Weather Report
Brewers at Yankees, 7:05 p.m.
There's inclement weather in the forecast in New York, but the most likely outcome appears to be a delayed start and play. There's some risk here, but it's unlikely there will be an in-game delay that would impact starting pitchers.
Dodgers vs. Nationals - 7:05 pm
There's also a chance of a delay in Washington, but it's almost impossible to forecast when that will take place. Regardless, both MacKenzie Gore and Emmet Sheehan aren't among the stronger options on Friday's slate among starting pitchers.
Baltimore vs. Boston - 7:10 pm
It's going to be extremely humid at Fenway Park, so it's highly likely the ball will be flying. There's a strong possibility this is a high-scoring series opener.
Injury Report
Mookie Betts (foot)
X-rays came back negative after the Dodgers star fouled a ball off his foot during Thursday’s series finale against the Marlins. Fantasy managers should prepare for the possibility that he winds up sitting out Friday’s series opener against the Nationals.
Shohei Ohtani (oblique)
Angels manager Phil Nevin told reporters Thursday there’s a chance Ohtani is ready to return Friday against the Guardians after missing four consecutive contests due to right oblique tightness.
Austin Riley (illness)
Riley is expected to return to Atlanta’s lineup for the opener against the Pirates after sitting out Thursday’s contest against the Cardinals due to a stomach bug. There should be some clarity on his status well in advance of first pitch.
Lane Thomas (back)
Thomas figures to be ready for the Nationals in the opener against the Dodgers after missing a pair of contests this week due to back inflammation. Back issues can be complicated matters, but he’s had a couple days of extra rest to hopefully put the issue to bed.
Luis Rengifo (biceps)
Rengifo was removed Thursday against the Guardians with a left biceps strain and appears likely to wind up on the injured list. It’s a tough break as the 26-year-old has been hot at the dish of late, posting a .972 OPS over the last month.
Alex Verdugo (hamstring)
Verdugo is expected to return to Boston’s lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Orioles following a three-game absence due to left hamstring tightness.
Tim Anderson (neck)
Anderson is day-to-day after being scratched from Wednesday’s lineup due to neck stiffness. It would be Elvis Andrus starting at shortstop on Friday night if he’s not ready to return.
Matt Vierling (elbow)
Vierling was removed from Thursday’s contest against the Yankees with a right elbow contusion after being hit by an errant pickoff throw to first base.
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Top Priced Starting Pitchers (DraftKings)
- Blake Snell vs. HOU: $10,800
- Kodai Senga vs. MIN: $10,000
- Jordan Montgomery vs. $OAK: 9,400
- Kyle Bradish vs. BOS: $9,200
- Kyle Harrison vs. COL: $9,000
- Griffin Canning vs. CLE: $8.800
- Eury Pérez vs. PHI: $8,800
- Hunter Brown vs. SD: $8,600
- Logan Allen vs. LAA: $8,400
- Yusei Kikuchi vs. KC: $8,200
- Mitch Keller vs. ATL: $8,100
- Bryce Elder vs. PIT $8,000
- Cristopher Sánchez vs. MIA: $7,800
Friday’s slate offers few quality matchups with both top-priced options Blake Snell and Kodai Senga facing strong offenses in challenging road tilts. The Rangers have been in an extended free-fall, but trade acquisition Jordan Montgomery has pitched extremely well since coming over from the Cardinals, compiling a solid 3.60 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 30/7 K/BB ratio across 35 innings (six starts). He'll face off against a struggling Oakland lineup that ranks 29th in runs scored since the All-Star break.
Perhaps the most intriguing option for fantasy managers is rookie southpaw Kyle Harrison, who offers immense strikeout potential and will face a Rockies’ lineup that struggles away from Coors Field’s high-octane offensive environment, and also ranks as one of the worst in baseball this season against left-handed pitching with a .668 OPS against southpaws.
There will undoubtedly be some variance for the 22-year-old top pitching prospect from a run-prevention standpoint, but he's piled up a staggering 21 punch outs in 15 1/3 innings over three starts since being called up last month from Triple-A Sacramento. He might be the best option on Friday's slate, especially from a pure upside standpoint.
Eury Pérez has blossomed into one of the premier young pitchers in baseball this season, compiling a sparkling 2.86 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 95/25 K/BB ratio across 78 2/3 innings (16 starts). However, he’s worked beyond the fifth inning just twice in five starts since returning to Miami's starting rotation mix last month.
He's notched at least five strikeouts in each of those outings, but he's facing a strong Philadelphia lineup at hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park, which limits his realistic ceiling on Friday night.
Sneaky Option
Luis Severino vs. Brewers: $5,500
Hear us out. Severino has been abysmal this season, but he appeared to figure some things out of late, allowing just four runs on 11 hits with an 11/1 K/BB ratio across 11 innings over his last two starts against the Tigers and Astros, respectively.
It would be challenging to recommend him against a familiar foe, but he’s facing a Milwaukee lineup that hasn’t seen him this year and has been one of the worst in baseball since the Midsummer Classic, posting a dreadful .702 OPS, which ranks fifth worst in baseball since the All-Star break.
It’s a decent matchup, especially with Colin Rea taking the ball for the Brewers on Friday evening, and it’s difficult not to recommend him as a sneaky option at such a manageable salary.
Stack Attack
Mets vs. Twins (Dallas Keuchel)
- 1B Pete Alonso $4,900
- SS Francisco Lindor $4,800
- C Francisco Alvarez $3,600
- 2B/SS Ronny Mauricio $3,200
- OF DJ Stewart $3,000
- 3B Mark Vientos $2,200
Keuchel looked cooked during his brief time in the majors last year and hasn’t fared much better this season for the Twins, posting a bloated 5.06 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 8/7 K/BB ratio across 21 1/3 innings (five appearances, four starts).
The Mets have several right-handed platoon bats they can stack against the veteran southpaw on Friday evening in Minnesota, including rookie sluggers Ronny Mauricio, Francisco Alvares and Mark Vientos, in addition to veteran breakout DJ Stewart, assuming he's ready to go after missing a pair of contests earlier this week due to lower back tightness.
Giants vs. Rockies (Ty Blach)
- 2B Thairo Estrada $4,300
- 1B Wilmer Flores $3,900
- OF Mitch Haniger $3,800
- 1B/3B J.D. Davis $3,500
- OF Luis Matos $2,500
It'll be lefty Ty Blach drawing the starting assignment on Friday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco, which sets the stage for the Giants' righty-mashing options to step into the starting lineup. The most notable stacking options here are Wilmer Flores, Mitch Haniger, Thairo Estrada, J.D. Davis and Luis Matos. It's flown a bit under the radar, but Flores has been one of the premier hitters in baseball since the All-Star break, posting a robust .973 OPS with 13 homers and 27 RBI in 45 games since mid-July.
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