Tonight is the Friday before the All-Star break and the beginning of the most boring few days of the year in sports. I guess it will be a good time to catch up on that yard work and spend some extra time with family and friends, or maybe I’ll just work on my Fantasy Football projections all week. However, before that, we have a full 15-game MLB slate on Friday the 13th. You are going to need some luck to navigate a rough looking pitching slate that is void of frontline aces and has me looking to select pitchers from the mid-priced range in Cash and GPPs while spending up on bats. Enjoy the break!
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Let’s mow down the competition 3 Up and 3 Down…
3 Up
Ace
Dallas Keuchel (FD-$9,000 / DK-$8,400)
Keuchel has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts and he should be able to limit the Tigers bats and pick up a win on Friday as a huge home favorite. He doesn’t have big strikeout upside so I’d limit my exposure to Cash games when rostering him. Keuchel is also primarily a Draftkings option only since you can get Madison Bumgarner for just $400 more on FanDuel.
Value
Jake Odorizzi (FD-$7,200 / DK-$7,600)
Odorizzi has been pitching well over his last three starts allowing a total of two runs in 17 innings while recording 22 strikeouts. He’ll get a matchup at home against his former club, the Rays, on Friday who has the fourth-highest strikeout rate (25.9%) against righties over the last 30 days with a bottom six wOBA (.290) and wRC+ (84). Consider Odorizzi in Cash games and GPPs on all sites if you want to save some money for big bats.
Darkhorse
Anibal Sanchez (FD-$7,300 / DK-$7,800)
I can’t believe that I’m actually recommending playing Anibal Sanchez but he is surprisingly one of my favorite options on the slate. I don’t think I’ll have the guts to roster him in Cash games but he is a strong GPP option as a home favorite against a Diamondbacks offense that has the 7th highest strikeout rate (23.2%) against righties over the last two weeks. Meanwhile, Sanchez has posted a low .268 wOBA allowed in 44 career plate appearances by Diamondbacks hitters over his career.
3 Down
Top Stacks
Rockies vs. Christian Bergman
The Rockies will welcome their former pitcher, Christian Bergman back to Coors Field as a member of the Mariners. Bergman has a career 6.69 ERA and 1.50 HR/9 rate at Coors Field and has reverse splits over his career allowing a .406 wOBA to righties with a 1.99 HR/9 rate.
Charlie Blackmon (FD-$4,200 / DK-$5,500) – Blackmon has five hits over his last three games including a double and a home run and has a .370 wOBA at home against righties this season.
Nolan Arenado (FD-$4,700 / DK-$5,600) – Arenado does all right for himself against righties at home with a .408 wOBA and .250 ISO.
Carlos Gonzalez (FD-$3,400 / DK-$4,700) – Gonzalez has been swinging a hot bat since the beginning of July with a .418 wOBA and .324 ISO through nine games and has a .461 wOBA and .348 ISO at home against righties this season.
Trevor Story (FD-$4,300 / DK-$5,300) – Story is on fire over his last 12 games with a .457 average including six doubles and a pair of homers.
Yankees vs. Shane Bieber
Shane Bieber has given up four runs in each of his last two starts and has been lit up by left-handed hitters so far in his young career allowing a .422 wOBA and 1.59 HR/9. This will push me to stick with the hot-hitting Yankees left-handed bats in their matchup tonight.
Didi Gregorius (FD-$3,700 / DK-$4,700) – Gregorius is riding a seven-game hitting streak while getting an extra-base hit in four straight games and has a .351 wOBA and .251 ISO against right-handed pitching this season.
Brett Gardner (FD-$3,100 / DK-$4,800) – Gardner hit two long balls last night and has a .342 wOBA and .173 ISO against righties this season.
Greg Bird (FD-$3,100 / DK-$4,200) – Bird has produced 10 RBI over his last three games including a pair of homers and has a .340 wOBA and .270 ISO against righties this season.
Aaron Hicks (FD-$3,500 / DK-$5,000) – Hicks has posted a .399 wOBA and .266 ISO on the road against righties this year.
Contrarian Stack
Rangers vs. Alex Cobb
The Rangers might not be contrarian but with a game at Coors Field drawing a lot of attention a Rangers stack won’t necessarily be over-owned either. They’ll face righty Alex Cobb who has allowed five or more runs in four of his last six starts. Cobb struggled against both sides of the plate so even though I’m only listing the Rangers lefties, also consider righties Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre as needed to fill out a stack.
Shin-soo Choo (FD-$3,300 / DK-$5,100) – Mr. On-Base should continue his streak with his 5-for-12 career mark against Cobb with a pair of doubles and a homer.
Joey Gallo (FD-$2,800 / DK-$4,400) – Gallo is always a multi-HR threat with his .244 ISO against righties.
Nomar Mazara (FD-$3,100 / DK-$4,300) – Mazara has a .345 wOBA against righties this season.
Rougned Odor (FD-$3,000 / DK-$4,500) – Odor has been heating up with a five-game hitting streak that has included a pair of homers.
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