Fantasy baseball lineup Friday advice: Strong matchup for Merrill Kelly at home

ESPN FantasySep 10, 2026, 03:57 PM ET
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Check out all of our starting pitcher rankings and other lineup selection tools here to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions. All fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.

Note: All information is accurate as of the time of publication. For updates, as well as any breaking news that might impact today's MLB slate, be sure to check out the latest fantasy baseball buzz.

Other resources: RP depth chart | 2026 Rankings
ESPN's 2026 Player Rater | Betting notes for Friday

STARTING PITCHERS FOR FRIDAY

Pitchers are ranked in order of their Forecaster/Daily Notes projected fantasy points (FPTS), using ESPN's standard scoring system (2 points per win, minus-2 per loss, 3 per inning, 1 per K, minus-1 apiece per hit or walk allowed, minus-2 per earned run allowed).

T: The pitcher's handedness. OPP: Opposing team. RST%: The pitcher's roster percentage in ESPN leagues. W%: The individual starting pitcher's win probability using ESPN projections. IP: Projected innings pitched. H+BB: Projected hits plus walks allowed. ER: Projected earned runs allowed. K: Projected strikeouts.

If a team is planning on using an "opener" to start their game, but will rely on a "bulk pitcher" to follow him on the mound after 1-2 innings, the bulk pitcher is listed and indicated with an asterisk.

FPTS	Pitcher	T	Opp	Rst%	W%	IP	H+BB	ER	K
14.0	Blake Snell	L	@MIA	90.4%	43%	5.6	6.4	1.7	6.7
13.4	Drew Rasmussen	R	HOU	94.8%	38%	5.7	5.9	1.7	5.4
13.1	Nolan McLean	R	@NYY	93.7%	37%	5.9	6.9	2.0	6.2
13.0	Chris Sale	L	PHI	99.6%	40%	5.9	6.9	2.4	6.8
11.9	Parker Messick	L	@MIN	95.1%	36%	5.8	6.8	2.3	5.9
11.5	Carlos Rodon	L	NYM	58.1%	28%	5.2	5.9	1.8	5.4
10.4	Robbie Ray	L	@SF	65.9%	37%	5.4	6.9	2.1	4.9
10.1	Braxton Ashcraft	R	@CHC	90.2%	30%	5.1	6.2	2.1	5.0
9.9	Shota Imanaga	L	PIT	82.3%	25%	5.2	6.2	2.4	5.3
9.9	Cade Cavalli	R	LAA	70.9%	33%	5.3	6.8	2.5	5.7
9.7	Framber Valdez	L	COL	68.1%	39%	5.9	7.8	2.8	5.4
9.7	Merrill Kelly	R	TEX	21.1%	37%	5.8	7.6	2.9	5.4
9.3	Chris Bassitt	R	@TOR	4.6%	35%	5.8	7.6	2.6	4.9
9.2	Taj Bradley	R	CLE	65.2%	28%	5.6	7.6	2.8	5.6
9.1	Luis Castillo	R	@STL	43.8%	33%	5.3	6.7	2.4	4.7
9.1	Max Scherzer	R	BAL	5.6%	27%	5.2	6.5	2.5	4.9
8.8	Shane Drohan	L	CIN	6.9%	23%	4.8	6.5	2.3	5.3
8.2	Sonny Gray	R	KC	94.6%	38%	5.6	7.7	3.3	5.6
8.1	Matthew Liberatore	L	CWS	4.3%	25%	5.2	7.1	2.5	4.9
7.9	Yusei Kikuchi	L	@WSH	8.4%	25%	5.2	7.4	2.9	5.7
7.8	Ethan Pecko	R	@TB	0.3%	12%	4.5	5.7	1.8	4.1
7.8	Aaron Nola	R	@ATL	54.0%	25%	5.4	7.4	3.3	5.7
7.4	Anthony Molina	R	SD	1.4%	19%	5.0	6.6	2.4	4.0
7.1	Kumar Rocker	R	@ARI	4.0%	22%	4.9	6.8	2.5	4.5
7.1	Andrew Abbott	L	@MIL	36.2%	18%	4.7	6.3	2.4	4.3
6.8	Ryan Gusto	R	LAD	0.7%	14%	4.8	6.7	2.4	4.3
6.1	Mason Adams	R	@DET	0.5%	13%	4.4	6.1	2.5	4.1
5.5	Seth Lugo	R	@BOS	21.6%	23%	5.4	8.0	3.6	4.8
4.8	George Kirby	R	@ATH	85.2%	35%	5.4	8.2	4.3	5.4
1.8	Jeffrey Springs	L	SEA	7.5%	16%	4.6	7.5	4.2	4.2

Pitchers to stream on Friday

Merrill Kelly has bounced back from a pair of mid-August struggles with three straight solid efforts, the last two registering as quality starts. The Arizona Diamondbacks are in the throes of the NL wild card race, so they need Kelly to stay on a roll as they welcome the Texas Rangers to the desert. The veteran right-hander enjoys a favorable matchup, facing a lineup with the fourth-lowest wOBA against righties.
The Milwaukee Brewers are a playoff lock, though they are competing with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the No. 1 seed in the National League. Their postseason rotation is still in flux with the last two spots open. Shane Drohan is in the mix, along with Kyle Harrison, Dustin May and Robert Gasser. Drohan has been mostly effective, with the occasional misstep like his last outing. He'll try to rebound at home against the Cincinnati Reds. His 23.8% strikeout rate is a tick above average, and he has a chance to improve it, facing a club with the fourth-highest strikeout rate against lefties.
It's still a bit unsettling seeing Max Scherzer as a streamer, but he's logged only one game with more than five strikeouts in 14 starts. It's encouraging that it came just two outings ago, suggesting he still has something in the tank. It helps pitching with the adrenaline from being in the mix for the last AL wild card spot. The Toronto Blue Jays host the Baltimore Orioles, who are still within shouting distance of the playoffs. However, the visitors are much more productive at home, toting the fifth-lowest road wOBA and fourth-highest road strikeout rate against right-handed pitching.

Hitters to stream on Friday

Josue De Paula is slated to be the Los Angeles Dodgers' regular designated hitter while Shohei Ohtani is convalescing on the injured list. He'll likely hit in the lower third of the order, but it's a potent lineup that should turn over enough to give the rookie plenty of chances. Stealing bases is part of his game, which also helps mitigate losing a plate appearance here and there. On Friday, De Paula enjoys a favorable matchup with Miami Marlins' righty Ryan Gusto.
A second-half swoon has cost Esmerlyn Valdez regular playing time, but the right-handed swinger still faces left-handers and is sporting a 1.044 OPS with the platoon edge. The Pittsburgh Pirates are in Wrigley Field for a weekend set against the Chicago Cubs. Shota Imanaga gets the nod in the series opener. He's been effective, but he also leads MLB with 33 homers allowed.
Detroit Tigers' rookie Max Clark has a .321/.424/.429 line this month, chipping in with two steals. He's been batting sixth against righties, which is where he'll likely be when Colorado Rockies right-hander Mason Adams takes the hill at Comerica Park. Adams is making just his fourth major league start. He's allowed a lot of traffic, sporting a 1.61 WHIP over 13 2/3 innings.
Randal Grichuk is a part-time player, but he can still produce against southpaws, as shown by a .307/.353/.621 line with the platoon edge. The Chicago White Sox are on the road facing the St. Louis Cardinals. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore, with his 5.57 ERA and 1.47 WHIP, will be on the hill.