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It's finally Friday, which means lots of baseball games on one card. There is only one early game today between the Cubs & Brewers, so DraftKings didn't included it in todays card. I could have written this article and told you to load up on Rockies players since they are at home against Eric Stults, but that would be a cop out. I picked a couple pitchers that have a high strikeout potential tonight that are not named Yu Darvish or max Scherzer - I am almost certain they will be heavily drafted in tournaments.
All players' prices based on DraftKings values
SP 1 - Tanner Roark, Washington Nationals, $8,200 - First up on our lineup is Tanner Roark who is taking on the Mets in Washington. Roark is a pitcher I really like, he has a decent strikeout rate (7.31 K's/9) which should get a little bump against the Mets since they have one of the highest strikeout rates in the league.
SP 2 - Lance Lynn, St. Louis Cardinals, $9,000 - Lynn is a strikeout pitcher, but he gets himself in to trouble with his walk rate. Tonight he takes on another whiff happy team - the Atlanta Braves. I don't expect a win, but I do expect around 6-7 strikeouts in the same amount of innings, which could return a decent 25-30 fantasy points.
C - A.J. Pierzynski, Boston Red Sox, $3,700 - Pierzynski has done really well in his career against Scherzer - .333 average, one homer and seven RBIs. I like this play even more since the game is in Boston.
Other catchers I like - Yasmani Grandal, San Diego Padres, $3,700
1B - Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox, $5,000 - Abreu takes his talents to Houston tonight to face Collin "I really overachieved in my first two starts" McHugh. Houston is a hitters park, and I think Abreu will feast off of McHugh.
2B - Derek Dietrich, Miami Marlins, $3,200 - Somewhat of a punt play, but I like Dietrichs' power, he hit a dong last night off of Matt Cain, and I wouldn't be shocked if he hit one again tonight off of Yusmiero Petit.
3B - Jedd Gyorko, San Diego Padres, $3,700 - This is my play of the day, Gyorko will be owned on everyone of my teams. Playing in Colorado against a lefty (Jorge DeLa Rosa), you couldn't ask for a better matchup.
SS - Alcides Escobar, Kansas City Royals, $4,200 - Escobar is one of the hottest hitting shortstops right now, I had a feeling he would bounce back after his subpar season last year. Escobar has had decent results against Chris Tillman who has been really bad so far this year.
OF 1 - Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers, $5,500 - Puig Vs. Wade Miley in Arizona - does this really need an explanation? Puig is on fire right now, and Miley doesn't pitch well against the Dodgers. If you want to get cute - put Scott Van Slyke in one of your lineups as well.
OF 2 – Brandon Barnes, Colorado Rockies, $3,200 – As I said in my intro I wouldn’t be predictable and stack Rockies in my lineup, but I will consider it for tourney play, but not for this article. So here is our one and only Rockie. Barnes should hit high in the lineup tonight and is squaring off Eric Stults – a pitcher who is in danger of losing his rotation spot and this might be his final straw.
OF 3 – Christian Yelich, Miami Marlins, $4,100 – Yelich is an on base machine -when he does reach, he messes with the pitchers heads. He has been averaging almost 10 fantasy points per game in the last 10 days, and batting in front of Stanton is always a plus.
As always be sure to check the weather in the city your players are playing in. Don't forget to check lineups either, nothing worse than having a rostered player on your squad that isn't in the lineup.