Penned By: @Ryan_Humphries on Twitter and LineStar Chat.

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Main Slate Rundown 🏟

We’re back in business with another huge Friday slate! 13 games land on the main slate ticket, and it promises to be a doozy. We’ve got some great pitching and a strong number of viable offensive stacks at our disposal on this slate, so let’s waste no time and get right into it! Best of luck!

Main slate match-ups with implied run totals and moneyline odds:

Main Slate Weather Outlook 💨🌦️☁️

Check LineStar's MLB Daily Dashboard to see an overview of the most up-to-date game forecasts.

NYM @ PIT (7:05 ET): Not the best air quality here due to those wildfires, but they should play this game as scheduled.

KC @ BAL (7:05 ET): It’ll be fairly smoky in Baltimore but if they decide to postpone, that news will drop well ahead of first pitch. Should they play this game as scheduled, there will be some delay risk due to scattered storms in the area.

LAD @ PHI (7:05 ET): Similar outlook as Baltimore, however, the chance for a rain delay is not quite as high.

BOS @ NYY (7:05 ET): A bit of rain is in the forecast. Moderate chance of a delay of some sort.

WAS @ ATL (7:20 ET): Temps in the low-80s with light winds blowing OUT to left.

SD @ COL (8:40 ET): Chance for a late start if some late afternoon rain lingers around a little too long. Nothing to really worry about.

SEA @ LAA (9:38 ET): Winds OUT to center at 10-15 mph.

Pitchers to Consider ⚾

Shohei Ohtani (RHP), LAA | DK: $10.4k, FD: $10k | vs. SEA

Ohtani enters off of a poor start in his last pitching appearance, which took place in Houston, where he allowed nine hits and five runs across six innings while striking out only six hitters (low for his standards). He’ll be in a great spot to bounce back tonight and his DFS pitcher salaries are as low as they’ve been since the start of the season. Ohtani has had a tendency to pitch better at home, and this season has been no exception. His 2.31 ERA at home is over two runs lower than his 4.50 ERA on the road, and at home, he’s also putting up a 0.95 WHIP, .154 opp AVG, 0.69 HR/9, and a 33.3% kRate.

The Mariners are posting some woeful numbers against righty pitching lately. In 306 PA vs. RHPs over the last two weeks, they’re hitting just .199 as a team to go along with a .602 OPS, .266 wOBA, 71 wRC+, and a huge 29.1% kRate; all of those metrics rank them bottom-five in the MLB in that stretch. Ohtani has been spectacular in seven career pitching starts against Seattle, putting up a 1.64 ERA, 2.92 xFIP, 0.93 WHIP, and 32.4% kRate across 44.0 IP. On DraftKings, Ohtani has also landed in the perfect DFS lineup in each of his last six starts versus the Mariners. We should have very little hesitation to roster him in lineups tonight.

Tyler Wells (RHP), BAL | DK: $8.3k, FD: $9.7k | vs. KC

As long as this game isn’t a “smoke-related PPD” and those scattered rainstorms in the forecast aren’t a big issue, Tyler Wells is going to set up as a quality mid-range DFS option. He really hasn’t had a truly awful outing all season, spanning 11 starts. Wells’ 0.85 WHIP is the best mark on this slate, and he has posted some strong strikeout totals (26.6% kRate, 12.1% SwStr%) to go along with a low 5.3% Walk Rate. He’ll also be pitching at home in Camden Yards, which has been the #9 most pitcher-friendly ballpark this season.

The Royals have not been playing too badly offensively in the last couple of weeks but they’ve steadily been a bottom-tier offense throughout the season. Against RHPs, they rank 27th in AVG, 27th in OPS, 29th in wOBA, and 29th in wRC+. They’re also posting a hefty 24.9% kRate vs. RHPs (5th highest). The Orioles step in as one of the heaviest favorites on the slate with -185 ML odds and the Royals are being pinned with a slate-low 3.5 implied run total.

AJ Smith-Shawver (RHP), ATL | DK: $6.5k, FD: $7.2k | vs. WAS

Smith-Shawver will be one of the more intriguing value pitchers on today’s huge slate. The 20-year-old righty is the #1 prospect in the Braves farm system and prepares to make his first career MLB start this evening. Thanks to some lights-out performances, Smith-Shawver burned through the minor league rankings after starting the season in high-A ball. Across 33.0 IP in the minor leagues this season, he boasted a microscopic 1.09 ERA while racking up 45 strikeouts. He also got his official MLB debut out of the way five days ago in Arizona when he came out of the bullpen to throw 2.1 no-hit innings on 39 pitches, allowing one walk and grabbing three strikeouts.

