FanDuel Lineup and Picks for Friday, May 18

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CINCINNATI, OH – APRIL 14: Tommy Pham #28 of the St. Louis Cardinals bats during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 14, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cardinals defeated the Reds 6-1. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tommy Pham /

Phillies at Cardinals

Phillies Probable Starter – Jake Arrieta, RHP

2.59 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 16.5 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .231 average, .271 wOBA, 32.0 fly ball rate and 27.5 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .176 average, .241 wOBA, 26.8 fly ball rate and 15.5 hard contact rate

This is seemingly another spot to scratch off the list pretty easily. Arrieta is basically not playable since he can’t strike anyone out. There’s no fantasy upside to be had. He’s a very solid real life pitcher and is doing Philly a world of good but I don’t have to roster him for fantasy. About the only Cardinal I can even consider is Tommy Pham, just because he is so good. He can get it done in just about every matchup. He might not have a huge chance for a homer but he can steal bases to make up for it.

Cardinals Hitters to Target

Elite Options – None

Secondary Options – Tommy Pham

Cardinals Probable Starter – Michale Wacha, RHP

3.09 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 19.5 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .217 average, .248 wOBA, 29.7 fly ball rate and 35.9 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .256 average, .338 wOBA, 27.0 fly ball rate and 46.2 hard contact rate

This is a spot where I kind of can’t get much of a red on it yet. Wacha is just a guy. No disrespect as any starter in the major leagues is a great baseball player but he’s not a matchup you run away from. The odd part is I wanted to run and see what price Odubel Herrera was until I saw the splits for Wacha this year. He’s a reverse splits guy so you could maybe take a swat at some of the righties for the Phillies. The issue there is the two I may chase are Maikel Franco and Rhys Hoskins and they both feel pricey oat $3,500 and $4,100 respectively.

Phillies Hitters to Target

Elite Options – Rhys Hoskins

Secondary Options – Odubel Herrera, Maikel Franco

Home Run Pick – Maikel Franco

Rays at Angels

Rays Probable Starter – Blake Snell, LHP

3.12 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 25.7 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .115 average, .155 wOBA, 35.3 fly ball rate and 31.4 hard contact rate

Vs RHH -.232 average, .329 wOBA, 45.5 fly ball rate and 32.4 hard contact rate

This spot makes me sad because I would love to use Snell on this slate. He’s just $8,000 and has plenty of strikeout upside but he’s also going up against a righty heavy lineup. He got knocked around a bit in Camden Yards against the Orioles, which is a righty heavy lineup. It’s just hard tosee Snell negotiating this lineup to limit the damage enough to make it worth your while, even though Chris Archer was excellent against this team last night. This side of the game is a relatively easy fade for me but Mike Trout might go under the radar.

Angels Hitters to Target

Elite Options – Mike Trout, Andrelton Simmons

Secondary Options – Justin Upton(if he plays), Zack Cozart

Angels Probable Starter – Nick Tropeano, RHP

3.64 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 18.8 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .283 average, .314 wOBA, 31.8 fly ball rate and 43.2 hard contact rate

Vs RHH -.157 average, .284 wOBA, 52.6 fly ball rate and 47.4 hard contact rate

I have basically zero interest in this side of the game. I don’t see what the reason to pitch Tropeano is and I also don’t want to play any Rays against him. As I said earlier, some sides of the games just need scratched off right off the bat. You could maybe make an argument to play Denard Span since he’s on the right side of the splits but I just don’t see a reason to pay $3,200 for a guy who likely has no shot at a home run, despite hitting one last night.

Rays Hitters to Target

Elite Options -ight.

Secondary Options –

Home Run Pick –