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We have a full slate of games this Friday evening, with the Marlins and Cubs isolated as the lone afternoon game playing at Wrigley Field. Players in that game aren’t available for big contests, but there are still 14 other games to mix and match 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
Of the options at the top of the board, Yu Darvish ($9.800 DK, $8,700 OB) sticks out as a solid option despite his matchup. The Dodgers are one of the best against righties, but Yu has a solid history of keeping their roster at bay. They have just a .291 xwOBA and 27.6% K% in 191 plate appearances against him. His price is a tick below some of the top-priced pitchers, making him a more valuable commodity to play in DFS.
Jordan Montgomery ($8,600 DK, $9,000 OB) is another upper-mid-tier starter worthy of lineups in his matchup against the Tigers. Aside from a blunder against the Diamondbacks, the man known as “Gumby” has been his solid self across his five other starts and sports a 3.81 xFIP on the season. The Detriot bats have been heating up as of late, but they could easily cool off in an instant.
If you are looking for more of a GPP play, Kodai Senga ($10,200 DK, $10,100 OB) gets one of the best matchups possible facing the Rockies. Whenever Colorado is on the road, they are an immediate target for just about any pitcher, and Senga presents some incredible upside with that ‘Ghost Fork’ of his. He has struggled with his control, but if he can reign that in a little, he could be in store for a double-digit strikeout kind of night. The Rockies have the 3rd worst wRC+ (72) and 7th highest K% (26%) against righties on the road.
Brad Keller ($6,600 DK, $7,500 OB) is the best bang for your buck if you’re trying to find a cost-effective starter. Oakland has the highest strikeout rate (26.6%) and 8th worst wRC+ (85) when facing RHP, so Keller isn’t the worst option out there to utilize, especially if there are more expensive batters you’re looking to plug into your lineup.
Bats
Some of those batters could be from the Boston offense that has been on fire as of late. They have the best wRC+ (149) against righties over the last two weeks. Zack Wheeler is obviously a stellar pitcher, but with the way the Red Sox are seeing the ball, there are plenty of viable bats in that offense. Connor Wong ($2,400 DK, $3,100 OB) is a solid start at Catcher in DraftKings, while Masataka Yoshida ($4,900 DK, $4,600 OB) is riding a 14-game hitting streak and is arguably the hottest hitter on the planet right now. Alex Verdugo ($4,800 DK, $4,800 OB) and Jarren Duran ($3,600 DK, $3,600 OB) are also very good looks.
Another offense to stack with is the Cardinals as they draw the lefty Matthew Boyd. St. Louis has the 7th-best wRC+ (117) against Southpaws, and Boyd has been giving up plenty of runs to begin the year with a 5.25 xFIP to back it up. Nolan Arenado ($4,400 DK, $5,100 OB), Willson Contreras ($4,300 DK, $4,400 OB), and Tommy Edman ($3,800 DK, $4,400 OB) are all reasonably priced to place in your lineup.
Antonio Senzatela is “Still Ill” as Nick would say, and makes his first start of the year after dealing with knee ailments. He ranked in the bottom 8% in xERA/xwOBA last season, and pitching in Citi Field against this Mets lineup will not be an easy task. Starling Marte ($4,800 DK, $5,200 OB) and Tommy Pham ($2,700 DK, $3,800 OB) have a history of hitting Senzatela well and make for great additions to any lineup. Marte is 7-11 with a double and a home run against him, while Pham is 6-13 with two doubles. Best of luck to all!
Design by J.R. Caines (@JRCainesDesign on Twitter and @caines_design on Instagram)