Yahoo DFS Baseball: Friday Picks

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Friday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.

STARTING PITCHER

Sean Newcomb, ATL vs. COL ($42): Newcomb's ERA has improve in his second season from 4.32 as a rookie to 3.40 now. However, his FIP has remained relatively consistent (4.19 this year, 4.23 last year). The Rockies have been good offensively, but a lot of that has been because of the friendly confines of Coors Field. On the road Colorado ranks 17th in runs scored and has a .298 OBP as a team.

Cole Hamels, CHC at PIT ($37): You don't want to read too much into a small sample size, but Hamels has pitched like a new man since joining the Cubs. In three starts with his new team he has a 1.00 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. Pitching in Texas was his big problem to begin with anyway, as he has a 2.58 ERA on the road this season. The Pirates are middle-of-the-road offensively, which isn't a concern if Hamels is truly a different man away from the Rangers.

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CATCHER

Buster Posey, SFG at CIN ($13): Posey's lost some of his power, he has a .393 slugging percentage, but he still has no issue getting on base. The longtime Giants star has a .361 OBP, and a .290 batting average as well. This is the kind of matchup that could allow Posey to show a little power, however. Anthony DeSclafani has a 5.21 FIP and has given up a whopping 2.03 homers per nine innings.

FIRST BASE

Justin Smoak, TOR at NYY ($18): Last season, Smoak crushed both lefties and righties. This year, his numbers are a bit down against southpaws, but against right-handed pitchers he has a .908 OPS. Lance Lynn, a righty, has admittedly pitched great since joining the Yankees, but he had a 5.01 ERA with the Twins, and his career FIP is 3.69. Admittedly, this flies in the face of the argument made for Cole Hamels, but Lynn doesn't have the same pedigree, and Yankees Stadium has proven to benefit hitters in the past.

SECOND BASE

Whit Merrifield, KC at CWS ($15): While Merrifield isn't showing the power he showed last season, though his .418 slugging percentage is perfectly fine for a second baseman, the 29-year-old has established himself as a legitimate hitter. He has a .290 batting average for his career, and a .301 batting average in 2018. Merrifield has also stolen 26 bases for good measure. James Shields has a 4.74 FIP after averaging a 5.25 FIP over his previous three seasons.

THIRD BASE

Anthony Rendon, WAS vs. MIA ($18): Rendon has slashed .294/.353/.505 with 16 homers in 96 games. He's on pace to hit the 20-homer mark for the fourth time in his career, and he may have already gotten there if not for injuries. Meanwhile, Dan Straily has a 5.44 FIP and has given up 1.57 home runs per nine innings. In his career he's allowed 1.45 homers per nine innings, so that number isn't even really a fluke.

SHORTSTOP

Manny Machado, LAD at SEA ($15): Machado has averaged 7.7 fantasy points per game, third most among all shortstops. He hasn't hit quite as well for the Dodgers, but he's still been fine, and in his career he has a .282/.336/.484 slash line. There's no reason to worry about his bat. Though Wade LeBlanc was pitting well earlier in the year, over his last 10 starts he has a 5.08 ERA.

OUTFIELD

Shin-soo Choo, TEX vs. LAA ($18): The 35-year-old Choo has surprisingly surged, as he has a .869 OPS with 20 homers in 114 games. He also has a .401 OBP against righties and at home as well, so getting on base shouldn't be a problem in this matchup. Odrisamer Despaigne will be making his first start with the Angels, and only his second start of the season. The 31-year-old has a career 4.76 ERA and hasn't started regularly since 2015.

Steven Souza, ARI at SD ($17): Souza has a pretty hefty split this season, as he's struggled against righties while excelling against lefties. He has a .319/.385/.574 slash line versus southpaws. Joey Lucchesi, who is getting the start for the Padres, is left handed, and he also has a 4.34 FIP as a rookie.

Jose Martinez, STL vs. MIL ($14): Martinez has a career slash line of .309/.375/.487, but he's been red hot recently. Over his last 14 games he has a .954 OPS. Rookie starter Freddy Peralta has a 4.47 ERA in his 11 career starts, and on the road that ERA balloons to 5.17.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Morgan plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: cmorgan3, DraftKings: cmorgan3.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan is a writer of sports, pop culture, and humor articles, a book author, a podcaster, and a fan of all Detroit sports teams.
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