We have an odd Friday off-day for the Angels and Astros, who will be opening up a weekend series in Mexico on Saturday, but we tonight's MLB DFS main slate is still packed with 13 games, including matchups in Coors Field, Yankee Stadium, Great American Ball Park, Camden Yards, Citizens Bank Park, Progressive Field, Miller Park, and Globe Life Park. In other words, expect some offense in FanDuel and DraftKings contests -- and don't be surprised if these starting pitcher rankings get ripped to shreds.
Fortunately there are plenty of good pitchers from which to choose, including stars like Clayton Kershaw (@ Padres), Chris Sale (@ White Sox) and James Paxton (vs. Twins), but breakouts like Matthew Boyd (vs. Royals) and Tyler Glasnow (@ Orioles) also command high salaries (for good reason). Sale has been pitching better in his past two outings (12 IP, 14 baserunners, four earned runs, 18 Ks) despite not being able to earn a win, and, as we saw with Noah Syndergaard yesterday, it's only a matter of time before he dominates. The "Revenge Game" narrative is also present here, so don't be surprised if Sale has high ownership.
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Kevin Gausman (@ Marlins) and Sonny Gray (vs. Giants) have optimal matchups, and while Gray has pitched better than Gausman this year, he is in a worse park against a team that doesn't strike out as often. Still, expect him to be highly owned, and it wouldn't be crazy to grab both of these reasonably priced SPs in DraftKings. Mike Minor (vs. Blue Jays) is a little more expensive but still a great option given the roll he's been on, and Joe Musgrove (vs. A's) offers the most savings for a "second-tier" SP but has the lowest strikeout upside. Neither Yusei Kikuchi (@ Indians) nor Brett Anderson (@ Pirates) has pitched all that well this year, but both are legit values for tournaments given their favorable matchups on paper.
The top matchup-based fade (or GPP-only option, depending how you want to look at it) is Shane Bieber (vs. Mariners), while Robbie Ray (@ Rockies) has a good matchup on paper but carries obvious risk given the location of the game. Jack Flaherty (@ Cubs) and Kyle Hendricks (vs. Cardinals) also have tough matchups, but they're only available in FanDuel all-day contests.
Tonight's weather shows a few trouble spots (Blue Jays-Rangers, A's-Pirates, and Rays-Orioles), so check out the Fantasy Alarm Weather Center closer to lineup lock.
MORE FRIDAY MLB: DFS picks | DK lineup | Betting picks
Today's Starting Pitcher Rankings: Friday, May 3
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Opponent | Opp. wRC+ vs. LHP (rank) | Opp. wRC+ vs. RHP (rank) | FD | DK |
| 1 | Clayton Kershaw | Dodgers | @ Padres | 85 (T-18th) | N/A | $11,300 | $10,100 |
| 2 | Tyler Glasnow | Rays | @ Orioles | N/A | 90 (20th) | $10,500 | $9,600 |
| 3 | James Paxton | Yankees | vs. Twins | 117 (8th) | N/A | $10,300 | $10,300 |
| 4 | Chris Sale | Red Sox | @ White Sox | 102 (13th) | N/A | $9,900 | $9,900 |
| 5 | Matthew Boyd | Tigers | vs. Royals | 75 (T-23rd) | N/A | $10,400 | $9,300 |
| 6 | Kevin Gausman | Braves | @ Marlins | N/A | 73 (27th) | $8,100 | $8,400 |
| 7 | Sonny Gray | Reds | vs. Giants | N/A | 70 (29th) | $8,000 | $8,200 |
| 8 | Mike Minor | Rangers | vs. Blue Jays | 80 (21st) | N/A | $9,200 | $9,000 |
| 9 | Jack Flaherty | Cardinals | @ Cubs | N/A | 116 (T-3rd) | $9,000 | N/A |
| 10 | Joe Musgrove | Pirates | vs. A's | N/A | 84 (T-21st) | $8,700 | $7,200 |
| 11 | Steven Matz | Mets | @ Brewers | 108 (11th) | N/A | $7,700 | $7,600 |
| 12 | Shane Bieber | Indians | vs. Mariners | N/A | 116 (T-3rd) | $9,400 | $8,000 |
| 13 | Yusei Kikuchi | Mariners | @ Indians | 65 (28th) | N/A | $6,500 | $6,800 |
| 14 | Kyle Hendricks | Cubs | vs. Cardinals | N/A | 116 (T-3rd) | $7,800 | N/A |
| 15 | Jerad Eickhoff | Phillies | vs. Nationals | N/A | 91 (19th) | $8,600 | $7,400 |
| 16 | Brett Anderson | A's | @ Pirates | 60 (T-29th) | N/A | $6,600 | $5,800 |
| 17 | Brandon Woodruff | Brewers | vs. Mets | N/A | 98 (17th) | $7,400 | $7,300 |
| 18 | Robbie Ray | D-backs | @ Rockies | 66 (T-26th) | N/A | $7,000 | $7,500 |
| 19 | Tyler Beede | Giants | @ Reds | N/A | 65 (30th) | $5,600 | $6,100 |
| 20 | Jeremy Hellickson | Nationals | @ Phillies | N/A | 106 (T-12th) | $6,000 | $6,200 |
| 21 | Kyle Gibson | Twins | @ Yankees | N/A | 110 (10th) | $7,900 | $6,700 |
| 22 | Eric Lauer | Padres | vs. Dodgers | 103 (12th) | N/A | $6,700 | $7,100 |
| 23 | Jose Urena | Marlins | vs. Braves | N/A | 106 (T-12th) | $7,100 | $6,400 |
| 24 | Jorge Lopez | Royals | @ Tigers | N/A | 81 (24th) | $7,200 | $6,500 |
| 25 | Reynaldo Lopez | White Sox | vs. Red Sox | N/A | 92 (18th) | $8,400 | $7,000 |
| 26 | Tyler Anderson | Rockies | vs. D-backs | 123 (6th) | N/A | $5,500 | $6,300 |
| 27 | Dan Straily | Orioles | vs. Rays | N/A | 113 (8th) | $5,700 | $5,500 |
| 28 | Trent Thornton | Blue Jays | @ Rangers | N/A | 119 (2nd) | $6,100 | $6,600 |
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.