With just over one week left in the regular season, there are still plenty of intriguing storylines to monitor, and compelling matchups with serious playoff implications, on tap for Friday’s jam-packed 15-game docket.
In addition to a pivotal showdown in the heart of Texas between the Mariners and Rangers, there’s a critical South Beach face-off between the Brewers and Marlins that will have immense playoff scenario ramifications.
There are a few intriguing stack options and low-cost savvy starting pitching options for savvy fantasy managers to speculate on, which should make for an exciting evening of late-season baseball.
Weather Report
There's a potential in-game delay in Washington with rain in the forecast for later in the contest. There's risk for starting pitchers here, but not enough to avoid this matchup.
Injury Report
Royce Lewis, Twins 3B (hamstring)
Lewis sat out Wednesday afternoon’s matinee against the Reds following an early exit Tuesday with left hamstring tightness. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day heading into Friday’s series opener against the Angels.
Brandon Lowe, Rays 2B (knee)
Lowe was lifted from the ninth inning Thursday against the Angels after fouling a ball off his right knee earlier in the contest. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern, but it’s a situation worth tracking closely ahead of Friday’s showdown against the Blue Jays.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays 1B (knee)
Guerrero Jr. is day-to-day with right knee inflammation after undergoing an MRI Wednesday night that didn’t reveal structural damage. The 24-year-old slugger appeared as a pinch-hitter Thursday against the Yankees, which seems to suggest that he could be ready to return this weekend.
Luis Arraez, Marlins 2B (ankle)
Arraez has missed two games since being scratched from Tuesday’s lineup after suffering a left ankle sprain during pregame infield drills. It sounds like he’ll be a game-time decision for Friday’s critical series opener against the Brewers.
Jake Burger, Marlins 3B (quad)
Burger is day-to-day heading into Friday’s series opener against the Brewers after being lifted from Wednesday’s game against the Mets with right quad tightness.
Christian Yelich, Brewers OF (back)
Yelich has missed 12 of Milwaukee's last 13 games due to an ongoing lower back issue, so it’s nearly impossible to forecast when he’ll be ready to return at this juncture. He’s too risky to roll with during Friday’s series opener in Miami.
DJ Stewart, Mets OF (wrist)
Stewart has missed two straight games due to left wrist soreness and should be considered day-to-day for the moment.
Ha-Seong Kim, Padres 2B/3B (abdomen)
Kim has missed four straight games due to abdominal tightness, but it sounds like he could be ready for Friday’s pivotal series opener against the Cardinals.
Willson Contreras, Cardinals C (wrist)
Contreras will miss the remainder of the regular season after undergoing an MRI on Thursday that revealed left wrist tendonitis.
Top Priced Starting Pitchers (DraftKings)
- Pablo López (MIN) vs. LAA: $10,700
- Framber Valdez (OAK) vs. KC: $10,200
- Charlie Morton (ATL) vs. WSH: $9,900
- Shane Bieber (CLE) vs. BAL: $9,400
- Chris Sale (BOS) vs. CWS: $9,200
- Dean Kremer (BAL) vs. CLE: $8,700
- Taijuan Walker (PHI) vs. NYM: $8,200
- Bryce Miller (SEA) vs. TEX: $8,100
- Dane Dunning (TEX) vs. SEA: $7,900
- Cole Ragans (KC) vs. HOU: $7,800
Pablo López is aiming to rebound on Friday night with an extremely favorable matchup against a floundering Angels’ lineup on the heels of one of his worst outings of the season in which he gave up five runs over five innings last Saturday against the White Sox. It’s not hyperbolic to suggest that Los Angeles’ lineup is the worst in baseball at the moment with a .684 OPS over the last 30 days, which ranks fifth worst in baseball during that span.
Framber Valdez has been phenomenal of late for the Astros and finds himself squaring off against a Kansas City lineup that ranks 22nd in baseball this season with a pedestrian .710 OPS against left-handed pitching. The 29-year-old southpaw has allowed three earned runs or fewer in five consecutive starts since August 25 and allowed just one run (zero earned) over seven frames his last time out against the Royals in Kansas City on September 17.
Shane Bieber makes his return to Cleveland’s starting rotation following a two-month absence due to right elbow inflammation and shouldn’t have any workload restrictions when he takes the ball on Friday night in a tough spot against the Orioles.
It’s an extremely tough road matchup Friday night against the Astros, who tagged him for five runs over six innings on Saturday in his previous start, but there’s an argument to be made the Cole Ragans has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since the All-Star break, posting a microscopic 2.28 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 76/19 K/BB ratio across 59 1/3 innings (10 starts). The 25-year-old southpaw’s stratospheric strikeout upside makes him an interesting option for fantasy managers despite the challenging matchup.
Sneaky Option
Sawyer Gipson-Long, Tigers RHP, vs. Athletics: $7,700
Gipson-Long finds himself in line for an extremely favorable matchup on Friday night when he faces off against the rebuilding Athletics in pitcher-friendly Oakland. The unheralded 25-year-old right-hander has allowed just three runs on six hits with a 16/3 K/BB ratio across 10 innings over a pair of starts since receiving the call to the majors. He may not be a household name, but it’s a phenomenal matchup and he offers enough strikeout potential to be a worthwhile gamble for fantasy managers in this one.
Stack Attack
Braves vs. Nationals (LHP Patrick Corbin)
The best offense in baseball against a pedestrian southpaw is the obvious foundational building block for fantasy managers on Friday evening. There’s no platoon advantage for Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies, but they’ve been so hot of late that it’s difficult to justify leaving them out of the lineup mix.
- OF Ronald Acuña Jr.: $6,800
- 1B Matt Olson: $6,400
- 2B Ozzie Albies: $5,800
- 3B Austin Riley: $5,600
- OF Marcell Ozuna: $4,600
Yankees vs. Diamondbacks (RHP Brandon Pfaadt)
The combination of hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium and homer-prone rookie right-hander Brandon Pfaadt have the potential to lead to some fireworks. Aaron Judge would be the preferred centerpiece, but Gleyber Torres, Anthony Volpe and DJ LeMahieu also make sense in this matchup.
- OF Aaron Judge.: $6,500
- 2B Gleyber Torres: $4,700
- SS Anthony Volpe: $4,000
- 2B DJ LeMahieu: $3,700
Dodgers vs. Giants (LHP Sean Manaea)
Los Angeles has enough lefty-mashing platoon options to stack their lineup advantageously against the division-rival Giants on Friday evening with a red-hot J.D. Martinez, who has homered four times in his last four games, headlining the stacking options in this one. Fantasy managers should also consider lower-cost options like Enrique Hernández, Chris Taylor and Amed Rosario as well.
- OF Mookie Betts: $6,600
- 1B Freddie Freeman: $6,000
- OF J.D. Martinez: $5,000
- C Will Smith: $5,400
- 2B/SS Amed Rosario: $3,500
- 3B/OF Chris Taylor: $3,400
- 3B/OF Enrique Hernández: $2,900
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