Lineup Stacks
It’s a fully loaded 15-game slate Friday with southpaw’s Justin Steele and Tarik Skubal headlining the most intriguing foundational building blocks from a pitching standpoint.
Additionally, there are several stacking opportunities in the NL West, including tasty matchups in both Arizona and Colorado, to consider constructing the core of lineups around.
Weather Report
There are zero trouble spots on the radar, a relief for fantasy managers who have dealt with several rainouts this week, including a costly one Thursday that washed out a hitter-friendly contest at Coors Field in Colorado.
Injury Report
Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles 1B (shoulder)
Mountcastle is day-to-day after an MRI came back clean following his removal from Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals with left shoulder discomfort.
Shohei Ohtani, Angels DH (oblique)
There’s zero incentive for the Angels to take any chances at this juncture of the season, which has led to Ohtani missing 10 consecutive games with right oblique tightness. It’s difficult to forecast whether he’ll return for Friday’s series opener against the Tigers.
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Mickey Moniak, Angels OF (back)
Moniak has missed seven straight games after being scratched from last Thursday’s lineup due to back tightness. He’s theoretically day-to-day but is hardly a lock to return for Friday’s series opener against the Tigers.
Jarred Kelenic, Mariners OF (foot)
Kelenic sat out Wednesday’s game for precautionary reasons due to right foot soreness, but there’s a strong possibility he’ll be ready for Friday’s tilt against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
Mitch Garver, Rangers C (foot)
Garver is day-to-day with a left foot contusion after X-rays came back negative following his removal from Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Marlins OF (knee)
There isn’t a ton of clarity here after Chisholm Jr. was removed from Wednesday's game against the Brewers with right knee discomfort. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day entering Friday’s series opener against the division-rival Braves.
Christian Yelich, Brewers OF (back)
Yelich is expected to return for Friday’s series opener against the Nationals after missing six straight contests due to lower back soreness.
Mark Canha, Brewers OF (wrist)
Canha is day-to-day with left wrist soreness after an MRI on Thursday came back clean for any structural damage.
Ronny Mauricio, Mets SS (illness)
Mauricio remained absent from the Mets’ lineup for the second consecutive contest on Thursday afternoon due to illness. He was available off the bench, so it stands to reason that he’ll be cleared to return for Friday’s series opener against the Reds.
Brett Baty, 3B Mets (groin)
Baty underwent an MRI on Thursday that revealed a mild left groin strain and should be considered day-to-day for now.
Willson Contreras, Cardinals C (hand)
Contreras has been absent from the Cardinals’ lineup since being lifted from Tuesday’s game with a right-hand contusion.
Michael Conforto, Giants OF (hamstring)
Conforto is expected to be activated from the injured list for Friday’s series opener against the Rockies at Coors Field following a three-week absence due to a left hamstring strain.
Xander Bogaerts, Padres SS (calf)
Bogaerts sat out Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers with calf tightness after fouling a ball off his ankle on Tuesday night, which led to some bruising and lingering tightness in his calf. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.
Manny Machado, Padres 3B (elbow)
Machado continues to deal with tennis elbow, which has limited him to designated hitter duty the last few weeks.
Top Priced Starting Pitchers (DraftKings)
- Aaron Nola (PHI) vs. STL: $10,400
- Justin Steele (CHC) vs. AZ: $10,100
- George Kirby (SEA) vs. LAD: $9,500
- Zach Eflin (TB) vs. BAL: $9,300
- Hunter Greene (CIN) vs. NYM: $9,100
- Tarik Skubal (DET) vs. LAA: $9,000
- José Berríos (TOR) vs. BOS: $8,800
- Seth Lugo (SD) vs. OAK: $8,600
- Logan Webb (SF) vs. COL: $8,600
- Bailey Ober (MIN) vs. CWS: $8,500
There aren’t a ton of high-profile starting pitchers Friday, which make NL Cy Young Award candidate Justin Steele the obvious foundational building block for building a lineup. The 28-year-old left-hander has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 25 of his 27 starts this season, recording a 2.49 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 159/33 K/BB ratio across 159 innings of work.
