After 26 weeks of the regular season, we’re down to the final Friday of the year. We’ll cover 13 of the 15 games on the featured slate for DFS today. Best of luck however you draw up your lineup!
Starting Pitchers
With the season on its final breath, it’s hard to know the workload of every starter. Most teams don’t have anything to play for, and the ones who are in the playoffs will likely limit their starters. The Diamondbacks fall into a different category. They have yet to clinch to spot but are in the driver’s seat to punch a playoff spot with a win. They’ll have their ace Zac Gallen ($9,700) on the bump, but their matchup is as tough as it gets squaring off against the Astros. He’ll definitely be a popular option with the guaranteed usage.
Nathan Eovaldi ($9,300) and the Rangers also still have something to play for taking on Seattle. Nate the Great has been anything that in his return off the injured list. Steer clear of him at that price and this matchup. After seeing the way Rocco Baldelli handled the likes of Pablo López and Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan ($9,000) likely won’t be pitching longer than four to five innings, making him a pass as well. Dylan Cease ($8,900) could see a typical workload, although he faces San Diego who is always capable of popping off, even if they have underperformed this year.
The Braves will send out Allan Winans ($8,700) to take on the lowly lineup of the Nationals. He should have a full workload as the Braves look to give their bullpen a little break before the playoffs but is pretty pricy. He has a strong likelihood of finding a win here though. Personally, I’d avoid all of the names in the 8K through high 7K range. Let’s look at some actual viable options.
Carlos Rodón ($7,100) taking on the Royals is definitely intriguing. Boone will want to have him end on a high note and he showcased his strikeout upside against both Boston and Pittsburgh recently. If he brings the velocity, he could have a big day. Ken Waldichuk ($7,200) also has that sort of upside and is in a great matchup himself facing the Angels.
Baltimore could be a bit hungover following their celebrations after winning the AL East last night, making Nick Pivetta ($7,600) a solid start. He probably won’t go more than five innings, but has the strikeout upside to generate plenty of points. This is a brutal pitching slate to have much confidence in, hopefully, this was some help.
Bats
Picking what bats to target is always a struggle in my opinion. There’s so much variance around batters. They can hit one on the screws and it will lead to nothing, and that’s why I tend to stay away from wagering on batters props. Let’s find a few offenses worth stacking today.
This section wouldn’t be complete without including the Braves. Even if it’s their B-lineup, they’ll be facing the piñata Trevor Williams who ranks in the 11th percentile in xERA and 23rd in xFIP. If you saved out of pitching, Ozzie Albies($5,800) is a name worth starting given how hot he has been. Michael Harris II ($4,500), Orlando Arcia ($4,000), and Eddie Rosario ($3,800) are a couple of other names to stack around him as well.
The Yankees taking on Jordan Lyles the run machine is interesting. Aaron Judge ($6,300) continues to rake and has a 1.428 OPS over the last 15 days. Austin Wells ($2,900) and DJ LeMahieu ($3,300) are some bargain bats to pair with him. Cincinnati is still battling for a wild card spot and has a couple of red-hot hitters. TJ Friedl ($4,800) owns a 1.244 OPS across his last 15 games. His teammates Christian Encarnacion-Strand ($4,300) and Elly De La Cruz ($5,800) are also among the league’s hottest hitters as of late.