Friday's daily SP rankings have several high-priced aces, one affordable ace, and a bunch of mediocre pitchers with favorable matchups. Finding worthwhile picks for your MLB DFS contests will be easy, but with so many options, finding the right pick(s) for your FanDuel and DraftKings lineups might take a while.
Going with any of our top five seems safe, as all are high-K pitchers in good spots. Stephen Strasburg (vs. Braves) has the toughest matchup and is coming off his worst start of the season, but we know he has the stuff for a nice bounce-back outing. James Paxton (vs. Astros) hasn't been quite as sharp since returning from the DL, but he's another SP with elite talent. He has a nice price relative to his ability, especially on DraftKings, but a tough matchup against the Astros makes him a GPP-only play.
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As far as values, Eric Lauer (@ Pirates), Martin Perez (@ Royals), and Mike Leake (vs. Orioles) all have favorable matchups based on the splits. The Pirates are hitting better right now, so Lauer is the riskiest, but his cheap price still makes him a decent GPP play. Aaron Nola (vs. Marlins) has frustrated fantasy owners all season, but his matchup, price, and talent will likely have him highly owned tonight.
The most obvious fade is Dallas Keuchel (@ Nationals), who's overpriced given the brutal matchup in his first start of the season.
Check the Fantasy Alarm Weather Center closer to lineup lock for the latest weather reports.
MORE FRIDAY MLB: DFS picks (coming soon)
Today's Daily Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Rankings: Friday, June 21
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Opponent | Opp. wRC+ vs. LHP (rank) | Opp. wRC+ vs. RHP (rank) | FD | DK |
| 1 | Chris Sale | Red Sox | vs. Blue Jays | N/A | $12,000 | $12,000 | |
| 2 | Trevor Bauer | Indians | vs. Tigers | N/A | $11,500 | $11,100 | |
| 3 | Matthew Boyd | Tigers | @ Indians | N/A | $10,000 | $9,700 | |
| 4 | Walker Buehler | Dodgers | vs. Rockies | N/A | $11,200 | $10,800 | |
| 5 | Stephen Strasburg | Nationals | vs. Braves | N/A | $9,800 | $10,500 | |
| 6 | Aaron Nola | Phillies | vs. Marlins | N/A | $8,700 | $8,000 | |
| 7 | Sonny Gray | Reds | @ Brewers | N/A | $7,300 | $7,900 | |
| 8 | German Marquez | Rockies | @ Dodgers | N/A | $7,600 | $9,000 | |
| 9 | James Paxton | Yankees | vs. Astros | N/A | $9,200 | $8,100 | |
| 10 | Yu Darvish | Cubs | vs. Mets | N/A | $7,900 | N/A | |
| 11 | Martin Perez | Twins | @ Royals | N/A | $7,800 | $7,600 | |
| 12 | Mike Leake | Mariners | vs. Orioles | N/A | $8,500 | $8,700 | |
| 13 | Eric Lauer | Padres | @ Pirates | N/A | $7,000 | $6,100 | |
| 14 | Griffin Canning | Angels | @ Cardinals | N/A | $8,000 | $8,500 | |
| 15 | Brad Peacock | Astros | @ Yankees | N/A | $7,100 | $7,800 | |
| 16 | Joe Musgrove | Pirates | vs. Padres | N/A | $7,500 | $5,500 | |
| 17 | Chase Anderson | Brewers | vs. Reds | N/A | $6,600 | $6,600 | |
| 18 | Jason Vargas | Mets | @ Cubs | N/A | $6,500 | N/A | |
| 19 | Taylor Clarke | D-backs | vs. Giants | N/A | $5,900 | $6,800 | |
| 20 | Jalen Beeks (PLR) | Rays | @ A's | N/A | N/A | $7,600 | |
| 21 | Jeff Samardzija | Giants | @ D-backs | N/A | $6,200 | $6,900 | |
| 22 | Dallas Keuchel | Braves | vs. Nationals | N/A | $7,700 | $8,300 | |
| 23 | Ariel Jurado | Rangers | vs. White Sox | N/A | $6,300 | $6,500 | |
| 24 | Trent Thornton | Blue Jays | @ Red Sox | N/A | $7,200 | $7,100 | |
| 25 | Tanner Anderson | A's | vs. Rays | N/A | $6,000 | $6,700 | |
| 26 | Michael Wacha | Cardinals | vs. Angels | N/A | $6,400 | $5,000 | |
| 27 | Sandy Alcantara | Marlins | @ Phillies | N/A | $7,400 | $7,400 | |
| 28 | Jakob Junis | Royals | vs. Twins | N/A | $6,700 | $6,300 | |
| 29 | Reynaldo Lopez | White Sox | @ Rangers | N/A | $6,100 | $5,800 | |
| 30 | Ryne Stanek (O) | Rays | @ A's | N/A | N/A | $4,300 | |
| 31 | Sean Gilmartin (PLR) | Orioles | @ Mariners | N/A | N/A | $4,000 | |
| 32 | Paul Fry (O) | Orioles | @ Mariners | N/A | N/A | $4,000 |
wRC+ is defined by Fangraphs as "[measuring] how a player’s wRC compares with league average after controlling for park effects. League average for position players is 100, and every point above 100 is a percentage point above league average. For example, a 125 wRC+ means a player created 25% more runs than a league average hitter would have in the same number of plate appearances. Similarly, every point below 100 is a percentage point below league average, so a 80 wRC+ means a player created 20% fewer runs than league average." For more on the stat, click here .