DraftKings picks: Donaldson, Tulo, Harvey
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The players listed below could provide difference-making stats for DraftKings participants on Friday.
Josh Donaldson (Blue Jays): The third baseman could improve on his lifetime .293/.375/.576 slash line against left-handers when he welcomes Red Sox southpaw Wade Miley (career 1.33 WHIP) to homer-happy Rogers Centre on Friday.
Edwin Encarnacion (Blue Jays): Encarnacion could drive in multiple runs against the left-handed Miley, as the first baseman has posted a career .880 OPS against southpaws, as opposed to a .814 mark vs. right-handers. Miley has compiled a 7.15 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP since starting his Red Sox tenure at the outset of this season, and he could struggle against a powerful Toronto lineup at an offense-inducing venue in Canada.
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Jose Bautista (Blue Jays): The outfielder has long fared best vs. left-handers, against whom he has compiled a lifetime .894 OPS (.846 vs. righties). Meanwhile, Miley in his career has allowed right-handed hitters such as Bautista to post a .745 OPS (.678 OPS allowed to left-handed hitters).
Pablo Sandoval (Red Sox): With a career .854 OPS against right-handers (.692 vs. lefties), the third baseman could drive in multiple runs against Sanchez on Friday. The 22-year-old hurler has compiled a lifetime 4.18 FIP, which includes his 5.93 mark from this season.
Jay Bruce (Reds): Bruce is off to a slow start this season (.176 batting average), but he has shown his trademark power with five homers across 91 at-bats. The outfielder has compiled a career .259/.333/.480 slash line against right-handers, and he could rip a round-tripper on Friday against White Sox righty Hector Noesi (lifetime 1.5 HR/9 rate) at hitter-friendly U.S. Cellular Field.
Billy Hamilton (Reds): The owner of balanced lifetime splits at the dish, Hamilton has recorded 66 career steals across 563 plate appearances with a right-hander on the mound. With the right-handed Noesi (career 1.44 WHIP) starting vs. the Reds on Friday, Hamilton could reach base multiple times and steal his 15th base of the season.
Conor Gillaspie (White Sox): Gillaspie has accumulated pronounced splits, with a lifetime .761 OPS against right-handers that notably exceeds his .512 mark vs. lefties. On Friday, the third baseman could reach base often at his hitter-friendly home park against Reds righty Jason Marquis (career 1.44 WHIP).
Adam LaRoche (White Sox): The owner of a lifetime .271/.353/.488 slash line against right-handers, LaRoche could drive in multiple runs at his offense-inducing home park on Friday. The first baseman is set to face Marquis, who has compiled a 5.22 ERA this season after pitching solely in the Minors in 2014.
Nolan Arenado (Rockies): On Friday, Arenado will bring a career .887 OPS against left-handers (.738 vs. righties) into a matchup with Dodgers lefty Brett Anderson (lifetime 1.29 WHIP). The third baseman could excel in this home contest, as he has posted a lifetime .850 OPS at Coors Field, as opposed to a .703 mark on the road.
Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies): With a career .320/.406/.562 slash line against left-handers and a lifetime .322/.395/.563 line at Coors Field, the shortstop could produce big numbers against Anderson on Friday. The lefty hurler has posted a 4.21 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP this season after making just eight starts during an injury-plagued 2014 campaign.
Adrian Gonzalez (Dodgers): The first baseman could improve on his lifetime .303/.379/.536 slash line against right-handers when he vacates his spacious home park and heads to hitter-friendly Coors Field to face righty Eddie Butler (career 4.93 ERA, 1.74 WHIP) on Friday.
Matt Harvey (Mets): With a 2.41 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP across five starts, the right-hander has shown no ill effects from missing all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Harvey cold post a stellar line on Friday, when he faces a Phillies lineup that ranks last in baseball in OPS (.612) and runs per game (2.83).
Gio Gonzalez (Nationals): Gonzalez fared poorly in April, but he got on track by tossing seven scoreless frames last Saturday. The left-hander boasts an 8.9 K/9 rate as a big leaguer, and he could rack up whiffs and quality innings against the Braves at Nationals Park on Friday.
Nathan Karns (Rays): DraftKings participants who wish to load up on expensive hitters could turn to Karns as a low-cost second starter on Friday. After a rough initial 2015 outing, the right-hander has allowed no more than two runs in four of his past five starts. In this contest, he could notch a quality start at his spacious home park against a Rangers lineup that ranks 28th in the Majors with a .623 OPS against right-handers.
Sonny Gray (A's): Gray could the next in a long line of A's aces, as he has compiled a 1.67 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP across his first six starts of a possible breakout season. The right-hander could accumulate quality frames vs. the Mariners at pitcher-friendly Safeco Field on Friday, and such could yield a win for Gray with right-hander Taijuan Walker (career 4.64 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) on the mound for the opposition.
All statistics are accurate through the completion of Wednesday's games.