This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
A loaded 12-game slate awaits Friday evening at FanDuel's main slate, starting at 7:05 p.m. ET. While only two pitchers are priced in the five figures, seven more are in the $9,000 tier, giving us plenty of high-end options to consider. We don't have a double-digit run line on the slate, further suggesting pitching should be plentiful. Dodgers-Rockies is our highest expected scoring game at 9.5, with Red Sox-Twins coming in at 9.0. Three games have a slate-low 7.0 run expectancy. The Dodgers are currently without a listed/confirmed starter.
Wind looks to be blowing in somewhat heavily in Boston and New York, with some rain potential in Boston as well. Lighter outbound winds are possible in Los Angeles, aiding that high run total.
Pitching
Joe Musgrove, SD vs. CWS ($9,900): There's likely no value to be had, as this is chalk city given the opponent, so I'd fade Musgrove for tournaments, and likely just take him along with everyone else in cash formats and look to be different with your bats. Musgrove is in decent form, earning four quality starts in his last five. Oddly, it's resulted in peaks and valleys in his fantasy scoring, with three games north of 50 points and two of 22 points or fewer in FanDuel scoring, which completely contradicts the cash/GPP thoughts. The matchup should negate that.
Charlie Morton, ATL vs. MIA ($9,700): I rarely highlight two higher-priced options in this column, but this slate seems to call for it. Morton has innings limitations, having not worked more than six since July 10. While that's enough for a win/quality start, it's not massive for elite upside. That's countered by the matchup. Morton has dominated this lineup, which is currently 10-for-50 (.200) with a .513 OPS and 30.9 percent strikeout rate against him. Morton has typically had one blow-up inning and has been solid otherwise. Miami doesn't have the firepower for that blowup. He's fanned six or more in seven straight.
Richard Fitts, BOS vs. MIN ($5,500): I don't have a lot of faith in the middle-tier options Friday, whether it be their opponent or price paired with a lack of upside. So if we're not paying up, why not completely punt the position and stack our offense? Fitts has no strikeout potential with just 3.9 per nine in the majors after 8.6 at Triple-A. He's yet to allow a run at this high level across 10.2 innings but he has a concerning 5.68 xFIP. He's worked five or more innings in both of his outings, which creates a reasonable floor, especially at this price, if he can again limit the damage. He showed a 42.4 percent ground ball rate in the minors, and it sits at 38.2 percent since his promotion. And if the wind is as substantial as it looks, fly balls won't be an issue. Twenty FanDuel points are within reach, which is more than enough at this price.
Top Targets
Shohei Ohtani ($4,700) scored 110.8 points on FanDuel last night and isn't the highest-priced bat on the slate. Let that sink in, but don't chase yesterday's performance. He is 2-for-3 with a homer off Rockies starter Kyle Freeland.
Unlike pitching, where we're top-heavy, hitters seem to offer more high-end value, with only seven options priced at $4,000 or greater. Brent Rooker ($3,900) has gained permanent space in this section. He's on a nine-game hitting streak, reaching at least 9.2 fantasy points in eight. He likely will be heavily faded against Gerrit Cole.
Fernando Tatis ($3,700) remains a favorite of mine, and I simply don't understand why his price isn't higher. He's homered five times in his last eight and has 16 hits in 14 games since returning from injury. White Sox starter Garrett Crochet won't work long, but he'll get two at-bats against a lefty before facing a weak White Sox bullpen.
This is strictly a BvP play, as David Peterson has been pitching well beyond his means for most of the last two months. Bryce Harper ($3,600) is 7-for-17 (.412) with a 1.147 OPS off the Mets starter.
Bargain Bats
Luisangel Acuna ($2,300) isn't certain to play, pending Francisco Lindor's availability. But he's got eight hits in six games since promotion, including two homers, a double and a triple, scoring and driving in five. It's not the easiest of matchups against Cristopher Sanchez, but for the price, six points is good enough.
Gleyber Torres ($3,000) is 0-for-9 over his last two games but was previously in solid form and gives a decently cheap Yankees option while hitting leadoff. For the same price, Atlanta offers a surging Michael Harris ($3,000), who has four homers in his last three games, and Ozzie Albies ($3,000), returning from the injured list (IL) and hitting right-handed exclusively. He's always been a better hitter from the right side and Marlins starter Valente Bellozo is allowing a .401 wOBA and .959 OPS to righties at home.
Pavin Smith ($2,900) has nine hits in his last six games and boasts a .407 wOBA, 162 wRC+ and .298 ISO off righties.
Finally, I can't get behind an Angels stack, but it's no secret Justin Verlander isn't elite at this stage. Los Angeles has faced him twice this season, earning 11 hits and six runs in 10 innings, but there are next to no BvP trends to back. Nolan Schanuel ($2,800) is in the best form with a 10-game hitting streak.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Tyler Anderson (Angels): Yordan Alvarez ($3,700), Kyle Tucker ($3,600), Jose Altuve ($3,300)
The Astros' roster decimates Anderson, with them going a collective 45-for-142 (.317) with a .960 OPS, so you can truthfully consider all nine of their hitters once the lineup card comes out. They've hit seven homers off of him, with this trio getting five (Alex Bregman has the other two). Further, they are 23-for-52 (.442) with 14 RBI. Altuve's slumping price makes this a pretty affordable and traditional lineup stack, though likely coming at the expense of fading most of the top options mentioned above.
Dodgers vs. Kyle Freeland (Rockies): Mookie Betts ($4,200, Teoscar Hernandez ($3,600), Will Smith ($3,200)
None of this trio is in elite form, but assuming Ohtani doesn't homer three times and drive in 10 again, they give us three right-handed bats to drive him in once he inevitably gets on base. Freeland continues to have curious splits where he struggles away from Coors Field and is allowing a .386 wOBA and .908 OPS to righties. Keep an eye on the Dodgers' lineup card and don't be afraid to get unconventional and creative with this. It's feasible, and affordable, to grab a few bottom-of-the-order pieces and pair them with Ohtani.