Washington isn’t an offense I look to pick on with opposing pitchers all too often. They began the season as one of the worst offenses in the MLB, but they’ve been an above-average team as of late. They’re also a tricky team to strike out. Over the last month against RHPs, they’re hitting .260 (ranks 6th) with a .327 wOBA (8th), 103 wRC+ (12th), and 18.6% kRate (2nd lowest). With that being said, Smith-Shawver should be able to operate through around five innings of work, pick up a few Ks, and limit the damage that the Nationals can create with their bats. The Braves (-210 ML) are the second-heaviest favorites on the slate, and given his low DFS salaries, Smith-Shawver has a great chance to return value. The typical risks of rolling out a young, inexperienced pitcher in DFS lineups are still present, but Smith-Shawver has the talent to work out nicely.

Other Pitchers to Consider:

Cristian Javier (RHP), HOU | DK: $10.8k, FD: $10.8k | @ CLE

Luis Castillo (RHP), SEA | DK: $9.8k, FD: $10.6k | @ LAA

Eury Perez (RHP), MIA | DK: $8.9k, FD: $9.2k | @ CWS

Marcus Stroman (RHP), CHC | DK: $8.7k, FD: $10.2k | @ SF

Adrian Houser (RHP), MIL | DK: $6k, FD: $8.3k | vs. OAK

Team Stacks to Target 🎯

Disclaimer: Stacking in MLB DFS is not a requirement but it is a very common strategy used to take down GPPs. This strategy is covered in more detail in the MLB DFS strategy guide linked in the header at the top of this newsletter. Check out the MLB StackFinder on LineStar.

Obligatory Coors Field Stacks

San Diego Padres vs. Austin Gomber (LHP), COL

Colorado Rockies vs. Yu Darvish (RHP), SD

Non-Coors Stacks

Atlanta Braves vs. Josiah Gray (RHP), WAS

+ ATL: 5.5 implied runs (ranks 1st among non-Coors teams).

+ Josiah Gray has pitched to a respectable 3.09 ERA this season, but he’s due for some significant regression based on his poor 4.96 xFIP.

+ Gray has been giving up a fair amount of barreled balls -- seven barrels in the last 30 days (bottom 20th percentile).

+ The Braves have been red hot against RHPs over the last two weeks: .309 AVG (ranks 1st), .900 OPS (1st), .382 wOBA (1st), .233 ISO (2nd), 139 wRC+ (1st), 39.7% HardContact% (3rd), and 19.7% kRate (5th lowest).

+ Based on their 4.81 xFIP, the Nationals have had the 3rd worst bullpen this season, and they’ve surrendered the 3rd most HRs (34).

+ Truist Park has been the #9 most hitter-friendly ballpark this season, and warm temps + light winds blowing out to left will make for some quality hitting conditions.

- Josiah Gray has played pretty well against Atlanta in his career and, in 72 PA, the current Braves roster has a .227 AVG against him.

Favorite ATL Bats: Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Sean Murphy

Bargain Bat: Marcell Ozuna

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Ranger Suarez (LHP), PHI

+ Dodgers: 5.0 implied runs (ranks T-5th among non-Coors teams).

+ Following a strong 2022 campaign, Suarez has not been in top form through five starts this season: 5.47 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, .360 opp wOBA.

+ The Dodgers have been smashing lefty pitching -- over the last month vs. LHPs: .988 OPS (1st), .412 wOBA (1st), .328 ISO (1st), 163 wRC+ (1st), 15.6% kRate (2nd lowest), 40.7% HardContact% (2nd).

-/+ The Phillies have had a middle-of-the-pack bullpen this season.

- Suarez’s 5.47 ERA is backed up by a decent 3.79 xFIP so he’s pitching better than some of his numbers show.

- Suarez has shut down lefty hitters -- vs. LHBs he has a 2.96 xFIP, .205 opp wOBA, and 0.71 WHIP.

Favorite LAD Bats: Mookie Betts, JD Martinez, Will Smith

Bargain Bat: Chris Taylor

Low-Owned Stack That Just Might Work Out 🤔

Cincinnati Reds vs. Jordan Montgomery (LHP), STL

+ 8-of-9 hitters in the Reds lineup have a 5% pOwn% or lower.

+ Montgomery has been in poor form as of late -- over his last five starts he has put up a 5.76 ERA, 4.43 xFIP, 1.68 WHIP, .320 opp AVG, .414 opp wOBA, and 2.20 HR/9 Rate.

