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With the SF/CHC matchup starting at 2:20pm (EST), we have a 14-game slate on DraftKings with the first pitch starting at 7:05pm (EST). Six teams are massive favorites on Friday, posting odds of at least -195.
Now that we established that our pitcher’s pool is stacked, let’s reference the offense. It can be described in two words: Coors Field. After a week-long hiatus, we have baseball in Colorado. Vegas rewards us with an over/under of 11 total runs and the Rockies are heavy favorites (-210). However, the price tags will be steep for any bat playing in that elevated venue.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/25/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @CharlieSideHstl.
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DraftKings Starting Pitchers
Ross Stripling, LAD (vs. SD) - $7,200
In the past, we had to worry about Stripling not pitching deep into games. However, he threw a season-high 96 pitches in the last appearance. Stripling struck out at least five batters in three consecutive games and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in a start this year. The Padres are second in the league with 492 team strikeouts in 2018.
Junior Guerra, MIL (vs. NYM) - $6,600
Not only do we have Coors Field in the mix on Friday, but we also have some heavy hitters who carry a hefty price tag in other venues, too. In order to try and squeeze those bats into our lineup, adding affordable pitchers, like Guerra, is a must. If you choose Stripling and Guerra as your two starting pitchers, you’ll have an average of $4,525 to spend per batter. Guerra isn’t a strikeout machine, but he’s notched at least four whiffs in seven out of eight starts this season. He’s also allowed two earned runs, or less, in back-to-back games. Very serviceable numbers for the price.
DraftKings Infielders
C - Chris Iannetta, COL (vs. CIN) - $3,800
It hasn’t been a great week for Iannetta (1-for-14), but that could be a good thing. The bad recent history lowers his price tag and makes Iannetta more affordable in a game at Coors Field. Iannetta is still second on the team with a .242 ISO against right-handed pitchers.
1B - Joey Gallo, TEX (vs. KC) - $4,000
Five teams (including the Cubs) have an implied run total of at least 5.2 runs for Friday. With people looking towards Colorado, and other powerful offenses, the Rangers might get lost in the shuffle. Gallo leads the Rangers with a .260 ISO against left-handed pitchers since 2017. Of his 13 hits in May (.173 AVG), nine have gone for extra bases (six homers).
2B - Gleyber Torres, NYY (vs. LAA) - $4,500
It’s tough enough spending $4,500 on a rookie, but spending that much money on a potential nine-hitter would be considered crazy to some. However, Torres isn’t your typical nine-hole hitter. He’s batting .318 (7-for-22) with five home runs in the past week and has notched four home runs in the last three games. The Yankees are implied to score 5.6 runs on Friday (third-most).
3B - Mark Reynolds, WSH (@ MIA) - $3,800
It did not take long for Reynolds to find his mid-season swing. He’s batting .478 in the month of May (11-for-23) and .471 (8-for-17) in the past week. He’s notched two home runs and two walks in the last seven days, too. Reynolds has a .249 ISO against right-handed pitchers since 2017 (third-most for Washington).
SS - Trevor Story, COL (vs. CIN) - $4,700
While I prefer plugging in Story against lefties, I won’t complain about the cheaper price tag. This season, Story is batting .322 (19-for-59) with four doubles, three triples, and eight home runs at home (25 RBI). Cincinnati is starting Sal Romano on Friday. He’s allowed at least six earned runs in back-to-back appearances. A trip to Colorado probably isn’t the best thing for Romano right now, but good for us DFS players.
DraftKings Outfielders
Charlie Blackmon, COL (vs. CIN) - $5,600
As I mentioned in the pitchers’ write-up, we went with cheap starting pitchers to build our salary for expensive bats. Blackmon is my building block on Friday. He leads the Rockies with a .290 ISO against right-handed pitchers. With Colorado projected to score 6.8 runs on Friday (most in MLB), I want the batter with the best ISO in that lineup, if I can afford it.
Bryce Harper, WSH (@ MIA) - $5,500
It’s easy to add elite hitters when a team is projected to score the most runs, but I also like to take the contrarian route and add those hitters in situations where other users may not consider them in their lineups. The Nats are only projected to score 4.3 runs on Friday, but they are the heavy favorites and Harper could feast on Miami’s pitching. He leads the team with a .343 ISO against right-handed pitchers since 2017.
David Dahl, COL (vs. CIN) - $4,200
This puts us at four Rockies for Friday’s lineup. In your 50/50 contests, you should make it a goal to add as many Rockies, and Reds, as possible. Dahl is batting .345 (10-for-29) with one double, two triples, and one home run (three walks) at home this season.
