This is my first Friday article of the season! I’m filling in for this week, but it’s just preparing me for my typical weekend coverage. We had a wild trade deadline a few days ago, and these new players are settling into their new homes. Like most Fridays, every game is part of the main slate outside of the Cubs game during the day. With that in mind, let’s look at the pitchers for this slate!
Starting Pitcher Rankings
| PLAYER | DK SALARY | FD SALARY | VALUE | RISK |
| Luis Castillo (SEA) at LAA | $10,200 | $10,700 | Low | Low |
| Aaron Nola (PHI) vs. KC | $10,000 | $9,900 | Medium | Low |
| Jordan Montgomery (TEX) vs. MIA | $8,100 | $9,500 | Medium | Medium |
| Colin Rea (MIL) vs. PIT | $6,700 | $7,500 | High | High |
Starting Pitcher Strategy
This was a tough slate from a pitching perspective. The first three guys stuck out like a sore thumb, but finding a fourth pitcher we wanted to recommend was nearly impossible. That’s why we went super risky with the last option and would only advise him in GPPs. With that said, let’s get started by looking at the cash game pitchers that we actually trust!
Cash Game Recommendations:
Luis Castillo (SEA) at LAA
Seattle became sellers at the deadline, which is funny because they bought Castillo at last year’s deadline. He’s treated them well since joining the Mariners, maintaining a 2.94 ERA and 1.05 WHIP since the start of last year. He’s been even better recently, registering a 2.32 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 10.2 K.9 rate across his previous five starts. The Angels lineup hasn’t been anything special since Mike Trout went down, with Castillo scoring at least 41 FanDuel points in all three starts against them since joining Seattle.
Hitter Strategy
This should be a fun slate from a lineup construction standpoint. There are three top-notch pitchers we love and plenty of great hitters to build around them. The offenses we want to use today include the Cardinals, Astros, Brewers, Rockies, Phillies, Orioles, and Guardians. What’s fun about that group of teams is that we have plenty of cheap hitters among those lineups. That should make lineup construction a breeze, so let’s crush this Friday card!
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