Fansided

FanDuel MLB lineup and picks for Friday, May 25

By Adam Strangis

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 12: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) pitches in relief during game five of the NLDS between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs on October 12, 2017, at Nationals Park, in Washington D.C. Chicago Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals 9-8.(Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 12: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) pitches in relief during game five of the NLDS between the Washington Nationals and the Chicago Cubs on October 12, 2017, at Nationals Park, in Washington D.C. Chicago Cubs defeated the Washington Nationals 9-8.(Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 12: Los Angeles Dodgers Pitcher Ross Stripling (68) throws a pitch in the first inning during a Major League Baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 12, 2018 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 12: Los Angeles Dodgers Pitcher Ross Stripling (68) throws a pitch in the first inning during a Major League Baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 12, 2018 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Padres at Dodgers

Padres Probable Starter – Clayton Richard, LHP 

4.87 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 20.2 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .226 average, .272 wOBA, 8.1 fly ball rate and 28.2 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .284 average, .353 wOBA, 23.8 fly ball rate and 44.1 hard contact rate

While Richard isn’t a very effective pitcher, his one major skill makes me hesitate about playing a ton of Dodgers bats. He’s an extreme ground ball pitcher which means if he’s on his game, the Dodgers are going to have a tough time generating a lot of offense. You can play Justin Turner in just about any matchup but I’d likely rather spend his $3,900 on a different player. Past that, Matt Kemp and Yasmani Grandal could be in play. To me, it’s just not worth the risk. Stack the Dodgers or just cross this side of the game off the list.

Dodgers hitters to Target 

Elite Options – Justin Turner

Secondary Options – Matt Kemp, Yasmani Grandal

Dodgers Probable Starter – Ross Stripling, RHP

2.08 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 27.8 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .286 average, .283 wOBA, 39.5 fly ball rate and 18.2 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .222 average, .277 wOBA, 32.0 fly ball rate and 31.4 hard contact rate

Of all the lower priced pitchers, Stripling stands out like a sore thumb. It’s going to be really easy to play him in a very good matchup and stack some of you favorite bats. Frankly, I’m baffled as to why he’s so cheap tonight. The Padres carry just about the highest strikeout rate against righties in baseball and we know Stripling can make it through six innings. I don’t want any Padres bats at all and Stripling feels like a borderline cheat code.

Padres Hitters to Target 

Elite Options – None

Secondary Options – None

Home Run Pick – Justin Turner

SURPRISE, AZ – MARCH 16: Jean Segura #2 of the Seattle Mariners follows through on a swing during a spring training game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on March 16, 2018 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
SURPRISE, AZ – MARCH 16: Jean Segura #2 of the Seattle Mariners follows through on a swing during a spring training game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on March 16, 2018 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

Sample Lineup with an Ace

P – Max Scherzer

C/1B – John Ryan Murphy

2B – Whit Merrifield

3B – Yolmer Sanchez

SS – Jean Segura

OF – Ryan Rua, Denard Span, David Dahl

Utility – Eugenio Suarez

As far as cash games go, it’s going to be hard to move off of Scherzer even with his sky high price. He feels like an absolute lock for at least 50 points tonight and I would be shocked if it was less given the matchup. A couple well placed punts with Murphy and Rua leave us some salary to work with. Merrifield is in just a glorious spot and is relatively cheap. Sanchez is not at a bad price given his matchup against a fly ball pitcher. Segura is just way too cheap for some reason and we’ll need to see who’s pitching for the Orioles to decide on Span. We can still fit in two Coors bats even with Scherzer tonight.

Sample Lineup without an Ace

P – Ross Stripling

C/1B – Joey Votto

2B – Whit Merrifield

3B – Isiah Kiner-Falefa

SS – Jean Segura

OF – Charlie Blackmon, Giancarlo Stanton, Ryan Rua

Utility – Niko Goodrum

If you want to play bats more than pitching, Stripling is your man. We can play just about anyone we want with the salary left over. Using Rua and Segura again lets us get Votto and Blackmon in Coors and Stanton vs a lefty in Yankee Stadium. Sprinkle in some Kiner-Falefa and Goodrum and this lineup looks pretty solid.

The Core – Max Scherzer, Jean Segura, Whit Merrifield(Ryan Rua is close to a lock since he’s minimum price)

Stacks to Consider – Yankees(vs Los Angeles Angels), Reds or Rockies, Blue Jays(at Philadelphia), Royals(at Texas) and Red Sox(vs Atlanta)

Next: Best Starting Pitchers in MLB History

As always, may fortune be on your side and make sure to follow me on Twitter @bucn4life as MLB allows late swap. If there’s a late scratch and/or lineup cards aren’t put in for the late games, this article will always be updated on Twitter ASAP.