MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/3/18

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

August special! Use Code MCMLB50 at checkout

After a wild night of offense Thursday, there are several aces taking the mound Friday. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

Patrick Corbin vs. San Francisco Giants
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $9,800
DraftKings = $10,400

There has been no slowing down Corbin, who has a 3.26 ERA that is supported by an even better 2.65 FIP. He’s missing plenty of bats with a 14.8% swinging-strike rate, which has helped him record a 1.06 WHIP and an 11.0 K/9. His 42.6% hard-hit rate is substantially higher than his career mark, but opponents haven’t been unlucky with a .292 BABIP against him. He’s already faced the Giants four times this year, giving up five runs and recording 29 strikeouts over 26.2 innings. The Giants are in the bottom third of the league in runs scored, so look for Corbin to provide another valuable performance.

Vince Velasquez vs. Miami Marlins
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $8,100
DraftKings = $8,000

Velasquez had a bloated 1.50 WHIP last year, but he’s made significant progress this season with a 1.24 WHIP. His .289 BABIP allowed isn’t low, either, which is encouraging news for his value moving forward. His 4.02 ERA doesn’t stand out, but some of that is due to an awful start against the Brewers towards the beginning of June when he allowed 10 runs over 3.2 innings. Since that outing, he has a 2.48 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP across 40 innings. The Marlins have scored the fourth-fewest runs (421) in the league, making Velasquez an excellent cost-effective option to consider.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

Edwin Encarnacion vs. Jaime Barria, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Progressive Field
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,800

Barria hasn’t pitched as well as his 3.74 ERA and 1.20 WHIP would seem to indicate. His FIP stands at 5.12 and opposing hitters only have a .256 BABIP against him, so luck has been on his side. He’s not fooling many batters with a 6.5 K/9 and he’s already allowed 14 home runs in just 77 innings. Encarnacion doesn’t have the platoon advantage in this game, but Barria has allowed a .397 wOBA against right-handed hitters.

Jake Bauers vs. Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,400

The White Sox continue to run Giolito out there, but he hasn’t had much success with a 6.26 ERA and a 6.10 FIP. He has an unsightly 1.54 WHIP and has allowed 65 walks compared to just 71 strikeouts. With Giolito’s .384 wOBA against left-handed hitters, Bauers could be in for a big night.

Others to consider: Jose Abreu (first base) and Robinson Chirinos (catcher)

SECOND BASE

Rougned Odor vs. David Hess, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $5,100

Stacking against the Orioles is going to be popular more often than not down the stretch. Their starting rotation isn’t great and their bullpen is severely short on talent after they dealt away a couple of key relievers. Odor has been one of the Rangers hottest hitters, going 31-for-89 (.378) with seven home runs over his last 25 games. He’s increased his walk rate significantly this year and can cause trouble on the basepaths as well.

Joey Wendle vs. Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Tropicana Field
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,900

Wendle enters Friday 8-for-21 (.381) with three walks and four runs scored during his current six-game hitting streak. He doesn’t hit many home runs, but he’s increased his batting average by 25 points since July 1. With the problems Giolito has limiting baserunners, Wendle is a cheap option to consider in tournament play.

Others to consider: Daniel Murphy and Niko Goodrum

THIRD BASE

Eugenio Suarez vs. Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals
Stadium – Nationals Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $5,000

Suarez drove in two runs Thursday, setting a new career high with 83 RBI. He’s batting .300 with 25 home runs as he tries to establish himself as one of the better young third basemen in baseball. He absolutely destroys left-handed pitching with a 213 wRC+ against them, so don’t hesitate to pay up for him against Gonzalez and his 1.45 WHIP.

Jurickson Profar vs. David Hess, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $4,600

Profar has been one of the more highly regarded prospects in the Rangers organization, but injuries and limited opportunities for him in the majors had put a damper on his career. With the Rangers having one of the worst records in baseball, Profar is finally getting extended playing time this year. His numbers aren’t great, but he’s hitting a respectable .252 with 11 home runs and eight steals. He loves hitting at home with a .273 average and eight home runs at Globe Life Park in Arlington compared to a .231 average and three homers on the road.

Others to consider: Matt Chapman and Adrian Beltre

SHORTSTOP

Trea Turner vs. Anthony DeSclafani, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Nationals Park
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $5,200

Turner is scorching-hot right now, hitting 14-for-34 (.412) with two home runs, 12 runs scored, seven RBI and eight steals across his last seven games. He’s not stealing bases at nearly the rate that he was last year, but his recent hot streak bumped his total up to 30 for the season. DeSclafani has a 5.47 ERA and an even worse 6.07 FIP, setting up Turner nicely for another hefty stat line.

Marcus Semien vs. Blaine Hardy, Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $4,200

Hardy has pitched very well out of the bullpen, recording a 1.69 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 9.3 K/9 across 10 appearances. He hasn’t had nearly that much success as a starter, though, with a 4.01 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and a 5.9 K/9 over 10 outings. Semien has three straight multi-hit games and is 14-for-43 (.326) across his last 10 contests.

Others to consider: Francisco Lindor and Elvis Andrus

OUTFIELD

Bryce Harper vs. Anthony DeSclafani, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Nationals Park
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $5,300

Participating in the Home Run Derby sure hasn’t hurt Harper, who is 14-for-39 (.359) with three home runs and four doubles since taking home the crown. He’s batting a disappointing .230 overall, but he still has a .377 OBP and has slugged 26 homers. The Nationals will also likely be a popular stack against DeSclafani with Harper having the highest upside of the bunch.

Shin-Soo Choo vs. David Hess, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $4,900

The Rangers scored 17 runs Thursday in the first game of what figures to be a high scoring series against the Orioles. Choo didn’t exactly shine, but he still provided value by finishing the game 2-for-6 with a double and two runs scored. He’s someone to target again Friday with his .398 wOBA against right-handed pitchers. He doesn’t help your budget much on DraftKings, but his price on FanDuel could lead to tremendous value.

Mark Canha vs. Blaine Hardy, Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $2,600
DraftKings = $4,200

If there is a lefty on the mound against the A’s, that means it’s Canha time. He’s having a good season overall by batting .265 with 14 home runs, but he’s been exceptional with a .419 wOBA against lefties. With Hardy’s underwhelming arsenal, make sure Canha is in your lineup.

Others to consider: Nelson Cruz and Joey Gallo