This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Fan Duel has a 15-game slate for Major League Baseball on Friday. There are a few interesting games to look at, including the seven pitchers who are -130 favorites or better according to Vegas. That includes Clayton Kershaw, who is a -300 favorite which may be the biggest line we have seen all season. We also have only four games with a run total under 7.5, so 11 of these matchups are expected to yield a good amount of runs. Here are some of the value plays to keep an eye on for Friday:
Starting Pitcher
J.A. Happ ($7,300)
Happ has been great in three of his last four starts. He had 14.33 points against Houston, 18.66 against Texas, threw in a clunker against Houston for only six fantasy points, and bounced back in his last start with 16 against Oakland. He gets to pitch in the friendly confines of Safeco Field, which is one the Major League's best pitcher's parks. He also faces a Red Sox team that is currently hitting a league worst .184 against left-handed pitching and has a 23.5 percent strikeout rate. Happ has 28 strikeouts in his last 25 innings, so this is a high strikeout pitcher on his game against a team that has struck out often. The strikeouts give him a nice floor and the ballpark should help limit runs. A lot of strikeouts without the negative event of runs scored equals a solid fantasy day at a square price.
Catcher
Yasmani Grandall ($3,000)
Grandall has one of the better matchups Friday as he goes up against right-hander Jesse Hahn who has been getting hit pretty hard in recent outings. The Lefty often starts against right-handed pitching and bats sixth in the order with high on-base guys like Adrian Gonzalez in front of him. Grandall is hitting .298 with a .917 slugging percentage with most of that damage coming off right-handed pitching. The expensive options all have tougher matchups, so the savings and consistency he has shown make him a solid play.
First Base
Carlos Santana ($3,500)
Santana often goes overlooked on FanDuel with only first-base eligibility and so many options. He is one of the only guys in the Indians' lineup that can bat right-handed against a lefty and still produce. Santana has been moved to the two hole as well, which means he is being protected by the red hot Michael Brantley. He should see some pitches to hit against Wandy Rodriguez who has struggled over his career with right-handed power bats. The game is being played in a hitter's parkas well, so there is a lot to like with Santana.
Second Base
Jimmy Paredes ($3,500)
Paredes is no longer cheap, but he has continued to produce against right-handed pitching. He has 32 fantasy points in his last seven games, which means he is averaging about 4.6 per contest, making him an excellent value at his price. Throw in the matchup against Jared Weaver, who is highly unlikely to repeat his last dominant performance on the road in a hitter's park, and you likely have a guy with upside and consistency who will be lower-owned.
Third Base
David Freese ($2,700)
Freese has always hit left-handed pitching well. Last season he had a .320 batting average with 13 extra base hits in only 100 at-bats. This year his average is down a tad, but he does have three home runs in only 23 at-bats against southpaws. He gets a matchup with Wei-Yin Chen in a hitter's park. Chen has been solid lately, but the matchup data clearly favors Freese in this one. He will likely be hitting fourth or fifth, and is worth the chance at this price.
Shortstop
Elvis Andrus ($2,600)
Andrus is not someone on many people's radar, but he gets his preferred splits matchup against Bruce Chen, who should not still be pitching in the majors. Chen is a lefty and struggles with right-handed bats. Andrus should be in the two hole again, behind Shin-Soo Choo, and in front of Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre. That is prime lineup real estate, especially for someone playing at home in his hitter-friendly park, has the right splits, and is likely to be on base a few times for the big bats to drive in.
Outfield
Jason Heyward ($3,000)
This price seems way too cheap for a guy swinging a hot stick like Heyward. He is currently 0 for his last 11, but was 11 for 26 before this slump. He gets a matchup with Shane Greene, who has struggled with left-handed batters over his two short stints in the major leagues. Heyward has moved up in the order and into the spot vacated by Matt Adams. If Heyward in in the top five spots of the lineup, he becomes a steal at only $3,000.
David Peralta ($3,500)
Peralta bats cleanup when the Diamondbacks face a right-handed pitcher. When they face a guy who has been horrible, coming off over a year away from the game, and in a good hitter's park, than all the left-handers and righties who hit same-handed pitching well are in play. Peralta is the top option from those that fall into that category and should be lower owned as he usually is. He has 26 fantasy points over his last eight games, which is an average of about 3.25 per game.
Mike Trout ($5,200)
Yes, this is the value plays article, but a guy who is this good can still be a value at $5,200. Wei-Yin Chen really struggles with quality right-handed bats that have power. Trout is definitely one of those guys with enormous upside in this matchup. Trout is the biggest right-handed bat the Angels have and some would say one of the few bats period, lately. In a hitter's park against a middle-of-the-road pitcher, Trout should be a lock for your lineups. He has a better matchup than guys like Matt Kemp, Michael Brantley and Nelson Cruz who are all in his price range.
