This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Friday the 13th need not be unlucky. Maybe my DFS recommendations will help bring you some fortune to kick off this weekend. There are, fittingly, 13 games starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later. Here's who I'd consider for your lineups.
Pitching
Gerrit Cole, NYY at CWS ($9,600): Cole has been what we expected thus far. He has a 2.67 ERA and has struck out 10.98 batters per nine innings. Meanwhile, the White Sox have not been what we expected. They rank 28th in runs scored.
Josiah Gray, WAS vs. HOU ($8,700): Gray was the focal point of the big Max Scherzer and Trea Turner deal from a prospect standpoint. It seems like he's starting to show why that was the case. Over his last five starts he has a 2.63 ERA and he's struck out 9.77 batters per nine innings. The Astros probably won't be bottom-10 in runs scored all season, but they are there now. This is maybe a bit of a gamble, but Gray intrigues me.
Jordan Lyles, BAL at DET ($5,400): In three of his last four starts, Lyles has faced offenses among the worst in MLB: Boston, Oakland and Kansas City. He's allowed three runs across those starts. Well, the matchups remain in Lyles' favor. Now he will get to face a Tigers team that is last in runs scored.
Top Targets
On DraftKings, you need a catcher, and Salvador Perez ($5,300) hit 48 home runs last season. He'll be at Coors Field, where he'll face Kyle Freeland, who has a 4.84 ERA at home since 2020. This feels like a recipe for a home run for Perez to me.
It seems like Corey Seager ($4,800) is happy in his new home. The former Dodger has a 1.033 OPS at his new ballpark. The career .294 hitter does not have the numbers we expect, save for his seven home runs, but that should change. Now he's facing Nick Pivetta, who has a career 5.20 ERA.
Bargain Bats
The Diamondbacks have a lefty-heavy lineup, but righty Christian Walker ($3,700) is available to take advantage of this matchup with southpaw Drew Smyly. Smyly's first couple of starts went well, but he's allowed five home runs over his last three outings. Meanwhile, Walker has six home runs this year, and Arizona has a hitter-friendly ballpark.
Mark Canha ($3,200) is off to a strong start with his new team, at least in terms of getting on base. He's hit .313 with a .376 OBP. The power isn't there, but last season he hit 17 home runs while also stealing 12 bases for good measure. Marco Gonzales' 3.91 ERA is not good, but his 7.18 FIP is even worse. His biggest problem is the fact he's allowed a staggering 2.84 home runs per nine innings.
Stacks to Consider
Angels vs. Daulton Jefferies ($6,200): Shohei Ohtani ($6,100), Jared Walsh ($4,300), Brandon Marsh ($4,400)
Oakland's home ballpark is not great for hitters. On the other hand, Jefferies has a 5.22 ERA. Those two things balance each other out. I like the Angels' lineup this season, and I find them conducive to stacking because it's totally feasible to do platoon-based stacks. When a righty is on the mound, the Angels provide three lefties all worth stacking.
Ohtani is rounding into form at the plate. He's hit six home runs and stolen five bases after hitting 46 homers and stealing 26 bags in 2021's MVP campaign. Walsh has six home runs as well, and since 2020 he's posted a .971 OPS against righties. Marsh has provided four home runs and three swiped bags himself, and he has an .890 OPS against right-handed pitchers this season.
Twins vs. Aaron Civale ($5,900): Byron Buxton ($6,300), Max Kepler ($3,600), Royce Lewis ($2,300)
Now, I do have to note that Cleveland's last game was postponed due to COVID-19. That's a concern, but this game has not been postponed. The expectation is that the Guardians, and Civale, will be playing Friday. Civale has a 9.45 ERA and has allowed a home run in each of his last four starts.
Buxton is one of the best hitters, and specifically one of the best power hitters, when healthy. He's slugged .636 over the last three seasons. Kepler had 19 home runs and 10 stolen bases in 2021, and in 2019 he hit 36 homers. He struggles against lefties traditionally, but don't sweat it when a righty like Civale is on the mound. Lewis, one of baseball's top prospects, was called up when Carlos Correa hit the injured list. He had a 1.014 OPS at Triple-A before his call up.
Cubs vs. Zach Davies ($6,000): Willson Contreras ($5,200), Ian Happ ($3,700), Alfonso Rivas ($2,300)
Davies spent one season with the Cubs, and it was a disaster. He posted a 5.78 ERA and allowed 1.52 home runs per nine innings. His last couple of starts have been quite good, but he still has a 4.26 FIP. As I mentioned earlier, the Diamondbacks play in a ballpark that tends to help offenses, especially once the weather warms up. I don't think Davies will do well against his former team.
Contreras has long been one of the better-hitting catchers in baseball, but he's been particularly good in 2022. He's slashed .304/.413/.522, including a 1.109 OPS on the road. Happ isn't providing power, but he's exhibiting excellent lead-off hitter skills. He has a .275 average, a .391 OBP, and he has 15 RBI and 14 runs scored. The lefty Rivas has been installed at first base, and in his career he has a .913 OPS against right-handed pitchers.
