Although the NFL will now start taking away a lot of our attention, there is still money to be made in daily fantasy baseball.
Friday’s contests feature some players to avoid, such as Dallas Keuchel ($13,400 is too much for a pitcher who often struggles on the road), as well as red-hot superstars to pounce on, such as Yoenis Cespedes ($5,100). Beyond that, here is a look at a few options you might have overlooked heading into the weekend.
Steven Matz, SP, New York Mets ($8,400)
While the New York Mets and their fans aren’t exactly excited to see Matt Harvey limited going forward, the return of Steven Matz certainly eases concerns. The rookie returned from the disabled list last week and produced 5.1 innings of two-run ball before coming out with a blister.
Fortunately, ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin reported this won’t affect the pitcher going forward:
In three career starts, Matz has a 1.90 ERA, .172 opponent batting average and an average of 23.8 fantasy points per game on DraftKings. Against an Atlanta Braves team that has struggled mightily down the stretch, the 24-year-old lefty should be able to keep up the good production.
Cody Anderson, SP, Cleveland Indians ($5,900)
With the exception of a few hiccups, Cody Anderson has had a strong rookie season with the Cleveland Indians. He doesn’t post high strikeout totals, but he has allowed only two runs or fewer in seven of his 11 starts.
In his last appearance, the right-handed pitcher amassed seven scoreless innings with only two hits allowed. His opponent in that win was the Detroit Tigers, and he faces them again Friday.
It’s possible the veteran hitters will learn from their mistakes, but the cost makes it a worthwhile bet that we see more of the same.
Mark Canha, 1B/OF, Oakland Athletics ($4,200)
The middle of the year wasn’t great for Mark Canha, but the 26-year-old player is ending his rookie year on a high note. His .309 batting average in August led to a .313 mark so far in September, including a 10-for-24 stretch with three home runs during his current six-game hitting streak.
Playing in a hitter’s park against the Texas Rangers with a struggling Colby Lewis on the mound (11 earned runs and 17 hits allowed in his past two starts), Canha could be in for more success.
Brandon Moss, 1B/OF, St. Louis Cardinals ($3,600)
Although the consistency isn’t always there, Brandon Moss is always a threat to go deep.
Everyone on the St. Louis roster will have a strong chance of posting good numbers against Cincinnati Reds starter Michael Lorenzen, who has fallen apart as of late. After posting a 3.53 ERA in 14 appearances heading into the All-Star break, the youngster has accumulated a 10.43 ERA in seven starts since.
Stacking the lineup with Cardinals is a good plan, but in any case, you should start with a value play like what you can get from Moss.
Jedd Gyorko, 2B/3B, San Diego Padres ($2,800)
The San Diego Padres have been praying for Jedd Gyorko‘s power to return to what it was in his rookie season, and it seems the calls have finally been answered. The third-year player has been on an extra-base tear as of late to go with a consistent approach at the plate. He enters Friday with at least one hit in 12 of his last 13 games.
Even going on the road for a series against the San Francisco Giants shouldn’t stop you from taking advantage of this great value in your lineup.
Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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