Friday’s MLB slate is loaded with superstar pitching talent. Clayton Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg will all be on the mound. While a home start for Kershaw was impossible to resist, we found another potential pitching gem for Friday’s action. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants offense has shown flashes and could be worth focusing on for a potential hitting stack to compliment the star batters in our lineup. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Friday’s DraftKings MLB fantasy leagues.
P: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
Salary: $10,000
Kershaw was cruising in his last start against the Rockies. That was until Mark Reynolds hit a two-run home run in the sixth that was followed up by a solo home run from Gerardo Parra. Kershaw still struck out sick and walked only one batter but he also took the loss. We expect a better performance from Kershaw on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kershaw went 8-1 with a 1.08 ERA in his home starts last season. He is definitely worth the investment in DraftKings competitions.
P: Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves
Salary: $8,700
Looking solely at numbers produced this season, Teheran is the best available option in DraftKings competitions for Friday. The 26-year-old hasn’t allowed a run through his first 13 innings pitched. Teheran owns a 1.08 WHIP and has thrown 10 strikeouts through his first 13 innings of work. The fact that Teheran hasn’t picked up a win is entirely on the Braves bats. However, he should have an excellent opportunity to get in to the win column at home on Friday. Jhoulys Chacin on the mound for San Diego.
C: Jonathan Lucroy, Texas Rangers
Salary: $4,000
Lucroy hasn’t been at his best out of the gate this season but there is reason to believe he can turn things around. The veteran catcher is 4-for-9 at the plate over his last two games, including his first home run of the season. Matt Shoemaker has struggled for the Los Angeles Angels this season so Lucroy should be an excellent option at catcher.
1B: Brandon Belt, San Francisco Giants
Salary: $3,700
Tyler Anderson has allowed five earned runs in each of his first two starts of the season for Colorado. That means the Giants bats should make for an excellent stack in daily MLB fantasy leagues. San Francisco has struggled out of the gate this season so it will be that much more important for them to pick up a win on Friday night.
2B: Joe Panik, San Francisco Giants
Salary: $3,600
Panik has been one of the Giants best hitters so far this season. He has hit .345 with seven runs scored. At just $3.6K in DraftKings competitions, Panik should be a solid sleeper value pick with Anderson on the mound for Colorado.
3B: Pablo Sandoval, Boston Red Sox
Salary: $3,900
A former Giants bat gets in to our MLB fantasy lineup with Sandoval starting at third base for the Red Sox. Boston owns one of the most dangerous offenses in the majors and while Sandoval’s average isn’t great, he does have a couple of home runs with seven RBI.
SS: Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants
Salary: $3,500
Crawford is another solid pick after hitting .314 with seven runs and five RBI through his first 10 games played. San Francisco’s offense could explode in this game and we should have them covered with Belt, Panik and Crawford in our DraftKings lineup.
OF: Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
Salary: $5,300
Betts has struggled out of the gate this season but a lot of that has to do with the terrible flu bug that kept him out of the lineup last week. Betts should continue to feel better by the time that Friday rolls around. Chris Archer won’t be the easiest matchup, but Betts is a .348-career hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher.
OF: Nomar Mazara, Texas Rangers
Salary: $3,500
The 21-year-old Mazara is off to an excellent start this season as he has hit .394 with two home runs and nine RBI. The Rangers offense could be in for a big performance with Chacin on the mound for the Angels on Friday night.
OF: Kevin Pillar, Toronto Blue Jays
Salary: $3,400
The Blue Jays offense has been awful out of the gate this season and Pillar has been part of the problem. The veteran centerfielder has hit .241 without a single extra-base hit. However, it should only be a matter of time before Toronto’s bats come alive and it could happen Friday with Wade Miley on the mound for Baltimore. At just $3.4K, Pillar is an intriguing sleeper pick for Friday’s MLB fantasy competitions.
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