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DraftKings MLB Lineup Advice: Friday (8/5)

DraftKings MLB Lineup Advice: Friday (8/5)
Jose Altuve

Jose Altuve owns a .439 wOBA, 181 wRC+ and .245 ISO against LHP this season

Full slate on a Friday night with DraftKings featuring the MLB $300K Friday Fastball ($50K to 1st). Coors Field has the highest over/under at 11.5 with the second highest at 9.5 in Arizona. Feel free to get your Coors exposure but this article won’t cover that game so put down the chalk and look outside the box for a fun Friday night.

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Pitchers

Scott Kazmir (LAD): $8,000 vs. BOS
Kazmir is one of the reasons why the Dodgers have stayed in contention while Clayton Kershaw is on the shelf. Kazmir owns a 24.7% strikeout rate with a 3.29 FIP and 2.89 xFIP during the second half of the season. His change of speeds between his fastball and changeup are elite, keeping batters guessing which leads to the strikeouts and his low hard hit rate of 24.5%.

The Red Sox are usually a team you don’t want to pick on but that’s mainly because they crush at home in Fenway Park and get to use David Ortiz as their designated hitter under American League rules. David Ortiz won’t be in the lineup tonight due to National League rules and the Sox get a downgrade in hitting environment at Dodger Stadium. The Red Sox offense hasn’t been as daunting as it was earlier this season, owning a .305 wOBA, 85 wRC+ and .155 ISO over the last 14 days.

Kazmir grades out very high for me in tournaments tonight where people won’t pick on the Red Sox. His salary of $8,000 allows you some relief while providing you decent strikeout upside. The Red Sox projected team total (TT) tonight is lower than usual at 3.95.

Jameson Taillon (PIT): $7,800 vs. CIN
If you take the Reds out of Great American “Smallpark” in Cincinnati their offense is really bad. The Reds own the fourth lowest road wOBA (.294) and fourth lowest wRC+ (80) and their ISO (.147) dips well below-average.

Taillon hasn’t tossed over 100 pitches in a major league game yet which is somewhat of a concern when you want your pitcher to be able to go deep into the game. However, the Reds have the fifth lowest walk rate at 7.0% on the road this season and walking batters is something Taillon does not do with an outstanding 2.7% walk rate.

The Reds are prone to striking out and get a massive downgrade in park factor at PNC. Their projected TT is the fifth lowest tonight at 3.71. For only $7,800 you’re getting a solid matchup in a great park with a pitcher that won’t implode by allowing baserunners via the walk.

Catcher

Evan Gattis (HOU): $4,500 vs. TEX
Gattis should virtually only be owned in lineups that constructed an Astros’ stack. With Coors on the slate and catcher being a position most like to punt, Gattis at $4,500 makes absolutely zero sense.

Gattis is strictly a tournament only play on DraftKings tonight but he provides you multi-home run upside and extremely low ownership at a scarce position. Gattis does most of his bashing at home against left-handed pitching where he posts an elite .356 ISO. You could be in for a huge night if “El oso blanco” goes off tonight and you have him in your tournament lineups.

First Base

Chris Davis (BAL): $4,000 @ CWS
Davis has been in an awful slump of late. Really awful. Davis is posting a .200 wOBA, 14 wRC+ and .017 ISO. Unfortunately, that isn’t a typo. You probably want to know why I’m wasting my time writing about somebody that had their hard-hit rate drop from 40.6% in the first half to 20.6% in the second half.

Davis has been a guy that I have been monitoring closely so I can ask myself while watching his demeanor in the box: Is he making good contact? Does he look completely lost? Is there some bad luck involved? etc. Davis hasn’t looked completely lost of late and things could be turning around soon. Please don’t forget the monstrous power that earned him the nickname “Crush” Davis.

Davis still owns a .366 wOBA, 128 wRC+ and .270 ISO with a 44.6% hard hit rate on the road this season vs. right-handed pitching. I’ll take my shot in tournaments on another guy that will surely be low-owned who brings multi-home run upside.

Second Base

Jose Altuve (HOU): $5,100 vs.TEX
Altuve will be much more popular than the first two guys mentioned in this article but might not be chalk due to Coors. If you’re reading this article you probably have baseball knowledge and already know that Altuve is someone you want exposure to against left-handed pitching or any handedness for that matter.

Altuve is putting together an MVP season for Houston and won’t be stopped tonight by the Rangers’ left-handed starting pitcher Martin Perez. Altuve owns a .439 wOBA, 181 wRC+ and .245 ISO against left-handed pitching this season.

Third Base

Manny Machado (BAL): $4,400 @ CWS
Somehow I always find a way to fit Machado into an article. Or at least it feels that way, but can you blame me? “Macho Man” is in a prime spot tonight facing a right-handed pitcher that doesn’t strike anybody out.

Manny owns a .376 wOBA, 135 wRC+ and .235 ISO this season and hits either handedness of pitcher.The Orioles have a nice projected TT at 4.55 and don’t get a negative shift in park factor at U.S. Cellular Field.

Shortstop

Carlos Correa (HOU): $4,500 vs. TEX
Correa hasn’t hit left-handed pitching this season but is hitting the ball extremely hard against them with a 38.2% hard-hit rate. Correa will likely hit cleanup which compliments this lineup that features an Astros’ stack.

Martin Perez has a meager 11.1% strikeout rate with a 5.28 SIERA while allowing a 31.6% hard hit rate. The Astros have a strong projected TT at 4.66. Fire at will.

Outfield

George Springer (HOU): $4,800 vs. TEX
You had to know George was going to be featured by now. George is a force to be reckoned with, especially at home against left-handed pitching, owning a .400 wOBA , 154 wRC+ and .278 ISO. Springer somehow might be lower owned than he should be with a full slate of games and Coors.

Mark Trumbo (BAL): $3,400 @ CWS
Why is Trumbo only $3,400 tonight against Miguel Gonzalez? This is a major hiccup by DraftKings. Feel free to use Trumbo in all formats as he provides salary relief and multi-home run upside.

Miguel Sano (MIN): $3,300 @ TB
Sano is never a popular option, making him one of my favorite tournament players and one-offs in situations like tonight. We have already discussed how incredible Altuve and Springer are against left-handed pitching. How about Sano?

Sano is somebody you should never sleep on. Especially if he comes at a discount of only $3,300 and is facing a left-handed pitcher on the road. Sano’s numbers on the road against left-handed pitching would make Altuve jealous, posting a .460 wOBA, 194 wRC+ and .310 ISO. Let that settle in for a minute then write that down somewhere you can see everyday. Roster Sano tonight and be sure to thank me on Twitter this evening.

Recommended Tournament Lineup

Scott Kazmir (LAD): $8,000 vs. BOS
Jameson Taillon (PIT): $7,800 vs. CIN
Evan Gattis (HOU): $4,500 vs. TEX
Chris Davis (BAL): $4,000 @ CWS
Jose Altuve (HOU): $5,100 vs. TEX
Manny Machado (BAL): $4,400 @ CWS
Carlos Correa (HOU): $4,500 vs. TEX
George Springer (HOU): $4,800 vs. TEX
Mark Trumbo (BAL): $3,400 @ CWS
Miguel Sano (MIN): $3,300 @ TB

If you have any questions or need suggestions, feel free to tweet me any time. Best of luck tonight!

Matthew Davis is a correspondent for FantasyPros. You can find more from Matthew by viewing his archive or following him @_mattywood_.


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