altuve ($3,200), Jeremy Pena ($2,900)
I don't find Friday to be a massively favorable slate to stack, so when in doubt, we can take some known commodities, albeit ones that are scuffling, at a reduced cost. Lugo has allowed at least three runs in three of his five starts, and this trio is an okay 11-for-28 (.393) with a homer and three doubles off him. Alvarez has hit in three straight and five of seven, Altuve in three straight and eight of nine, and Pena has a 14-game hitting streak.
