This article is part of our FantasyAces MLB series.
Be sure to checkout tonight's FAWBC Qualifier, first place wins an entry to the $250K FantasyAces World Baseball Championship live in Anaheim, California at Angel Stadium August 15th. Only 20 will win a trip to the final, the winner takes home $100K.
FantasyAces offers a great selection of contests for Friday night's huge slate of 14 night games. They have their own idiosyncrasies in scoring and positions, so here's a breakdown.
OPS is a great indicator of point potential under the scoring system with walks being worth just as much as singles and the progression of points per extra base is one per. Strikeouts are pretty heavily penalized, so be diligent with those prone to strikeouts or those against a high-strikeout pitcher. While on the pitching side, strikeouts aren't quite as overpowering as on other DFS sites and pitchers who can keep their pitch count low and go deeper into games can be better rewarded.
Also, its worth touching on FantasyAces's two formats. Classic is your run of the mill salary cap format, but SalaryPro is an innovative new format giving those with the best ROI's the advantage. In SalaryPro you earn bonus points for your team's payroll falling under the cap. Here's how it work's specifically:
Every $50 under the cap = +.10 Point (10 bonus points max at $5,000 under cap)*
*Bonus doesn't kick in until you are at least $250 under the Salary Cap
Pitchers
Zack Greinke ($7,650): Greinke has been very good this season, has the home field advantage of Dodger Stadium, and opposes a San Diego Padres squad that has been extremely cold at the plate coming off getting shutout by young Kyle Hendricks on Thursday. Greinke pitches similarly to Hendricks, so expect similar results.
Carlos Carrasco ($6,850): Carrasco's 4.98 ERA is deceiving, as its complemented by a .371 BABIP. That's an extremely high BABIP, and Carrasco's 2.81 FIP and 10.59 K/9 showcases how well he has actually pitched. Progressive Field is infamously pitcher-friendly, and as long as Carrasco doesn't give the Reds long balls, they really do struggle to manufacture runs.
Noah Syndergaard ($5,750) or Gerrit Cole ($7,200): The ultimate risk/reward vs. safe conundrum. The young Syndergaard, also know as Thor, throws an electric 97+ mph fastball, gets a strikeout prone Pirates squad, and does so within the pitcher-friendly confines of PNC Park. Cole will be the opposing pitcher and is fantastic in every pitching category with a fastball nearly as hot as Syndergaard's, a 9.8 K/9 and a 2.48 FIP. This matchup presents risking on the young high potential vs. the proven ace. The Mets aren't superbly prone to striking out, so for the price, there's no doubting that Synergaard offers more upside.
Other options:Michael Pineda ($6,750); Chris Archer ($6,700); Ubaldo Jimenez ($6,000)
Yep, fading the top two pitchers in Max Scherzer and Felix Hernandez. The Phillies get picked on a lot, but they don't strikeout very much and Scherzer's high price is hard to put up knowing that. The Blue Jays, especially at home, are the most potent offense in the game – plus, with Hernandez coming off a less-than-stellar outing, he's probably worth sitting on.
Catchers
Brian McCann ($4,900): Against a Colby Lewis that is very poor against left-handed batters, McCann fits firmly in a strong left-handed stack for the Yankees.
Chris Iannetta ($3,500): He's hot with over a 1.000 OPS over the last 14 days, and is possibly worth a gamble at such a low price. Plus, Rick Porcello is one of the lesser-hostile matchups of the day.
Corner Infielders
Mark Teixeira ($5,350): The hottest of the Yankees stack, he's great from the left side and leads the team in home runs. The wind will be blowing out, and it's time for another dinger.
Aramis Ramirez ($4,700): The Brewers are a sneaky stack with a righty-heavy lineup that hits exceptionally well against lefties. Ramirez has made a career of exploiting these types of matchups.
Other Options:Anthony Rizzo ($5,800); Alex Rodriguez ($4,850); Ryan Zimmerman ($5,050)
Middle Infielders
Hector Gomez ($3,300): Gomez is the discount special of the day. He hits toward the bottom of the order, but at near minimum price against a lefty. Nothing stands out for Gomez except for a surprisingly high .189 ISO. At $3,300, he offers some bang-or-bust value, but he's worth a look at a minimum price.
Brad Miller ($4,250): Miller has been playing everywhere but middle infield lately, but luckily he's still eligible here and at a very fair price. He has a 1.026 OPS over the last 14 days and, more importantly, has a fantastic .926 OPS against righties this season. Not to mention the launching pad he'll be playing in known as the Rogers Centre.
Other Options:Jason Kipnis ($5,250); Ian Desmond ($4,500); Brandon Crawford ($4,750)
Outfielders
Carlos Beltran ($4,650): Since Ellsbury was placed on the disabled list, Beltran has reaped the benefits of being moved up in the order, posting an .854 OPS. Combine that with an OPS .176 points higher when hitting from the left side, and Beltran is an excellent play (and at this price even a value).
Michael Brantley ($5,550): Brantley is just about as good as a left-handed hitter as you'll find. He hits, runs the bases and posses an uncanny ability to hit extremely well at home in what is normally not a kind park for hitters. Regardless of where you go with your outfielders, it's hard to justify not coughing up some serious dough with some very good and very hot hitters being positioned here.
Other Options:Bryce Harper ($6,000); Nelson Cruz ($6,000); Dexter Fowler ($4,900), Ryan Braun ($5,300); Carlos Gomez ($5,300); Brett Gardner ($4,850)
Designated Hitter
FantasyAces lists DHs as just that, and the only way to incorporate them into your lineup is through the utility spot, but of course any player (except for a pitcher) can be slotted there.
