Yahoo DFS Baseball: Friday Plays and Strategy

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Friday Plays and Strategy

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.

There are no day games on the schedule Friday, leaving a packed main slate on Yahoo. Let's get right to it and highlight some pitchers and hitters to consider while building your lineups.

Pitchers

It's not often that Zac Gallen ($37) has a salary this cheap. A matchup against a potent Astros' lineup is likely the main reason it's so low. However, this game will be played in Arizona, where Gallen has a 2.38 FIP and a 1.01 WHIP. Despite the tough opponent, Gallen is still worth considering.

Nick Martinez ($38) has been moved into the starting rotation as the season comes to a close. He worked up to 62 pitches in his last outing, logging four scoreless innings against the Cardinals. With the potential for him to throw around 75 pitches in this start, he could provide value against a White Sox team that has the second-worst OPS in baseball and is playing without Luis Robert Jr. (knee).

Lance Lynn ($34) had two disastrous starts against the Braves and Marlins in which he allowed 15 runs over nine innings. However, he has settled down to allow seven runs over 18 innings in his last three starts. In his last start, he had six strikeouts and gave up two runs over six innings against the Giants. With the Giants having the sixth-worst OPS in baseball, Lynn could have similar success in this rematch.

Top Targets

Even with the Yankees having been eliminated from the playoffs, Aaron Judge ($27) has continued to take the field. He is swinging a hot bat, slugging five home runs over his last five games. He remains a great power threat for a matchup with Jordan Lyles ($27), who has given up 2.0 HR/9.

The Giants will start Keaton Winn ($33) against the Dodgers. He missed nearly two weeks while on the COVID-19 list and hasn't throw more than 80 pitches in an outing this season, so he might not be able to pitch deep into this matchup. He wasn't great at Triple-A, posting a 4.81 ERA and a 4.69 FIP over 17 appearances, 14 of which were starts. This is another excellent spot for Freddie Freeman ($21), who enters with a 162 wRC+.

Bargain Bats

Going back to the Yankees' matchup with Lyles, Austin Wells ($15) and Estevan Florial ($12) could be potential value options. Not only has Lyles given up a lot of home runs, but he has a 6.24 ERA and a 5.65 FIP. Florial has at least one hit in 11 of his last 14 games, while Wells is slugging .636 over his last nine games.

Stacks to Consider

Braves vs. Trevor Williams ($25), Nationals: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($30), Matt Olson ($27), Ozzie Albies ($24)

Williams has had a disastrous season, recording a 5.55 ERA and 6.04 FIP over 29 starts. What's especially troublesome for a matchup against the Braves is that he has allowed 2.2 HR/9. The Braves' best power hitter has been Olson, who has launched 54 home runs on his way to a .324 ISO.

Twins vs. Ty Blach ($25), Rockies: Jorge Polanco ($21), Willi Castro ($21), Kyle Farmer ($19)

Blach has continued to struggle, giving up 23 runs over 25 innings in his last five outings. His WHIP is up to 1.63 for the season and he has just 46 strikeouts across 73 innings. Despite all of their injuries, facing Blach at Coors Field still makes the Twins an appealing team to stack. One of their better hitters lately has been Castro, who is 22-for-67 (.338) with a .612 slugging percentage over his last 19 games.

Diamondbacks vs. J.P. France ($29), Astros: Corbin Carroll ($23), Ketel Marte ($19), Christian Walker ($16)

If the Astros make the playoffs, France might find himself coming out of the bullpen. He has faltered down the stretch, posting a 7.94 ERA and a 1.91 WHIP over his last six outings. He doesn't miss a lot of bats, registering just a 17.4 percent strikeout rate this season. This has the potential to be a great spot for a Diamondbacks stack, given that they also have a .765 OPS at home. Carroll has contributed to that number with his .246 ISO and .385 wOBA in Arizona.

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. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only MLB Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire MLB fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
All-Value Fantasy Team: Position Players
All-Value Fantasy Team: Position Players
MLB Wild Card Best Bets for Thursday, October 3
MLB Wild Card Best Bets for Thursday, October 3
MLB Wild Card Expert Picks for Mets vs. Brewers
MLB Wild Card Expert Picks for Mets vs. Brewers
Super Early 2025 Top 300 Rankings
Super Early 2025 Top 300 Rankings
MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Thursday, October 3
MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Thursday, October 3
MLB DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, October 3
MLB DFS Picks: DraftKings Plays and Strategy for Thursday, October 3