This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
After a few slow days on the diamond, we're back with a 10-game main slate Friday evening, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. EDT. Only one pitcher is priced in five-figures, giving you an idea what type of offensive slate should be expected. That said, only Coors Field with Rockies - Mariners has a double-digit run total, with Braves - Rangers the next closest at 9.5. Lineup builds will be fascinating as the expected runs are coming from bat/struggling offenses who aren't receiving the price bump usually associated with Coors Field.
We need to keep an eye on rain at Yankee Stadium and Coors Field, which looks like the biggest threat. Wind could be a favorable in Minnesota for hitters.
Pitching
Jack Flaherty, DET at MIN ($8,800): If forced to pay up, I may side with the other side of this matchup, or perhaps Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but Flaherty looks like a nice mix of potential/floor at a lesser price. Minnesota's lineup is injured and not producing, sitting with the second-lowest wOBA off righties at .271 while striking out at a targetable 27.6 percent clip. Flaherty has gone six innings in all three of his starts, earning two quality starts. I don't love that he's facing this lineup for a consecutive outing, but he did fan eight Twins last time out. Flaherty has a 28.8 percent fly ball rate, making him unlikely to be bothered by potential winds blowing out.
Triston McKenzie, CLE vs. OAK ($8,600): Surely this is the spot for McKenzie to get his seaaon on track? The numbers are ugly; he's been hit hard twice, has a 6.23 ERA and higher 7.71 xFIP, is striking out just 3.5 per nine while walking 8.3 per nine, and his only solid showing came against the lowly White Sox, and it's a game he didn't strike out a batter. I wish the price was lower given all that, but on a slate with limited elite options, he's worth a shot in GPPs. Oakland has a weak .116 ISO, walks at just an 8.3 percent clip while fanning 27.0 percent of the time.
Matt Waldron, SD vs. TOR ($7,500): The bottom tier doesn't present favorably if we're not touching a pitcher in Coors while pairing that with my continued trust in DL Hall who hasn't returned the favor. Waldron and his adversary are interesting considerations as a result, but I trust Waldron to get more innings, and thus, more potential with a decent floor. He's worked at least five innings in two outings, is averaging an unsustainable career-best 10.0 K/9, and the 3.14 ERA is reasonably backed by a 4.10 xFIP. Toronto doesn't strike out a ton at just 21.5 percent and present with a league-average 100 wRC+ off righties, severely capping upside. But a 20-25 fantasy point outing is decent enough.
Top Targets
It certainly presents as though this is Mookie Betts ($4,500) and then everyone else, despite being the highest-priced bat. He's sporting a .468 wOBA, 198 wRC+ and okay enough .226 ISO off lefties to date, and is 10-for-29 (.345) with three homers and a 1.268 OPS off Mets' starter Sean Manaea.
Five of the top nine bats come from the Atlanta - Texas game, and while I'd never fade either lineup, perhaps secondary shares there make more sense while targeting top options in other matchups. Juan Soto ($4,300) is likely overlooked as a result and is seemingly matchup proof, but pricey. They aren't plus matchups, but for the price point, Bobby Witt ($4,000) or Fernando Tatis ($3,800) stand out as discounted top bats for floor and ceiling. Tatis has struggled at home, but is hitting .313 off righties. Witt faces Dean Kremer, who is allowing a .412 wOBA to righties against .231 to lefties.
Bargain Bats
Is this price real on Julio Rodriguez ($3,500)? Yes, he's hitting .219 overall and hasn't homered, but he is 5-for-14 with two doubles in his last three. This is going to be the extremist of the extreme chalk, but we know there's upside that can be missed. And if everyone else does it, there's an argument to do it to and be different elsewhere. Staying in the same game, Mariners' starter Emerson Hancock is getting pelted by right-handed bats to the tune of a .497 wOBA and 1.203 ISO. Ezequiel Tovar ($3,400) is the obvious play, while Elias Diaz ($3,200) could come less rostered.
Michael Harris ($3,100) hasn't taken off since moving into the 2-hole in this potent lineup, but neither has his price. Hitting between all of Atlanta's firepower, he merits nightly consideration. Corey Seager ($3,600) hasn't shown much power but is priced down similar to Rodriguez, making for a fair in to the Rangers, while Jonah Heim ($2,900) and/or Wyatt Langford ($2,800) hit in run-producing spots and are cheaper. This trio is certainly stackable.
Matt Champan ($3,000) has a .439 wOBA and 180 wRC+ in 23 plate appearances against lefties entering Friday's matchup with Jordan Montgomery, who was not sharp in his minor league tune up prior to Friday's first start of the year.
Stacks to Consider
Orioles vs. Alec Marsh (Royals): Gunnar Henderson ($3,800), Cedric Mullins ($3,100), Ryan O'Hearn ($2,900)
Teams have been running left-handed heavy lineups at Marsh through three starts, and he's responded by shutting those down and allowing damage to righties. Home/Road splits are too early to heavily consider, but Marsh was far worse to both sided bats in his lone home start. Making this even more challenging, Baltimore's lineup is a daily guess, and while none of their hitters have seen Marsh more than three times, they're a collective 2-for-21 off him. Lefties did crush Marsh last year for a .410 wOBA and .968 OPS, so we're going to back that larger sample size and target three of Baltimore's many lefty options. Henderson is our rock atop the lineup, sporting a .475 wOBA 221 wRC+ and .412 ISO off righties. The other two pieces sit at .435/192/.364 and .456/207/.348, giving us some big power potential. It's not a traditional stack given expected lineup positions, so feel free to alter pieces once the batting order is known.
Cardinals vs. DL Hall (Brewers): Brendan Donovan ($3,200), Willson Contreras ($3,100), Paul Goldschmidt ($2,900)
Low hanging fruit against the slate's lowest priced arm, and I still back Hall's talent. But the price point on these Cardinal bats is too good to pass up. The LvL splits thus far are terrific for Donovan and Goldschmidt, even if the latter offers no power of yet. The former offers a ton of position flexibility and is a terrific stand alone play. Hall is allowing a massive .491 wOBA and 1.130 OPS to righties to date, bringing Contreras in play as a third top of the order option to make for a traditional stack, even if they only get to face Hall twice.
