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FanDuel MLB Lineup Advice: Friday (5/5)

FanDuel MLB Lineup Advice: Friday (5/5)

Hey, folks. Jared from Fantasy Cruncher here. I’ll be writing the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday FanDuel MLB Lineup Advice articles every week for FantasyPros this year. Really excited to share my thoughts and recommended plays with you throughout the season!

This evening, we have another full 13 game slate to work with. Lineups lock tonight at 7:05 pm EST.

For reference throughout the season, be sure to bookmark our overview of MLB Park Factors and how to Use Weather to Your Advantage in MLB DFS. Also, check out our GPP and Cash Games Primers to learn more about different daily fantasy game types specific to MLB.

Weather

Pittsburgh and Philadelphia look like the only places where we really have to worry about rain risk that could cut SP performances short, while there is a decent shot at a PPD in PIT with thunderstorms expected at 4-5pm and continuing until right around 10 pm. For the sake of our lineup tonight, we will keep our focus away from that game as there’s plenty of other attractive situations to consider.

Overall Thoughts

This is an interesting slate, as the Diamondbacks against German Marquez in Coors are looking like fantastic options tonight. I want at least 1-2 pieces of exposure to that game and not the cheap way. There is too much to like to take the easy way out, so that really puts a damper on the amount I am going to spend up for on the hill. I like Dallas Keuchel more than just about everyone (and did so coming into the year as well), but this is a slate that I think you may need to avoid him – particularly if you are trying to build a high-upside lineup.

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Pitcher

Eduardo Rodriguez (BOS): $7,900 @ MIN

Rodriguez makes for an intriguing play today thanks to price point, decent win probability and match-up. However, the Twins have been starting to hit pretty well and have also managed their Ks vs LHP this year (19% K% split). He is a fly ball pitcher that gets the benefit of throwing in a pitcher’s park, and his offense will be able to get him plenty of run support against Phil Hughes. If you are looking for strikeout upside with moderate risk at a great price – he fits the bill. Since I want exposure to Coors (with Goldschmidt as my key access point), I had to pivot off of Keuchel, and I love the value.

Other Notables

Catcher

Yasmani Grandal (LAD): $2,700 @ SD

I love the Dodgers tonight against Jhoulys Chacin, as he sports some of the worst advanced stats in the game and gets absolutely demolished by LHB. Their team total may not jump off the page as an obvious stack to go after, but their values are all very strong and Grandal has tremendous power potential in this spot. At the price, you can’t go wrong, unless you want to pay up +$500 for Hermann (assuming he starts).

Other Notables

First Base

Paul Goldschmidt (ARI): $5,200 @ COL

I want at least a piece or two of Coors exposure, and who better to roll with than the Diamondbacks’ first baseman that has some of the hardest hit rates on the slate over the last couple weeks. Marquez has a wOBA of nearly .380 vs RHB in his short time in the majors (4.45 xFIP for the split), and Goldy has light tower power. Sign me up.

Other Notables

Second Base

Dustin Pedroia (BOS): $2,900 @ MIN

Exposure to the Red Sox (and Phil Hughes, as a result) is high on my priority list here, and Pedroia’s price is just too good to avoid. Hughes has a 47.4% hard hit rate on the year and has been historically terrible against RHP (.359 wOBA split and 4.68 xFIP over the last couple seasons). This has the makings of a short outing for Hughes, and I want a piece of the Boston order – even if Pedroia is unlikely to leave the yard. He should be on base 2-3 times and score a run or two at the very least, which will more than pay off the salary.

Other Notables

Third Base

Manny Machado (BAL): $3,600 vs CWS

Jake Lamb and Justin Turner are elite options in their spots today, but I am more than happy to spend down slightly for Machado who is really heating up these days. Like Goldschmidt, he is tearing the cover off the ball right now and faces Miguel Gonzalez who is a fly ball pitcher. Despite being off to a very good start this season (3.27 ERA over his first 33 IP), this is a dangerous lineup for him to face, and I have a very good feeling that Machado is going to leave the yard (or at least have a highly productive game).

Other Notables

Shortstop

Corey Seager (LAD): $3,500 @ SD

You guessed it. Seager is back and in my lineup! I want to attack Chacin with a nice level of hitting exposure tonight, and his price point is still just far too attractive to avoid. Seager destroys average right-handed pitching, and that is exactly where Chacin struggles. Fire him up in all formats as a great anchor at a tremendous price point on FanDuel.

Other Notables

Outfield

Jay Bruce (NYM): $3,900 vs MIA

I do think the Marlins/Mets games is a sneaky one to stack in GPPs – but for the sake of this article, I am taking a more well-rounded approach. Bruce has started the year on a fantastic note for the Mets, and Tom Koehler has some very poor numbers against lefty bats (.343 wOBA and 4.74 xFIP over the last couple years). For a guy with excellent power on a team that will fly under the radar tonight for GPPs, he’s an excellent pivot off of Coors bats. You can easily substitute him with a guy like David Peralta if you prefer, but with the way he’s swinging right now, I am more than happy to play him while he’s hot.

Cody Bellinger (LAD): $2,800 @ SD

It remains to be seen if Bellinger is going to start tonight, but if he does, I am all in. There is a chance that Joc Pederson’s return will send him back down and out of the lineup, and if that’s the case, Pederson is a nice and easy LHB pivot. Bellinger has impressed me in his time with the Dodgers, and this is a great split to take advantage of. There aren’t many attractive OFs under $3,000 on FanDuel tonight playing for teams that I want exposure to, but the Dodgers have a few options.

Curtis Granderson (NYM): $2,400 vs MIA

One punt on the roster is going to be Granderson today, who is in a great split situation against Koehler. I have no problem pairing him with Bruce (or even Conforto if you pivot) vs a RHP that gets destroyed by LHBs. He has very solid power for the price and is on a team that I want 1-2 pieces of exposure to, making him a very nice play to round out the roster tonight.

Other Notables

My Lineup

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Jared Kwart is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jared, find his work at FantasyCruncher.com and follow him @FCJaredK.

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