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Friday night’s main slate features a full 15-game smorgasbord, giving us no shortage of options to choose from when it comes to hitters. There are also some impressive pitchers taking the hill, and we’ll focus on a couple that are at differing points on the salary scale.
We’re fortunate that there are some attractive ballparks serving as host venues as well -- Camden Yards, Coors Field, Kauffmann Stadium and American Family Field will feature games where the runs could certainly pile up.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 6/4/2021. Be sure to also check out all the MLB player news, including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like DraftKings, and other sports.
FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Cash Game/GPP Anchor Play:
Zack Wheeler – vs. WSH ($11,500)
Wheeler is the highest-salaried player on the slate and has an elite arm in Max Scherzer opposing him, but I still see him as worth the investment Friday. The right-hander has a 1.88 ERA and 0.67 WHIP, along with a 3-0 mark, over 43 home frames. Wheeler’s 11.0 K/9 and 0.7 HR/9 are also elite, and he’s already posted 37 FD points against the Nationals in a road start this season. Washington comes into Friday’s matchup with a 28.6 percent strikeout rate, .229 average and pedestrian .308 wOBA against righties on the road over the last two weeks. Wheeler has also flashed a ceiling worthy of his salary this season, as he’s posted over 50 FD points in five of his last seven starts.
Potential Alternate Play
Freddy Peralta – vs. ARI ($8,700)
Peralta sports a very reasonable salary for a pitcher that’s averaged 35.3 FD points this season and that’s posted 49 FD points or more in three of his last four starts. Peralta has been absolutely stellar at home as well, pitching to a 3-0 record, 1.41 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, .102 BAA and 12.9 K/9 across 32 innings. Friday, he gets a crack at a D-Backs team that’s averaging just 3.8 runs per away game and that’s posted a .198 average, .259 wOBA, .096 ISO and -14.3 wRAA against right-handed pitching at home over the last month.
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FanDuel DFS Infielders
Jared Walsh, 1B, vs. SEA ($3,600)
Walsh has been outstanding all season, slashing .300/.362/.558 with a .390 wOBA,.258 ISO and 27.9 percent HR/FB rate. He’s set for a premium matchup against spot starter Robert Dugger, who was just recalled from Triple-A Tacoma and who’s pitched to a 6.23 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across 17.1 big-league innings this season. Dugger has particularly struggled against left-handed hitters, who’ve tagged him for a .296 average, .345 wOBA and 5.08 xFIP. What’s more, Dugger has shown some serious flyball tendencies versus lefty bats, allowing a 52.4 percent FB rate to that handedness. Given Walsh’s success knocking the ball out of the park when putting it in the air against righties, that makes this an especially promising matchup for the surging slugger. When Dugger exits, Walsh continues to be in a good position, as Mariners relievers have allowed a 7.43 ERA, .292 average and .374 wOBA to lefty bats over the last month.
Tommy Edman – 2B, vs. CIN ($2,700)
Edman entered Thursday having slashed .321/.371/.536 with six doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, four walks, three stolen bases and 10 runs across his previous 14 games. The switch hitter draws a favorable matchup Friday against a talented but undeniably struggling pitcher in Luis Castillo, who he’s already tagged for a .375 average and .375 on-base percentage with zero strikeouts in 16 career plate appearances. Edman has had his greatest success against lefties, but he does own a .287 average versus righties at home, along with a 23.4 percent line-drive rate in that split. Meanwhile, Castillo has had plenty of trouble versus left-handed hitters, surrendering a .325 average, .907 OPS and .389 wOBA in that split this season.
Josh Fuentes– 3B, vs. OAK ($3,000)
Fuentes offers some cost-effective exposure to the Rockies end of Friday’s Coors Field clash, and he checks in with a .271 average, .220 ISO and .758 OPS against right-handed pitching at home. Fuentes has a solid 38.6 percent hard-contact rate in that split as well, while A’s starter Frankie Montas has allowed a .366 wOBA, 2.2 HR/9 and .850 OPS to right-handed hitters, along with a 5.49 xFIP when facing righty bats on the road. The Coors setting naturally only makes the entire scenario more appealing and helps to nullify the fact Montas has had the majority of his issues at home. It also helps that Fuentes has enjoyed plenty of success against Montas’ trademark sinker, posting a .389 wOBA and striking out just 7.7 percent against that offering this season.
Marcus Semien – SS, vs. HOU ($3,700)
Semien entered Thursday on a torrid pace at the plate, as he’d slashed .400/.480/.769 with 13 extra-base hits and 12 RBI over his last 16 games. The veteran infielder no longer has TD Ballpark in Dunedin to call home now that Toronto is closer to home in Buffalo’s Sahlen Field, but the latter is also a very hitter-friendly venue. Friday, Semien gets a tough matchup on paper against Zack Greinke, but it’s one he’s often mastered in the past – he owns a 389 average with only one strikeout across 20 career plate appearances versus the accomplished right-hander. Semien checks in with a .393 wOBA overall, and a .318 average, .992 OPS and .422 wOBA versus right-handed pitching specifically. Greinke has a solid 5-2 record and 3.67 ERA, but he has a 6.96 K/9 that’s his lowest since 2005 while also allowing a .279 average, 25.4 percent line-drive rate and .333 wOBA to right-handed hitters.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Christian Yelich– vs. ARI ($3,600)
Yelich makes for a very high-upside left-handed bat to roster against D-Backs starter Matt Peacock, who’s allowed a .283 average, .900 OPS and .368 wOBA to lefty hitters in a 48-batter sample thus far. Peacock has been extremely effective in a very small road sample this season, but Yelich checks in with a .334 wOBA against right-handed pitching and is still in the process of finding his groove after playing in only 23 games to date. Yelich will also draw a premium matchup once Peacock exits, as D-Backs relievers have allowed a .307 average, .365 wOBA and 1.7 HR/9 to left-handed hitters over the last month.
Alex Kirilloff- at KC ($2,700)
Kirilloff is holding his own against big-league arms thus far, posting a .242 average and .440 slugging percentage across 97 plate appearances going into Thursday. The rookie has an elite .398 xwOBA and .627 xSLG as well, and he’s hit three of his four homers thus far off righties. Meanwhile, Royals starter Brad Keller has struggled against both handedness of hitter, and he’s surrendering a .362 average, .438 wOBA and massive 30.8 percent line-drive rate to lefty bats at home specifically. Royals relievers have had their share of struggles against left-handed hitters at home in the last month as well, allowing a 5.91 ERA, .824 OPS and .351 wOBA across a 97-batter sample.
Austin Meadows– at TEX ($4,300)
Meadows checked into Thursday with four homers in his previous six games, a stretch during which he’s hit .450 with 10 RBI across 26 plate appearances. The lefty-hitting slugger gets an opposite-handed matchup versus a veteran in Kyle Gibson who’s slated to come off the injured list due to a groin issue for this start. Gibson has been impressive against both handedness of hitter thus far, but Meadows has been lethal on the road versus righties to the tune of a .277 average, .317 ISO and .398 wOBA, along with a 154 wRC+. Texas relievers could be excellent targets for Meadows as well, as they’ve allowed a .292 average and .343 wOBA to lefty hitters at home in the last month.
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