We’re one week into fantasy baseball and that means the first week of our Daily Fantasy Accuracy Cup (DFAC) begins. This is our first time holding this competition for baseball and we are excited to have over 40 experts competing against one another to claim the title of most accurate MLB Daily Expert. Thanks to our friends at FanDuel, the experts will be competing in the MLB Grand Slam Contest each week.

Of course, the DFAC isn’t just for the experts. We’ll be asking the top finishers each week to name their picks for Friday’s contest. Here’s your chance to roster the same guys the top experts are playing. For more player values, check out our FanDuel Cheat Sheet.

Q1. What one pitcher will you be including in all of your daily lineups Friday and why?

Gio Gonzalez (SP – WSH) – $9,400
The pitcher selection for the DFAC opening day is interesting as there are very few studs in play. With that being said, the clear cut top option for me is going to be Gio Gonzalez ($9,400) for the Washington Nationals. Gio is the most talented pitcher tomorrow, in a great matchup. Not to mention, Vegas has him at a -150 favorite in a low total game. Gio will be heavily owned but the opportunity cost with other pitchers makes him well worth the price.
– Chris Rocas (Daily Fantasy Cafe)

Sure he’s the highest pitcher on the board, but there’s a reason for that. On a day where teams are throwing out their 4 or 5 starting pitcher, the Nationals have an elite pitcher in Gio. Added to that, Vegas has him as the highest favorite for the day, so I’ll get my guaranteed points with Gio.
– David Kitchen (FantasyInsiders)

Gio was his usual self in Spring Training and now he gets his first start against a less than impressive Phillies squad. And when I say “usual self” I’m talking about a 2.79 ERA and a K/9 right around 9.0. You know, standard run-of-the-mill dominant stuff.
– Dave McKay (The Fantasy Sports Brain)

Taijuan Walker (SP – SEA) – $7,400
There will be zero aces to choose from tonight. That can make decisions tough on a one-SP site like FanDuel. I can see a majority of entries taking Gio Gonzalez, but I’m going with the cheaper option in Walker. This Spring, he only allowed two runs in 27 innings of work. Last year, in the regular season, Walker struck out 34 batters in 38 innings.
– Adam Meyer (FOX Sports)

Brandon Morrow (SP – SD) – $5,900
With contests split between games starting before/after 7 PM ET, San Diego’s Brandon Morrow will be heavily rostered in my tournament lineups for tonight’s slate of games. Not only does Vegas project a win for the Padres (-130), but the over/under of 7.0 runs is tied for the lowest of today’s games. In addition, Morrow has posted a career K/9 of 9.36 pitching in the A.L. and Petco Park is one of the league’s most pitcher-friendly parks. With the third-lowest salary among starters in tonight’s slate of games, Morrow has a great chance of reaching or exceeding value while allowing me to load up on hitting.
– Kevin Hanson (EDSBaseball)

Collin McHugh (SP – HOU) – $8,100
McHugh is one of the more talented options you’ll find available Friday as team’s showcase the back half of the rotation. He strung together an excellent 2014 season, posting a 2.73 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 9.1 K/9. He faced the Rangers just once last season, holding them to two runs in seven innings while striking out six and walking none. The Rangers have endured a slow start, sandwiching a 3-1 win between two shutout losses. McHugh could easily ensure their struggles continue Friday.
– R.J. White (CBS Sports)

Tim Lincecum (SP – SF) – $6,400
There aren’t any elite pitchers who stand out today, so this isn’t as easy a selection as I’d like it to be. I should probably scream YOLO before hitting submit on a lineup that has Lincecum as my pitcher, but I actually like him at his price point as compared to guys like Gio Gonzalez, John Lackey and Derek Holland (plus, the fact that this is a tourney play makes me a little more comfortable). While the Padres lineup isn’t the horrendous lineup that we’ve become accustomed to, Lincecum has had quite a bit of success in Petco over the last few years and will hopefully carry me to a DFAC win today.
– Nick Raducanu (ProjectRoto)

Q2. What one hitter will you be including in all of your daily lineups Friday and why?

Pablo Sandoval (3B – BOS) – $3,000
It’s hard to overlook his 8-11 (.727) career numbers against Nathan Eovaldi. Three of those eight hits were doubles. Also, in 2014, left-handed bats recorded a .296 AVG against Eovaldi. Finally, factor in the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium and you have all the ingredients of a must-start hitter.
– Adam Meyer (FOX Sports)

I don’t know about you, but I have my doubts about RHPs at Yankee Stadium. Nathan Eovaldi is making his first start in pinstripes and bringing his career WHIP of 1.38 and K/9 of just 6.3 with him. Sandoval is a cheap play with a great matchup in one of the better parks for lefty hitters.
– Dave McKay (The Fantasy Sports Brain)

Troy Tulowitzki (SS – COL) – $5,100
To say that Troy Tulowitzki clobbers left-handed pitching, especially at home, would be a gross understatement. While his numbers at Coors Field are impressive vs. both RHP and LHP, Tulo posted a .488 batting average with a wOBA of .653 and ISO of .512 vs. southpaws at Coors last season (That compares to full-season numbers of .340 BA, .444 wOBA and .263 ISO). No game has a higher over/under than this game (10.0 runs), making this game an easy one to stack. While he’s the most-expensive position player at $5,100 and an obvious choice, Tulo is worth every penny (and more) and is the position player that should be the starting point for building lineups in early-game contests.
– Kevin Hanson (EDSBaseball)

Opening Day of the DFAC as well as home opener for the Colorado Rockies. For $5,100, my lineup staple will be shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Tulo will be locked in for his home opener, in the best hitting park in the majors and a bonus versus a weak lefty. Can you ask for a better situation? Plug and play Tulo and take the points!
– Chris Rocas (Daily Fantasy Cafe)

Chris Carter (OF – HOU) – $3,100
I’m using Carter in one of my outfield slots on Friday. He hit .244/.350/.519 against lefties in 2014 while smacking a career-high 37 home runs against all pitchers. He’s gotten a good look at Friday starter Derek Holland in the past, going 4 for 17 with one home run against him in his career. Carter is probably the cheapest player you’ll find with a reasonable shot at delivering a multihomer game.
– R.J. White (CBS Sports)

Alex Rodriguez (3B – NYY) – $2,900
I can have a player likely hitting in the front part of the batting order in a hitter’s ballpark for $2,900? And this hitter just hit a home run against a lefty last night and faces a lefty again today? Nevermind the fact that A-Rod hits righties better than lefties… A-Rod’s cost, ballpark, spot in the batting order and the fact that Wade Miley got crushed by righties last year, have me slotting Rodriguez into a lot of lineups today.
– Nick Raducanu (ProjectRoto)

Howie Kendrick (2B – LAD) – $3,300
Kendrick at $3300 seems to be a great option at a position with not a lot of great options. Because of the positional scarcity, Kendrick batting cleanup, and an environment for a lot of Dodgers offense, I see it as a great value play tonight.
– David Kitchen (FantasyInsiders)

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Thank you to the experts who have given their daily plays for Friday. Want to compete against them?

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