How much do you care about stat splits when making your MLB DFS lineup picks? If you put stock into them, you're going to have an easy time finding value SPs on both DraftKings and FanDuel tonight. If you don't care about them at all, then our pitcher rankings for Friday are going to look a bit strange to you.
Sure, the very top guys are the most expensive aces, and they'll serve you well in any contest. Joey Lucchesi (vs. Marlins) is an obviously underpriced sleeper who will likely be in a lot of lineups because of the matchup, so it's not a surprise he's our No. 5. But pretty quickly you see we break from the ranks, elevating Tyler Mahle (vs. Nationals) well above his price tier. The main reason is because the Nats tend to struggle against righties and kill lefties. To be fair, we talked about that the other night and Washington scored eight in the first against Kevin Gausman. This game is in Cincinnati and Mahle's biggest issue is with homers. There's a pretty clear path to this start going poorly for Mahle, but his prices are still way too low, making him an excellent value on both sites.
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Danny Duffy (@ Rangers) is in a similar spot, right down to the bad park and the team that crushes one hand (right) and struggles against the other (lefties). His strikeout ability isn't as high as Mahle's, but he's still undervalued. Zack Wheeler (@ D-backs) is also priced down on DK despite the fact Arizona is notably worse against righties compared to lefties. It's not a bad idea to pair one of these three with an ace on DK. German Marquez (vs. Blue Jays) is underpriced on FD because of the Coors factor. While there's obvious risk with him, he has the stuff and the matchup to succeed.
As far as fades, Jose Berrios (@ Rays) and Jake Arrieta (@ Dodgers) are in tough spots. Arrieta looks particularly overpiced.
It doesn't look like there will be any weather issues tonight, but make sure you check the Fantasy Alarm Weather Center closer to lineup lock.
MORE FRIDAY MLB: DFS picks | Betting picks
Today's Daily Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Rankings: Friday, May 31
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Opponent | Opp. wRC+ vs. LHP (rank) | Opp. wRC+ vs. RHP (rank) | FD | DK |
| 1 | Chris Sale | Red Sox | @ Yankees | 81 (24th) | N/A | $11,200 | $10,800 |
| 2 | Patrick Corbin | Nationals | @ Reds | 84 (T-21st) | N/A | $11,400 | $11,200 |
| 3 | Caleb Smith | Marlins | @ Padres | 92 (17th) | N/A | $9,800 | $9,700 |
| 4 | Trevor Bauer | Indians | @ White Sox | N/A | 92 (T-18th) | $10,500 | $9,200 |
| 5 | Joey Lucchesi | Padres | vs. Marlins | 62 (30th) | N/A | $7,600 | $8,800 |
| 6 | Tyler Mahle | Reds | vs. Nationals | N/A | 84 (T-24th) | $7,200 | $6,200 |
| 7 | Jose Berrios | Twins | @ Rays | N/A | 117 (4th) | $9,100 | $9,300 |
| 8 | Brad Peacock | Astros | @ A's | N/A | 96 (T-14th) | $8,600 | $9,900 |
| 9 | Zack Wheeler | Mets | @ D-backs | N/A | 90 (20th) | $9,400 | $7,200 |
| 10 | Danny Duffy | Royals | @ Rangers | 84 (T-21st) | N/A | $7,400 | $7,200 |
| 11 | Kenta Maeda | Dodgers | vs. Phillies | N/A | 93 (17th) | $8,900 | $10,300 |
| 12 | German Marquez | Rockies | vs. Blue Jays | N/A | 76 (27th) | $7,500 | $9,500 |
| 13 | Tyler Skaggs | Angels | @ Mariners | 110 (T-6th) | N/A | $8,000 | $8,400 |
| 14 | Chris Archer | Pirates | vs. Brewers | N/A | 103 (11th) | $6,200 | $7,400 |
| 15 | J.A. Happ | Yankees | vs. Red Sox | 93 (16th) | N/A | $8,200 | $7,400 |
| 16 | Spencer Turnbull | Tigers | @ Braves | N/A | 96 (T-14th) | $7,700 | $8,100 |
| 17 | Mike Foltynewicz | Braves | vs. Tigers | N/A | 71 (30th) | $7,300 | $8,500 |
| 18 | Miles Mikolas | Cardinals | vs. Cubs | N/A | 113 (7th) | $7,800 | $6,500 |
| 19 | Jake Arrieta | Phillies | @ Dodgers | N/A | 120 (T-1st) | $8,200 | $8,600 |
| 20 | Yu Darvish | Cubs | @ Cardinals | N/A | 99 (T-12th) | $8,400 | $7,000 |
| 21 | Mike Fiers | A's | vs. Astros | N/A | 120 (T-1st) | $6,700 | $7,700 |
| 22 | Andrew Cashner | Orioles | vs. Giants | N/A | 75 (28th) | $6,500 | $6,600 |
| 23 | Jhoulys Chacin | Brewers | @ Pirates | N/A | 92 (T-18th) | $6,800 | $5,300 |
| 24 | Dylan Covey | White Sox | vs. Indians | N/A | 82 (26th) | $5,700 | $4,600 |
| 25 | Mike Leake | Mariners | vs. Angels | N/A | 114 (T-5th) | $7,000 | $5,900 |
| 26 | Jalen Beeks (PLR) | Rays | vs. Twins | 131 (2nd) | N/A | N/A | $7,600 |
| 27 | Drew Pomeranz | Giants | @ Orioles | 85 (20th) | N/A | $6,100 | $6,000 |
| 28 | Ariel Jurado | Rangers | vs. Royals | N/A | 99 (T-12th) | $5,800 | $4,900 |
| 29 | Jon Duplantier | D-backs | vs. Mets | N/A | 96 (T-14th) | $5,500 | $7,900 |
| 30 | Edwin Jackson | Blue Jays | @ Rockies | N/A | 86 (21st) | $5,500 | $5,200 |
| 31 | Ryne Stanek (O) | Rays | vs. Twins | N/A | 119 (3rd) | $4,000 | $4,800 |
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.