RADIO
I’m writing this draft prior to Scherzer pitching on Thursday, so if I’m burying the lead by saying that all of Thursday’s starters who returned from the DL (Jose Fernandez, Matt Cain, and Matt Moore) pitched pretty well overall. There are not meltdowns to reports. And yes, Fernandez might actually hit in the three spot of the Marlins order from now on. It was a fun day full of great baseball, and the best part is we get to do it all again today!
By the time you read this I will be on my way to beautiful Pittsburgh, PA to enjoy a three-game series between the Pirates and the Indians. Because of that, I will not be suggesting any Indians players for today’s slate. Just kidding. I’ll try to remain unbiased. But let’s go Bucs!
Friday, July 3rd is a fairly normal slate for the most part. There are two unique games that start earlier than 7:05. The Cubs are hosting one of their Friday day games at 2:20 against the Marlins. The later of the two is another funky 6:05 start for the Giants visiting the Nationals. Assuming FanDuel will have the big tournaments start at 7:05, we will disregard those two games and work with the rest. Let’s break it down!
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Offenses to Target for FanDuel DFS
I sat and looked at Friday’s slate for about 10 minutes trying to find my favorite stack and nothing struck me as something worth writing about. So, maybe it’s one of those days where it’s better off picking one or two players from a bunch of teams. There are plenty of vulnerable pitchers, but I couldn’t find enough reasonable batters in a given lineup to call it a stack or to warrant targeting that specific offense. If you really want me to split hairs, I almost said the Brewers, Reds (who play each other), Astros, and Red Sox (who also play each other), but like I said nothing screamed “stack me.” If you want to stack one of those teams, best of luck. I’ll most likely be picking and choosing from the players I mention below.
DFS Starting Pitchers to Target for FanDuel
Clayton Kershaw (SP, LOS) - $12,300
Well, Max Scherzer was about as sure as it got last night (even though he eventually picked up the loss). We are lucky to get another sure thing on Friday with Kershaw against the Mets. Although they got Daniel Murphy back from the DL, the Mets are still struggling to score runs. It’s gotten to the point where Steven Matz and Jacob DeGrom are their best sources of runs. Kershaw has not been the cheat code-like pitcher he was last season, but he has still been very very good. His elite strikeout ability should put him in a very good spot on Friday night, making him well worth the high price tag.
Julio Teheran (SP, ATL) - $8,000
Teheran has one of the biggest knocks in the world of MLB FanDuel working against him: Lack of run support. However, the Braves may not need much depending on which Phillies team shows up on Friday. Atlanta was able to win two out of three games against the Nationals, so maybe they can get Teheran a win. The righty has averaged five strikeouts in his last five starts, and he has to limit the number of hits he gives up if he wants any chance of getting the four-point win. Using Teheran gives FanDuel players the same advantage as using Kazmir yesterday. First of all, it’s very contrarian and will be advantageous if Kershaw somehow struggles. Second, the low salary allows for better hitters throughout the rest of a FanDuel lineup. Take a shot on Teheran with one of your tournament lineups.
DFS Infielders to Target for FanDuel
Josh Phegley (C, OAK) - $3,000
It has gotten to a point where if Phegley is playing a lefty he has to be the top value play at catcher. His .422 wOBA against lefties is absurd, and he hits behind A’s players who love to get on base. J.A. Happ is a very hittable southpaw, as well.
Joe Mauer (1B, MIN) - $2,600
Remember when Mauer was one of the best hitters in the game? Well he can still work his way on base from the middle of the Twins order. Mauer has been hitting the ball well in clips this year, and his .333 OBP has been solid for FanDuel purposes. With a great career wRC+ against righties (142), Mauer should be able to rack up another couple of hits against Jeremy Guthrie.
Robinson Cano (2B, SEA) - $2,800
I know what you’re thinking: “Just give up on this guy already.” I really think Cano is in the midst of turning it around. His numbers haven’t soared yet, but he is elevating more balls and pulling less balls. His four-hit game on Wednesday was a great indicator of his mechanical shift in his swing. A nice matchup against Jesse Chavez could produce some nice numbers for Cano.
Matt Carpenter (3B, STL) - $3,100
After a great game on Thursday, let’s hope Carpenter is starting to turn it around after his recent slump (well, actually I wouldn’t mind if he continues it as a Pirates fan). He faces righty Andrew Cashner on Friday, and Capenter’s .395 wOBA against righties this year is too good for a $3,100 price tag.
Marcus Semien (SS, OAK) - $2,200
The hype was real for this young shortstop during spring training and into this year, but his countless slumps and errors have dropped his price down to the minimum salary. Semien’s .312 wOBA against lefties shows that he has hit slightly better against southpaws this year, and his home run last night was a good sign of a potential turn around for Semien.
DFS Outfielders to Target for FanDuel
Lorenzo Cain (OF, KAN) - $3,300
Tommy Milone will be a nice matchup for the under-priced Cain on Friday. Cain has a .405 wOBA against lefties and has six hits in his last three games. He has the ability to rack up some big points with his power and speed combination.
Jay Bruce (OF, CIN) - $3,300
After a day of rest on Thursday, Bruce will have a solid matchup against home run-prone Mike Fiers on Friday. Bruce is very all-or-nothing again this year, but the hitter friendly park and favorable splits matchup both point towards a dinger on Friday.
Grady Sizemore (OF, TAM) - $2,200
Although a familiar name, Sizemore will be very underowned on Friday. The veteran outfielder has seven hits in his last five games, and although he has a tough matchup in Masahiro Tanaka, an RBI single like he did twice on Thursday will be enough production to give great value as a bargain bin option.
Good luck with your FanDuel and DFS lineups RotoBallers!
DFS Q&A with Max Petrie @ 6PM on 7/3
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