MLB

3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on 5/24/18

Jason Schandl  —  @JasonSchandl May 24th, 2018
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Rick Porcello, P, Boston Red Sox

Price: $9,300

We've got a three-game main slate on tap tonight, and Rick Porcello is the most expensive pitcher. When you combine the dearth of starting pitchers with Porcello's strong start to the season and a decent matchup against Tampa, he's well worth paying up for.

Porcello was uncharacteristically bad in 2017, finishing with his worst skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) since his 2010 sophomore season. He has bounced back this year, though. Through 10 starts, his SIERA sits at a strong 3.29, and his 24.4% strikeout rate is on pace to be a career-high clip. That comes with a career-best 10.1% swinging-strike rate.

The Rays rank a middling 11th in wRC+ against right-handed pitching on the season, and their 22.0% strikeout rate sits in the middle of the pack. Neither are overwhelmingly positive numbers for Porcello, but neither are strong enough that they should scare you off of him when he's standing out as the slate's best starter.

Betting lines are out for only two of tonight's three games as of Thursday morning, but the Rays' 3.52 implied total sits as the slate's lowest, adding another layer of appeal to Porcello.

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