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As always we’ve got a full complement of games this Friday. Unfortunately, the Reds, Yankees, Rays, Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Pirates won’t be at our disposal in bigger contests, but there are still plenty of other options to go to war with. If you’re unfamiliar with OwnersBox, they offer a unique roster format that includes one pitcher, four IF, three OF, and one Super Flex (OF, IF, and P).
Starting Pitchers
There aren’t any truly dominant starters on the slate tonight. Joe Ryan ($10,300 DK, $10,700 OB) is the priciest starter of the bunch, and as good as he has been, he doesn’t seem worth it at that price tag and this matchup with the Angels. Toeing the rubber for the Halos is Reid Detmers ($7,900 DK, $8,600 OB) and he does seem worthy of a start at his palatable price tag. He has been a bit shaky, but he possesses some elite strikeout potential, and the Twins have been miserable against lefties. They are 24th in wRC+ (83) and have the 2nd highest K% (27.6%) versus left-handed pitching.
Another upper-mid-tier starter in a pristine matchup is Anthony DeSclafani ($8,700 DK, $7,700 OB) against the Miami Marlins. Tony Disco owns a 3.83 xFIP on the season and has the potential to work deep into this game. He is in the 98% percentile in BB% and has pitched into the 7th inning in four of his eight starts this year. The Marlins are 25th in wRC+ (85) and 11th in K% (23.6%) when hitting righties and see the 7th fewest pitches per plate appearance.
Lastly, James Paxton ($8,300 DK, $7,900 OB) is pretty intriguing following his nine-strikeout Red Sox debut a couple of days ago. It was his first start in over two years and he showcased that he still has it with that 96 mph heater. The Padres aren’t an easy matchup by any means, but Paxton might still have what it takes to overpower even the toughest lineups. Who knows, but I’m interested to find out, and at that price, he might be worth the gamble.
Bats
Stacking any offense against the Athletics is usually a decent idea, and they have Ken Waldichuk on the mound today. He has been putrid with a 5.71 xFIP, bottom 11% xERA/xwOBA, and 23.8% CSW%. The Astros haven’t been at their peak, but they still have the bats to give Waldichuk fits. Plus, once they get him out of the game early enough, the Athletics will turn to their bullpen which is dead last in xFIP (5.72), LOB% (62.5%), and K-BB% (4.7%). Any of the bats in the Houston lineup should fare well hitting at home.
They were ice-cold for a little while there, but the Cardinals seem to be hitting their stride as of late. Over the last week, they have a 146 wRC+ which is the second-best among all squads. Nolan Arenado ($4,600 DK, $5,100 OB) has led the way for the Red Birds and has 11 hits in his last 25 at-bats, with five dingers. Tommy Edman ($4,100 DK, $4,400 OB) and Nolan Gorman ($4,200 DK, $4,000) have also been tremendous as of late and make for a good St. Louis stack.
With the eighth-best wRC+ (114) against Southpaws, The Nationals have been a sneaky good team against lefties this year. Today they draw the Tigers lefty, Matthew Boyd who is coming off an abysmal start against the Mariners. He sports a 5.29 xFIP this year, and the Nats have plenty of valuable bats for DFS today. Turn to them if you’re looking for a cheaper stack of bats to fill out your roster.
Design by J.R. Caines (@JRCainesDesign on Twitter and @caines_design on Instagram)