Happy Friday DFS players. The main slate on FanDuel is completely stocked with ace pitchers to choose from such as Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Noah Syndergaard. They are going to cost you, though, and if you are going to afford them you will need to save some money in other places. Good thing there are plenty of pitchers to pick on and match-ups that allow for great value plays on Friday night. You could go the opposite way and decide to save money at starting pitcher. Not a terrible idea considering how deep the pitching pool is with players like Trevor Bauer, Jake Junis and Lance Lynn available for thousands less and all with favorable match-ups. Let’s take a look at the value plays you should consider for tonight’s main slate on FanDuel to get an edge on your competition.
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Pitcher
Lance Lynn (MIN): $7,100 vs. TAM
Lance Lynn had a rough outing in his Twins debut, being chased after the fourth inning after allowing five earned runs to the Pirates. He then recovered in his second outing against the Astros, throwing five scoreless innings and striking out nine. Lynn’s 5.00 ERA may not look pretty but remember that it has only been two starts. The important thing to look at is his 12.00 K/9, 13% swinging strike rate, and his most recent outing vs. the world champion Astros. Lynn will be opposing the Tampa Bay Rays Friday night. As a team, the Rays are hitting .235/.311/.339 and lack an All-Star level talent on their offense. All of the money is likely going to be spent on the high-priced aces in the main slate, but the real value could be found here for $4,000 less with Lance Lynn.
Catcher/First Base
Wilmer Flores (NYM): $2,500 vs ATL
Wilmer Flores needs to be in your DFS lineup anytime the Mets are facing a left-handed pitcher. He has always been and likely always will be an undervalued asset and it is your opportunity to take advantage. Flores holds a lifetime .345 wOBA and .510 slugging percentage against southpaws and has two hits in three at-bats against Braves left-hander Sean Newcomb. Flores has made a career out of smashing lefties and he makes for a strong value play anytime that situation presents itself.
Second Base
Whit Merrifield (KC): $3,400 vs. DET
Merrifield is 4-for-9 with a home run and a triple against the opposing lefty Daniel Norris. In 2017 he held a .207 ISO and .337 wOBA against southpaws. Merrifield is fresh off his best game of the season Wednesday night in which he collected his first home run and reached base three times. Let’s hope he can continue the momentum in the main slate against Norris and the Tigers.
Third Base
Colin Moran (PIT): $2,900 vs. PHI
Colin Moran is off to a .313/.370/.438 start with a .349 wOBA and 123 wRC+, so $2,900 seems pretty cheap considering he also has the platoon advantage against the opposing pitcher Ben Lively. The Phillie is not pitching that bad so far in 2018, but lefties are slugging .657 against him. That is more than enough reason for me to take the hot-hitting Moran for his current price tag if I am looking for a value play at third base.
Shortstop
Alcides Escobar (KC): $2,600 vs. DET
This may not seem like a good move considering that Escobar is hitting just .182 on the season. However, the Royals shortstop is a career 8-for-16 with a home run, double, triple, and a walk against left-hander Daniel Norris. I am not sure you can ask for a better value than having a player with that kind of one-on-one track record for just $2,600. Escobar could make for a sneaky tournament play if you are picking one of the high-priced aces and need to save some cash.
Outfield
Tyler O’Neill (STL): $2,000 vs. CIN
This choice is a risk due to the fact that O’Neill is not guaranteed playing time at the moment. Left-hander Brandon Finnegan is on the mound for the Reds Friday night, so it seems like a good bet that the Cardinals will give their power-hitting prospect a start. If you don’t know who Tyler O’Neill is let me give you his stat line from last year in Triple-A. He slugged .499 with 31 home runs, 95 RBIs, 26 doubles, and 14 stolen bases. It is a shame that there is such a logjam in the St.Louis outfield between Fowler, Pham, and Ozuna because O’Neill has some exciting potential. Check the lineup Friday and throw the kid in your lineup if you see his name. The low price of $2,000 could be a great value for the young slugger.
Eddie Rosario (MIN): $3,000 vs. TAM
Chris Archer has been awful. He has allowed 15 runs on 18 hits and six walks this season to left-handed hitters. That is remarkably bad, bad enough to total an .825 slugging percentage and .556 wOBA. Bad for him at least. It’s good for left-hand hitting Eddie Rosario, who is 3-for-9 with two doubles against Archer. The Tampa Bay ace is going to turn it around at some point, but until he does I am going to recommend starting left-handed value hitters against him.
Nomar Mazara (TEX): $2,800 vs. SEA
Felix Hernandez was once the best pitcher in baseball who was capable of tossing a no-hitter every single night. Not anymore. The Mariners’ right-hander currently holds a 6.15 FIP after posting a 5.02 FIP in 2017. Last season lefties slugged .493 with a .363 wOBA against the King. My how the mighty have fallen. Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara makes for a great value play on Friday night given his great start to the season (.300 with two home runs) and past performance against Hernandez (3-for-11 with a home run).
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Matthew Williams is a correspondent at FantasyPros and featured writer for FakeTeams. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @MattWi77iams.
