MLB PrizePicks Today, Featuring Nico Hoerner and Wander Franco (Friday, July 21)
Pictured: Wander Franco. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
We have a stacked 15-game MLB slate on Friday, which means there are plenty of entries to sift through on PrizePicks.
A quick refresher if you aren’t familiar with PrizePicks: You can combine up to five different player squares to pay out up to 10x your entry.
You can do a Flex Play or a Power Play. A Flex Play provides lesser odds, but you can win money even if you don’t nail every pick. A Power Play is all-or-nothing.
Here’s how I would approach Friday's MLB slate.
What is PrizePicks? A daily fantasy operator — meaning they’re available in more states (30) than sports betting is! — PrizePicks offers a unique opportunity for action on player picks in which you combine two or more entries together.
Nico Hoerner Fantasy Score More Than 7.5
The second installment of this four-game, NL Central series gets underway Friday with the third-place Chicago Cubs hosting the fourth-place St. Louis Cardinals.
Right-hander Jack Flaherty will take the mound for St. Louis and could be a good fade candidate. It's been an up-and-down season for Flaherty, who possesses a 4.29 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP.
He has made some strong starts recently, but has also gotten shelled multiple times. Nico Hoerner is the first Chicago hitter to back in this game as he will have multiple avenues available to surpass this number.
Not only does he do a great job getting on base, but he's also a major threat to steal as he's tied for fifth in the NL in stolen bases. Hoerner is 0-6 in his career against Flaherty, but possesses a .276 xBA, a .400 xSLG and a .355 xwOBA over those six at-bats.
Hoerner has recorded eight or more fantasy points in four of his past six games.
Cody Bellinger Fantasy Score More Than 7.5
Cody Bellinger is the other Cubs hitter to back in this contest as he's been one of the Cubs' best hitters this year. Bellinger boasts a .311 BA, a .527 SLG and a .894 OPS.
When facing right-handed pitching since 2021, Bellinger's splits jump by roughly 6%.
Additionally, Bellinger has surpassed this figure in five of his past seven games.
Wander Franco Fantasy Score More Than 7
The second-place Tampa Bay Rays host the first-place Baltimore Orioles in an intriguing AL East series.
Right-hander Kyle Bradish will take the mound for Baltimore and could be a good fade candidate. Bradish is 6-4 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP, but his underlying metrics suggest regression is imminent. He ranks in the 42nd percentile or lower in Average Exit Velocity, Hard-Hit Rate, xERA/xwOBA, xBA and xSLG. Bradish is coming off back-to-back shutout performances and now could be the time to sell high.
Wander Franco is the first Tampa Bay hitter to back in this game. The 22-year-old has a .271 BA, a .446 SLG and a .782 OPS through 92 games.
His underlying metrics are even better as he ranks in the 65th percentile or higher in xwOBA, xBA and xSLG. Additionally, Franco's splits jump by approximately 22% when playing at home this season.
Yandy Diaz Fantasy Score More Than 7
Yandy Diaz is the other Rays hitter to back in this contest. The Rays' best hitter, Diaz boasts a .320 BA, a .505 SLG and a .909 OPS through 81 games.
Diaz's underlying metrics suggest regression is unlikely as he ranks in the 92nd percentile or higher in Average Exit Velocity, Hard-Hit Rate, xwOBA and xBA.
Through nine career plate appearances against Bradish, Diaz possesses a .444 BA, a .556 SLG and a .435 wOBA. He's also collected at least seven fantasy points in five of his past nine games.
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