This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
All 30 MLB teams are in action Friday, with the earliest game starting at 2:20 PM ET. However, there is not another game after that Cubs-Braves matchup until 6:40, so if you want to avoid rushing your lineup, you could just wait and play a contest using 14 games. Plus, there's a 40 percent chance of rain for that 2:20 game, so you might want to just avoid it anyway. Here are some recommendations for your daily fantasy lineup.
STARTING PITCHER
Tanner Roark, WAS vs. COL ($42): Since we are still so early in the season, I am still mostly looking at numbers from last year. For example, last year the Rockies ranked 25th in runs scored on the road. Roark is coming off a 4.67 ERA, but his FIP was a more-respectable 4.18. He also had a career-high 8.24 K/9 ratio.
Tyson Ross, SD vs. SF ($30): The Giants ranked 29th in runs last season, and so far this year they are still stuck in the bottom five. San Diego's Petco Park has also shown itself to be quite beneficial to pitchers in the past. The last couple years have been rough for Ross, but the last time he pitched a full season for the Padres, he had a 3.04 FIP. Maybe now that he's healthy he can regain some of that form.
CATCHER
Jonathan Lucroy, OAK at SEA ($9): Yeah, Lucroy had a "down" season last year, but his .286 BABIP is indicative of bad luck. Plus, he hit righties just fine and has always done a better job going up against right-handed pitchers. Seattle's Mike Leake, like most people, is a righty. He may have a 3.00 ERA so far, but his 5.37 FIP tells a different story. So does his career 3.97 ERA.
FIRST BASE
Josh Bell, PIT at MIA ($17): Bell showed the potential in his bat in his first full season last year, hitting 26 homers and posting a .466 slugging percentage. He's started this season strong, as he was averaging 7.0 fantasy points per game heading into Thursday. Dillon Peters has only made eight starts in the majors, but his 6.08 ERA in that time is certainly not encouraging.
SECOND BASE
Starlin Castro, MIA vs. PIT ($14): Since he broke into the majors as a 20-year-old, it feels like Castro is a cagey veteran at this point, but he's still only 28. Walking has never been his strength, but he has a .282 batting average in his career. He knows how to put the bat on the ball, and he's averaged 16 home runs a year over the last three seasons. Chad Kuhl has a career ERA of 4.34, which is not something to be worried about.
THIRD BASE
Rafael Devers, BOS vs. BAL ($20): Devers is only 21, and he only has 59 MLB games to his name. You may look at Chris Tillman's ERA of 8.68 with the Orioles this season and call it a small-sample size. I would say fair point, and then direct you to the 7.84 ERA he posted in 93 innings last year.
SHORTSTOP
Andrelton Simmons, LAA at KC ($14): Simmons is known for his spectacular glove, but last season he showed both power (14 homers) and speed (19 stolen bases). He also has a .275 batting average over his last three seasons. The Royals' Jason Hammel had a 5.29 ERA in his first campaign in Kansas City, and over the least three years, he has a 4.05 FIP on average.
OUTFIELD
Mike Trout, LAA at KC ($24):Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. He's en route to being one of the best hitters of all-time. He has the exact same matchup as his teammate Simmons, and Hammel is not an imposing starting pitcher. However, there are outfielders pricier than Trout, which almost by definition makes him look like a good value. The only worry is a 45 percent chance of rain in Kansas City.
Andrew Benintendi, BOS vs. BAL ($20): Any disappointment we felt in Benintendi's rookie season largely comes from the fact he struggled against lefties. Baltimore's Chris Tillman is not a lefty. Plus, as previously noted, he's been terrible for over a season. Tillman was truly awful on the road last year as well, posting a 10.87 ERA away from Baltimore.
Brett Gardner, NYY at DET ($16): While Giancarlo Stanton is struggling, Gardner is doing just fine. He's a player who has never had an issue getting on base with a career .348 OBP, and he's averaged 19 stolen bases a season over the last three years. His main issue, like Benintendi, has been hitting lefties. Mike Fiers is a righty, and let's not lose our minds over his six-inning scoreless start in his season opener. He's still a guy with a 4.22 FIP in his career.