He’s been on a roll, managing at least six strikeouts in 10 of his 11 outings since the All-Star break. He’s in line for a tasty road matchup Friday evening against a Diamondbacks’ lineup that ranks 22nd in baseball this season with a pedestrian .706 OPS against left-handed pitching.
Perhaps the most intriguing option outside of the top-five highest-priced options is Skubal, who not only possesses immense strikeout upside, but is also in line for an extremely favorable matchup against an Angels’ lineup that could potentially still be without superstar Shohei Ohtani.
The 26-year-old southpaw, who has notched at least seven strikeouts in five consecutive starts dating back to August 18, holds a solid 3.47 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 75/13 K/BB ratio across 62 1/3 innings (12 starts) since returning in early July to Detroit’s starting rotation.
Sneaky Option
Sean Newcomb, A’s LHP, vs. Padres: $5,700
Newcomb has quietly emerged as a savvy streaming option, tossing four scoreless frames with five strikeouts last Saturday against a loaded Rangers’ lineup. The A’s acquired the 30-year-old former top pitching prospect last month in an under-the-radar trade with the Giants and has reeled off a microscopic 0.75 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 15/6 K/BB ratio across 12 innings (six appearances, one start).
He’s in line for an extremely favorable matchup Friday night when he squares off against Cleveland’s lineup, which ranks dead last in baseball this season with a .653 OPS against left-handed pitching.
Stack Attack
Twins vs. White Sox (RHP Jesse Scholtens)
Scholtens has allowed five earned runs or more in three of his last five starts and will face off against a red-hot Twins’ lineup in the midst of a playoff chase. It’s a combination of factors that could lead to plenty of runs going up on the board Friday evening.
Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien and Jorge Polanco are the most obvious choices here, but Alex Kirilloff represents an extremely cheap option, and might be worthy of a look from fantasy managers, as he should be in the lineup to face Scholtens in this one.
- 3B Royce Lewis: $4,900
- 2B Jorge Polanco: $4,500
- OF Max Kepler: $3,800
- 2B Edouard Julien: $3,700
- 1B Alex Kirilloff: $2,800
Astros vs. Royals (RHP Zack Greinke)
In addition to a ghastly 1-15 record, Greinke has struggled to a bloated 5.47 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 84/19 K/BB ratio across 126 2/3 innings (26 appearances, 23 starts) in what will likely be his final season in the majors.
More importantly, he’s coughed up 19 homers during that span and will square off against a loaded Astros’ lineup on Friday night, which has been one of the hottest in baseball since the Midsummer Classic.
The usual core building blocks are all in the mix, but Chas McCormick and Yainer Diaz, who have certainly played like big boys this season, are sneaky options for fantasy managers in this one, assuming manager Dusty Baker writes their names on his lineup card.
- 2B Jose Altuve: $6,200
- OF Yordan Alvarez: $6,100
- OF Kyle Tucker: $5,800
- 3B Alex Bregman: $5,600
- OF Chas McCormick: $4,400
- C Yainer Diaz: $4,300
Cubs vs. Diamondbacks (RHP Brandon Pfaadt)
Pfaadt has had serious issues keeping the ball in the yard during his first taste of the majors, serving up a staggering 20 round-trippers in just 80 2/3 innings (16 appearances, 15 starts). Chicago’s lineup is stacked with several left-handed sluggers that appear poised to do some damage Friday night in Arizona, with Cody Bellinger representing the most obvious building block.
- OF Cody Bellinger: $6,400
- 2B Nico Hoerner: $5,700
- SS Dansby Swanson $5,400
- 3B/OF Christopher Morel: $5,300
- OF Ian Happ: $4,900
- OF Seiya Suzuki: $4,300
- C Yan Gomes: $3,500
Giants vs. Rockies (RHP Chase Anderson)
Like we were going to skip over Coors Field on a Friday night, seriously? The San Francisco lefty stack is arguably the most appealing build for fantasy managers with LaMonte Wade Jr., Mike Yastrzemski, Joc Pederson and Michael Conforto, who is expected to return from the injured list for Friday’s series opener, all serving as excellent options.
- OF Joc Pederson: $4,800
- OF Mike Yastrzemski: $4,400
- OF Michael Conforto: $4,000
- 1B LaMonte Wade Jr.: $4,100
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