RADIO
We certainly had some duds yesterday. The Blue Jays, Angels, Dodgers, and Pirates all disappointed in the runs category. However, our pitching was pretty good overall, so hopefully you had that one key batter that pushed you into cashing territory. It was the most exciting day of baseball, but if it was a successful one, then that’s just fine.
Friday, August 28th’s slate is your standard full slate. No Wrigley Field games to avoid. No double-headers to consider. We have 15 games starting at 7:05 and ending early on Saturday (at least for me on the east coast). Per usual on a full slate, there are a handful of solid pitching options. Where those pitching options aren’t, we can certainly find some value bats. Let’s get to it.
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Offenses to Target for FanDuel DFS (Pitchers to Pick On)
The first pitcher to point out as a potential target for hitters has to be Matt Boyd. When lefties take on the Blue Jays, bad things happen for the pitcher. Boyd has not looked particularly good this year, as his most recent outing led to five earned runs in 5.0 innings pitched against the Astros. Toronto, on the other hand, demolishes left-handed pitching with a team .359 wOBA vs. L this season. Big bats like Troy Tulowitzki, Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista, and Edwin Encarnacion are all good picks to keep in mind when picking players to revolve your team around.
Adam Conley is the other major concern to keep in mind when targeting bats on Friday. It seems like the Marlins are just picking fans from their box seats and letting them pitch at this point in the season. Regardless, we’re left to take advantage of these “pitchers.” Conley is traveling to D.C., away from the massive outfield that usually saves these no-name hurlers, to face the Nationals. We know Bryce Harper can mash anybody. Outside of him, bats named Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman, and Jason Werth might prove to be worth of their price tags tonight. Give them a look when the starting lineups come out.
DFS Starting Pitchers to Target for FanDuel
Max Scherzer (SP, WAS) - $11,500
Scherzer has to be the cash game pick of the night in this spot. Not only is he $1,500 cheaper than Clayton Kershaw, he gets a matchup that is much juicier than the Chicago Cubs. The Marlins have been the punching bag of the league this year. The reasons for that are plentiful (GM/manager is not good, injuries to star players, etc.), but the takeaway is that Scherzer is in line for a great game on Friday.
The Nats’ ace needs a “get back on track” game after a couple of, dare we say, human-looking starts. Miami is just the team to supply that. Sure, Kershaw has a ton of strikeout upside against the Cubs. But remember when he got pegged for three homers or so against the Pirates a month back, the Cubs are capable of doing the same thing. Play it safe in cash games, and go with Mad Max.
Masahiro Tanaka (SP, NYY) - $9,200
Outside of Scherzer, Tanaka likely has the second-easiest matchup of the night. We thought that Freddie Freeman might bring some life back to this Braves order, but he has actually done the opposite thus far (terrorizing my season-long fantasy teams in the process). That being said, the Braves are almost as fun to pick on as the Marlins.
If Tanaka can keep his walk rate low, avoid mistakes to guys like Freeman and Cameron Maybin, and keep pounding the strike zone, he’s going to finish the night with very good numbers. Factor in the idea that you can save over $2,000 by going with him over Scherzer in a tournament, and yes, I’ll be taking a shot on Tanaka in a lineup or two tonight.
DFS Infielders to Target for FanDuel
Travis D’Arnaud (C, NYM) - $3,500
D’Arnaud has been the hottest catcher in the league since coming back from his injury, and he is just showing us how lethal he could be if he stayed healthy. He has nine hits in his last five games while racking up nine RBI. That’s an insane week. He gets a lefty in Henry Owens Friday, and you’ll really set yourself apart with this pick, as most people rostering the expensive pitchers won’t want to fit him in their lineups.
Ryan Zimmerman (1B, WAS) - $3,300
Speaking of players coming back from injuries, Zimmerman is starting to settle into his spot in the middle of the Nationals’ order. He has two homers and nine RBI in his last four games, one-upping D’Arnaud in the RBI department. I’ve already discussed his matchup above, and he’s almost a must-play at this price.
Kolten Wong (2B, STL) - $2,300
I love Anthony Rendon at his mid-three thousand price point, but if you want to pay down at second base, Wong has to be the best play. He seems to be hitting an upswing after his massive slump, as he’s now 5-13 in his past three games. Wong faces a righty in Mike Leake on Friday, and I’m willing to bet he’ll keep this hitting streak going, as he’s shown us in the past how truly hot his bat can get.
Todd Frazier (3B, CIN) - $2,900
If you want to pay down at third base, you’re not going to get me to say any other name besides Frazier’s as long as he’s in this price range. He’s too good of a batter, especially in a hitter’s park like Miller Park, to be priced that low. He’s going to explode for a huge game one of these days, but until then he still rarely hurts you, usually getting at least one hit in his four or five ABs.
Troy Tulowitzki (SS, TOR) - $3,800
Tulo might be higher-owned than D’Arnaud, but he’s still someone that a lot of people won’t want to pay up for if they go with Scherzer or Kershaw. That being said, I love Tulowitzki’s chance of getting on base a couple of times against a bad lefty, and I love the fact that he’s almost sure to be driven in every time even more. The Blue Jays are bound to have a big day Friday, and Tulo is a relatively cheap way to get a piece of the action.
DFS Outfielders to Target for FanDuel
Khris Davis (OF, MIL) - $3,500
Davis has been a home run machine since taking over a full-time outfield job in Milwaukee. He is going to go 0-4 every once in a while, but he’s proved lately that he can homer off of anyone, especially at home where he is today. He favors righties, and Raisel Iglesias is a righty for the Reds on Friday.
Billy Burns (OF, OAK) - $2,900
I’m not completely sure why Burns’ price is dropping, but I’m not going to be the one to complain. He’s still doing what he does best (getting on base and scoring runs), and he even homered yesterday in Seattle. I wouldn’t count on another dong tonight, but Chase Anderson lets up a lot of contact, and that’s what Burns thrives off of.
Andre Ethier (OF, LOS) - $2,300
Ethier has quietly been one of my sneaky FanDuel picks all year. He gets a righty in Jason Hammel on Friday, and his price has dropped almost to the minimum. He’s started twice in the last four games, and went 3-3 both times. You can bet Mattingly will put him in the lineup tonight in L.A.
Good luck with your FanDuel and DFS lineups RotoBallers!
