This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Friday's MLB main slate is comprised exclusively of back-of-the-rotation arms. This gives us plenty of stack options, but makes finding trustworthy pitchers difficult. These are always fun contests since it's enjoyable finding points in unlikely places…
Pitcher
Zack Wheeler, NYM vs. MIA ($8,000): Wheeler hasn't thrown a pitch in the big leagues since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2014, but those that can stomach a bit of risk will find themselves invested in a nice matchup. The Marlins finished 2016 with the highest ground ball rate in the league, and Wheeler threw grounders 54 percent of the time over the course of his last healthy season.
Mike Fiers, KC at HOU ($7,500): Fiers has increased his groundball rate in each of the past two seasons, topping out a 42.3 percent. This should give him a bit of edge when facing the Royals, who hit the fourth most grounders as a team by percentage. It is also worth noting that they struggled mightily against righties in 2016, tallying just a .301 wOBA.
Catcher
Stephen Vogt, OAK at TEX, ($3,800):A.J. Griffin's extreme fly-ball rate didn't do him any favors while calling Globe Life Park home, as he surrendered 28 home runs over 119 innings. Vogt had a disappointing season in 2016, but still notched a .186 ISO on the road, where he hit 10 of his 14 home runs.
First Base
Anthony Rizzo, CHC at MIL ($5,500):Jimmy Nelson's peripherals against lefties in 2016 paint a grim picture, as he walked 49 batters while striking out just 61 over 86 innings, resulting in a 5.37 xFIP. Rizzo hammered right-handed pitching to the tune of 24 home runs and a .273 ISO over 407 at-bats.
Second Base
Brian Dozier, MIN at CWS ($4,600):Derek Holland struck out just 13 percent of the right-handed batters he faced in 2016, while surrendering homers to them at a clip of 1.4/9. Dozier's breakout power season extended to both righties and lefties, resulting in 42 home runs and a .278 ISO.
Third Base
Josh Donaldson, TOR at TB ($4,900):Matt Andriese had his bright spots after being thrust into the Rays rotation last year, but hard contact rates of 34 percent from both sides of the platoon contributed to a 4.37 ERA over 29 games (19 starts). Donaldson should have an opportunity to make solid contact against the 27-year-old, as he registered 6.0 RAA against the changeup last year, a pitch Andriese threw a quarter of the time.
Shortstop
Francisco Lindor, CLE at ARI ($4,500): The first year of the Shelby Miller experiment was a disaster for the Diamondbacks, as he managed to make 20 starts while logging a 6.15 ERA. The 26-year-old struggled against lefties in particular, finishing the year with a 36:28 K:BB and allowing a hard contact rate of 39 percent. Lindor struck out just 12 percent of the time against righties in 2016, while keeping a wOBA of .351.
Outfield
Joey Gallo, TEX vs. OAK ($4,000): Gallo's monstrous strikeout rate (63 percent in limited action last year) will make him a liability on most days, but Raul Alcantara struck out just 13 percent of the left-handed batters he faced in 2016, which should allow the 23-year-old to let it fly without fear of the whiff. Alcantara threw just 22.1 innings with the big club last year, but managed to allow nine home runs over that span, making him a nice target for Gallo's prodigious power.
Chris Davis, BAL vs. NYY ($4,900):Luis Severino was called up from the minors with plenty of fanfare in 2016, but was tagged for 46 earned runs in just 71 innings. Davis will look to exploit the ground-ball tendencies Severino displayed in his time with the Yanks, as he hit the ball in the air at a 44 percent clip.
Yoenis Cespedes, NYM vs. MIA ($4,400): Cespedes has had something of an even career when it comes to platoon splits, but did his best work against lefties in 2016, slugging .624 with a .441 wOBA over 85 at-bats. Wei-Yin Chen struggled in keeping the ball in the park against his opposite hand last year, allowing a 1.8 HR/9 rate to go along with a 36 percent hard contact rate.