+ Over the last month, the Reds have ranked inside the top 10 offenses vs. LHPs in most key metrics: .303 AVG (3rd), .835 OPS (6th), .362 wOBA (5th), 121 wRC+ (9th), and 36.4% HardContact% (9th).

+ With the addition of some highly touted prospects to the big league roster, the Reds have one of the most exciting young offenses in the MLB.

+ Busch Stadium, not normally known as a hitter’s park, has ranked 3rd in adjusted park factor this season.

+ The Reds make for an affordable stack with plenty of cheaper hitters to choose from.

- Based on their 3.90 xFIP, the Cardinals have had the 6th best bullpen this season.

- Reds: 3.6 implied runs (T-2nd lowest on the slate).

Favorite CIN Bats: Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz

Bargain Bat: Kevin Newman

One-Off Bats ☝️

A maximum of one hitter per team will be listed below. Feel free to use these players as one-off options, one-half of a two-man mini-stack, or a core piece to a full team stack.

OF Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL | DK: $6.5k, FD: $4.6k | vs. Josiah Gray (RHP), WAS

OF Fernando Tatis Jr., SD | DK: $6.4k, FD: $4.5k | vs. Austin Gomber (LHP), COL

OF Bryce Harper, PHI | DK: $6.3k, FD: $3.5k | vs. Michael Grove (RHP), LAD

2B/OF Mookie Betts, LAD | DK: $6.2k, FD: $4.3k | vs. Ranger Suarez (LHP), PHI

3B Ryan McMahon, COL | DK: $5.1k, FD: $3.8k | vs. Yu Darvish (RHP), SD

OF Christian Yelich, MIL | DK: $4.8k, FD: $3.5k | vs. Luis Medina (RHP), OAK

1B Spencer Steer, CIN | DK: $4.3k, FD: $3.4k | vs. Jordan Montgomery (LHP), STL

Bargain Batters 💸

Note: Additional hitting value may open up once all official starting lineups are released. For now, here are some cheap hitters who are already confirmed or currently expected to be on the field tonight and find themselves in a good spot to pay off their modest DFS salaries.

Default cut-off to qualify as a “Bargain Batter” is <$4,100 on DraftKings

C Gary Sanchez, SD | DK: $3.9k, FD: $3.2k | vs. Austin Gomber (LHP), COL

SS Elly De La Cruz, CIN | DK: $3.7k, FD: $3.4k | vs. Jordan Montgomery (LHP), STL

OF Jesus Sanchez, MIA | DK: $3.3k, FD: $2.7k | vs. Dylan Cease (RHP), CWS

OF Marcell Ozuna, ATL | DK: $3.2k, FD: $2.9k | vs. Josiah Gray (RHP), WAS

1B/3B Kevin Newman, CIN | DK: $3k, FD: $2.7k | vs. Jordan Montgomery (LHP), STL

2B/OF Ji Hwan Bae, PIT | DK: $2.9k, FD: $2.7k | vs. Tylor Megill (RHP), NYM

1B Ryan Noda, OAK | DK: $2.6k, FD: $2.7k | vs. Adrian Houser (RHP), MIL

2B/SS Andruw Monasterio, MIL | DK: $2.5k, FD: $2.7k | vs. Luis Medina (RHP), OAK

SS Tucupita Marcano, PIT | DK: $2.4k, FD: $2.4k | vs. Tylor Megill (RHP), NYM

Home Run Calls of the Day 💣

The Home Run Calls of the Day contest will return NEXT week! Be sure to follow @LineStarApp on Twitter and keep an eye for future HRCotD tweets & RT for your chance to win prizes!

Ryan’s PrizePicks Power Play of the Day⚡

Here is a two-pick “Power Play” I’m liking for today's MLB action over on PrizePicks! Nothing is ever a guarantee to hit but I put my own money on these picks so I don't just lightly throw them out there without believing they'll cash! If it hits, it will return 3x the wager.

Cristian Javier MORE than 4.5 Pitcher Strikeouts

Ronald Acuña Jr. MORE than 9.0 Hitter Fantasy Score

🆕 Props AI 🆕

In LineStar’s ongoing mission to improve, innovate, and help you reel in some cash, we are introducing Props AI for MLB! This tool can help you find value and mispriced odds on player props from sportsbooks and, more specifically, for PrizePicks and UnderDog Fantasy!

Speaking of props, put the Props AI tool to use by signing-up for UnderDog Fantasy for 2-months of LineStar Premium (Promo code: LINESTAR). Plus $100 deposit match for new customers. What many people may not realize is that you can legally place prop bets in most states using UnderDog (or PrizePicks) – it’s called Pick'Em and it’s insanely easy.

Best of luck out there today, everyone!