DraftKings MLB: Friday Picks

Christopher Olson explores his best picks for Friday, including Mariners Boomstick Nelson Cruz at Safeco Field against Ricky Nolasco and the Angels.
DraftKings MLB: Friday Picks
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Pitcher

Adam Wainwright, STL vs. ATL ($7.500): I targeted Wainwright on the road in his last outing, but will happily roll with him at Busch Stadium, where he holds a 3.19 ERA over 59.1 innings. The Braves are a bottom-5 team against right-handers according to wOBA and hit the ball on the ground at a 47 percent clip.

Jose Urena, MIA vs. COL ($6,600): Urena has thrown the ball well of late, allowing just one run in three of his last four starts. The Rockies struggle away from Coors Field (.298 wOBA) and are a bottom-5 team in the league against the slider, a pitch Urena throws a quarter of the time.

Catcher

Gary Sanchez, NYY vs. BOS ($4,600): Sanchez has swung the bat well against lefties this season, notching a .242 ISO and a 38 percent hard contact rate over 62 at-bats. Eduardo Rodriguez has seen a spike in his home run rate on the road, having allowed eight long balls in 49 innings.

First Base

Eric Thames, MIL vs. CIN ($4,100):Homer Bailey should be targeted as a stack option whenever he toes the rubber, as his ERA is approaching 9.00 over 42.2 innings. Thames has cooled off considerably since his torrid start to the season but remains capable of doing damage against mediocre righties, as evidenced by his .275 ISO and 43 percent hard contact rate over 273 at-bats.

Second Base

Brian Dozier, MIN at DET ($4,600):Anibal Sanchez has used his changeup to fend off irrelevance in 2017, but he has yet to find a weapon against righties, against whom he has allowed a .633 slugging percentage over 34.2 innings. Dozier has been a one-man offense in August, hitting five homers and a double in just nine games.

Third Base

Joey Gallo, TEX vs. HOU ($4,600): If the key to a good matchup is extremes, then Gallo may be the play of the slate against Charlie Morton. Morton has kept the ball on the ground at a 52 percent clip this season, while Gallo has hit the ball in the air more than 59 percent of the time. It must also be mentioned that Gallo has been unstoppable of late, hitting seven home runs through eight games in August.

Shortstop

Enrique Hernandez LAD vs. SD ($3,300):Clayton Richard has surrendered a .545 slugging percentage to right-handed hitters through 104.2 innings in 2017. Hernandez is almost an automatic play against struggling lefties at this price, as he has tallied a .360 ISO and a 40 percent hard contact rate against his opposite hand over 111 at-bats.

Outfield

Yoenis Cespedes, NYM at PHI ($4,200): The numbers tell us to look to Nick Pivetta as a target for offense despite the fact that he has the raw stuff to sometimes play spoiler against an unsuspecting stacker. The rookie pitcher has allowed a .643 slugging percentage against righties this season, while Cespedes has notched a .197 ISO and a 42 percent hard contact rate against same-handed hurlers.

Nelson Cruz, SEA vs. LAA ($5,200):Ricky Nolasco throws a fastball that has registered a -16.3 RAA this season to go along with his .586 slugging percentage against righty hitters. Cruz has logged a 15.0 RAA against the fastball while hammering same-handed opposition to the tune of a .266 ISO.

Brian Goodwin, WAS vs. SF ($3,800): We haven't seen enough from Chris Stratton to know if his struggles against lefties will continue, but the 26-year-old has had control issues throughout his minor league career which may only be exacerbated by the quality of the opposition. Goodwin has tallied a .253 ISO against righties over 198 at-bats.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Christopher Olson plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: Sommerset, FanDuel: Christop, Yahoo: Martins.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher Olson writes DFS articles and blogs for a variety of sports including MLB, NFL and MMA. Follow him on Twitter @RealChrisOlson
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