This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
It's both the end of the traditional work week and the last day of September. This is the final Friday of the MLB regular season, and what we have on our hands is 14 games in the evening. Time to end the month with gusto! Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Corbin Burnes, MIL vs. MIA ($10,500): This is likely to be a pitcher's duel, as the Marlins are starting Sandy Alcantara. That being said, I prefer Burnes. It's partially because in his career he has a 3.28 ERA, 2.82 FIP and has struck out 11.73 batters per nine innings. The primary reason to prefer Burnes in this batter of aces, though, is the fact the Marlins are 28th in runs scored and 27th in team OPS.
Logan Gilbert, SEA vs. OAK ($8,400): Gilbert's last start was rough, but prior to that he had a six-game stretch where he posted an 1.57 ERA. All in all, he has a 3.29 ERA on the campaign. I expect him to get back on track, as the Athletics are 29th in runs scored and neck-and-neck with the Tigers for last in team OPS.
Alex Cobb, SF vs. ARI ($7,700): Cobb is a different pitcher at home, where he has a 2.40 ERA. On top of that, while he has a 3.67 ERA all in all this season, his FIP is 2.92, the same as he had last year. Arizona and San Francisco are both in the middle of the league in runs scored, but Arizona has a .304 OBP as a team as well.
Top Targets
He started the season slow, but I never stopped believing in Bo Bichette ($5,300). In the end, that paid off. He's hitting .285 with 24 home runs, 12 stolen bases and a whopping 42 doubles. Not only that, but he has a .936 OPS over the last three weeks. Nick Pivetta has a 4.48 ERA all in all, but over his last six starts, he has a 5.72 ERA.
It's been a typical season for Eugenio Suarez ($4,300) in some ways, such as the fact his average is pretty poor but he has 31 home runs. However, this year he has been unusually good against lefties, sporting a .960 OPS against them. Through his first five MLB starts, Ken Waldichuk has a 7.15 ERA and has allowed 1.99 home runs per nine innings. Also, righties have hit .319 against the southpaw.
Bargain Bats
Taylor Ward ($4,200) started the season red hot and has returned to that form. Over the last three weeks he has an 1.063 OPS. He also has an .862 OPS at home in 2022. Glenn Otto has a 4.73 ERA, but a 5.21 FIP. Also, he's surprisingly handled lefties well, but righties have hit .257 against him.
Lefty Nick Gordon ($2,900) has hit .272 with nine homers and six stolen bases. While his fellow southpaws have kept him in check, Gordon has a .792 OPS versus righties. Drew Hutchison has a 5.70 ERA over his last six starts and has allowed nine home runs in 30.0 innings. On top of that, lefties have hit .291 against him.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Rockies (Chad Kuhl): Mookie Betts ($5,800), Freddie Freeman ($5,400), Will Smith ($5,200)
It's a high-salary stack, but a worthy one. Kuhl actually has been worse this season away from Coors. In road games he has a 5.84 ERA and has allowed 1.8 home runs per nine innings. I have two righties in this stack, because Kuhl has let his fellow right-handers hit .301 against him.
Betts has 35 home runs and 37 doubles. This year he's been great against lefties, but his .829 OPS against righties is still quite good. So is his .876 OPS at home. Freeman is a lefty, but one with an 1.006 OPS against righties since 2020. If that wasn't enough, over the last three weeks he has an 1.047 OPS. You can stick Smith in as your catcher in your lineup, and he's a catcher with a .263 average and 23 home runs. He also has an .841 OPS over the last two weeks.
Rangers at Angels (Tucker Davidson): Marcus Semien ($4,500), Adolis Garcia ($4,200), Jonah Heim ($3,300)
In seven starts as an Angel, Davidson has a 6.96 ERA. The lefty has also let right-handers hit .281 against him for good measure. If that wasn't enough, Davidson has also struck out a mere 5.66 batters per nine innings. That should mean a lot of contact.
Semien has racked up 26 home runs and 24 stolen bases. His new home park hasn't worked out great for him, but he has an .841 OPS on the road. Garcia has a .921 OPS over the last three weeks. That's helped him tally 26 homers and 25 stolen bases himself. If you want a catcher for less salary than Will Smith, Heim is a fine option. He's a switch hitter, but he has an .838 OPS versus lefties.
Phillies at Nationals (Erick Fedde): Bryce Harper ($5,100), Kyle Schwarber ($4,800), Brandon Marsh ($2,100)
Patrick Corbin is having a start skipped due to an injury, so we have Fedde projected to start Friday. This is a three-lefty stack, so it's reliant on a righty being the actual starter. This is also now the second leg of a doubleheader, for what that's worth. Fedde has a career 5.28 ERA and a 5.34 ERA this year. He's also allowed 1.51 home runs per nine innings in his career, playing into the hands of two of the guys in this stack.
Since 2020, Harper has an 1.064 OPS versus righties. He's typically been better at home since joining the Phillies, but this year he has a .973 OPS on the road. Schwarber has 42 home runs and is primed to lead the National League on that front. He also has an .887 OPS against right-handed pitchers since 2020. Marsh has an .853 OPS over the last three weeks. All in all, he has a .719 OPS against righties in his career.
