One of the best ballgames on Friday is the Pirates at Cubs, with Gerrit Cole $10600 taking on Jon Lester $10200; home field in the wild card game remains up for grabs. It’s not as big a deal in DFS because of a 2:20 start, playable only in All-Day contests at DraftKings.
Most of the the top-priced SP this evening have question marks. Jose Fernandez $12700 has never lost at home, but it’s unlikely he’ll be allowed to pitch a complete game. The Mets are managing innings for all their young guns, so Noah Syndergaard $10900 might go six. Carlos Carrasco $10300 has had a sub-par September following an awesome August. Carlos Martinez $9800, a good bet for the W, is also subject to a quick hook unless the game is close.
Still very much alive, the Angels need a sweep and Garret Richards $9500 needs to be better at home than he was in Seattle two starts back. Jordan Zimmermann $8600 should beat Jerad Eickhoff $7600 in a must-win for the Nats. Scott Kazmir $7900 went seven strong innings at Texas on Sept. 14 and this weekend is critical for the Astros, who could bounce back to win the division or fade out of the wild card spot.
Plays of the Day
The $130K Moonshot is a $3 buy-in (FREE to new depositors at DK) that pays the top 10,270 finishers from up to 49,831 teams, with multiple entries permitted. First place wins $10,000. Enter by 7:05; lineup changes are allowed until each player’s game begins.
Last night the Yankees prevailed 3-2 over Chris Sale. Tonight they face another tough lefty in Carlos Rodon $7700, with another playoff-style game quite possible. C.C. Sabathia $6600 shocked me with two great starts on the road; that knee seems healthy again.
Rarely is the lowest-salaried pitcher on the board one of the hottest. Rich Hill $4300 has made two starts, striking out ten in each, walking just one and beating the lefty-killing Jays at SkyDome. At 35, he can still drop that nasty curve with precision, at various speeds. The Orioles remain mathematically alive and need to win, so Kevin Gausman $5600 is also a potential bargain.
C Derek Norris $3000 homered off Madison Bumgarner and added two doubles last night. The Rockies keep alternating and Tom Murphy $2800 has homered in three consecutive starts. Don’t overpay for Russell Martin $4000, who does not hit as well when attempting to catch the knuckleball of R.A. Dickey $6300.
We touted David Ortiz $4500 yesterday for his 36th HR and see no reason for him to cool off. Carlos Santana $4100 is decent value and we always consider Mike Napoli $3100 vs. LHP.
Look for Jose Altuve $5000 to spark his team all weekend in the AL West showdown. If you don’t know 2B/3B Brandon Drury $2100 yet, that homer off Clayton Kershaw confirms that the rookie can hit and all but guarantees continued playing time.
If Hill hangs a curveball, Manny Machado $4700 can hit it on to the Massachusetts Turnpike. We had Evan Longoria $3500 for his Fenway bomb yesterday; he may stay hot in Toronto. Drury is the best longshot.
The enormous salary for Corey Seager $6400 factors in the Coors Field effect and a very hittable RH opponent. If you don’t want to pay that much, Asdrubal Cabrera $3400 stayed hot for us on Thursday and has hit the knuckler well in the past.
Likewise, Bryce Harper $6100 is very expensive. Walked seven times in three games by the Orioles, the NL MVP will be eager to swing the bat. J.D. Martinez $5000 and Yoenis Cespedes $4800 are other premium-priced OF to consider, with Carlos Beltran $3700 my top value pick. George Springer $4200 is more of a hunch; the speed-power threat may finally be healthy, just in time. Klay’s brother Trayce Thompson $3200 is batting cleanup, with a .996 OPS through his first 35 games in the Show.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Jose Fernandez $12700 | Rich Hill $4300 |
| SP2 | Garret Richards $9500 | C.C. Sabathia $6600 |
| C | Derek Norris $3000 | Tom Murphy $2800 |
| 1B | David Ortiz $4700 | Mike Napoli $3100 |
| 2B | Jose Altuve $5000 | Brandon Drury $2100 |
| 3B | Manny Machado $4700 | Evan Longoria $3500 |
| SS | Corey Seager $6400 | Asdrubal Cabrera $3400 |
| OF1 | Bryce Harper $6100 | Trayce Thompson $3200 |
| OF2 | Yoenis Cespedes $4800 | Carlos Beltran $3700 |
| OF3 | J.D. Martinez $5000 | George Springer $4200 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Until basketball returns, we’re offering baseball tips on weekdays. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.