MLB daily notes: Fantasy rankings for Friday

— -- Coming off a Thursday that was filled with multiple elite options and high-end hurlers in the middle tier, Friday feels like a bit of a letdown. Sure, there's a bona fide ace at the top (Scherzer) and some high-upside names in the middle (Velasquez, Matz), but some less-than-ideal matchups mean there aren't necessarily any no-brainer cash options this time around. There's still enough depth available to offer plenty of lineup options; it'll just take some work. With that in mind, let's get to it.

Pitching

Elite

Not surprisingly, Max Scherzer draws the top Game Score of the day with a road start at San Francisco. That said, the Giants present a pretty unappealing matchup. Not only are the Giants above average offensively against right-handed pitching, they strike out just 17 percent of the time, which is the lowest rate in the National League. Armed with an 11.5 K/9 that ranks second best in baseball behind only Jose Fernandez, Scherzer carries high strikeout potential into every start. Still, you'll want to keep expectations in check given the Giants' ability to make contact. Scherzer still carries a safe floor for cash games, but the upside is lower than usual.

It's rare that Kenta Maeda joins the elite tier, but that's where he finds himself on Thursday with a home matchup against Arizona. The Diamondbacks have been unimpressive versus righty pitching this season, putting up an 89 wRC+ and 23 percent strikeout rate, so it's obviously a much friendlier spot than what Scherzer is matching up against. Then again, in his last six outings, Maeda has whiffed more than six batters just once and has just two quality starts, so he's not as safe, either.

Solid

One of the day's most appealing matchups belongs to Steven Matz, who is set to square off against the Rockies at Citi Field. In addition to being helpless against left-handed pitching this season, evidenced by an 86 wRC+ and 23 percent whiff rate, the Rox offense goes dormant whenever it leaves Coors Field (80 wRC+, 23 percent strikeout rate). After a rough June (5.74 ERA), Matz has settled down in July (3.24 ERA), and this is a matchup he should exploit. I like him in both cash games and tournaments on Friday.

Just missing the elite tier is Vince Velasquez, who gets a road start against Atlanta. It's a terrific matchup. Although the Braves aren't a big strikeout team, they have the worst offense in baseball against right-handed pitching (75 wRC+). For his part, Velasquez has high-end whiff potential (10.1 K/9) and owns a 2.70 ERA since returning from the DL in late June. However, his cash appeal is somewhat limited by the fact that he's pitched past the sixth inning just twice in 17 starts this season and has not fared well on the road (4.89 ERA).

Over his last seven starts, Jon Lester owns a 5.89 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. He also sports a 4.7 walk rate with 10 homers allowed in those seven outings. Needless to say, Lester seems to be in a bit of a funk. With a decent home matchup against Seattle on tap, the southpaw is worth some GPP consideration given that he's likely to be underowned. However, his recent performance is making me steer clear in cash for now. Granted, with the day's only afternoon start time, his DFS availability will be limited anyway.

After a brilliant June (2.01 ERA), Trevor Bauer has stumbled a bit so far in July (5.66 ERA). However, Friday's matchup against Oakland might be what needs to get back on track. The A's have been the worst team in the American League against righties this season (88 wRC+), and things haven't been any better in July (87 wRC+). If you're looking to save cap space, he's worth consideration as an SP2 on multi-pitcher sites.

Jose Quintana continues to make sense as a solid cash-game play if you don't want to pay top dollar for one of the elite arms. He offers great start-to-start stability from a run prevention standpoint and still misses enough bats to matter. With the Twins on the schedule, Quintana gets an offense that's slightly above average against lefties but also strikes out at a healthy 23 percent clip. Maybe he's a little boring, but boring is OK in cash games.

Streamers

Jake Odorizzi is coming off his best start of the season, as he tossed eight shutout innings against Oakland last Friday. He's in another spot to thrive this Friday with the Yankees coming to town. New York has put up an 88 wRC+ versus righties this season, which is something Odorizzi should be able to exploit. He's still a free agent in more than half of ESPN leagues.

Colin McHugh's ESPN.com ownership is just 42 percent, but it's no surprise that that number is on the rise. After all, the right-hander has posted a 2.49 ERA and 9.0 K/9 over his last seven starts. Detroit may have a lineup that can do some damage, but the Tigers have been struggling offensively in July (86 wRC+) and strike out 22 percent of the time versus right-handed pitching.

Available in 57 percent of ESPN.com leagues, Mike Leake carries some streaming appeal against a Marlins team that's below average against right-handed pitching. The Cardinals righty has been a bit up-and-down of late, but he's in a decent spot if you need innings or are chasing wins.

Tyler Chatwood doesn't get much attention in fantasy due to being a Colorado Rockies pitcher, but he becomes interesting when he's away from Coors Field. In eight road starts this season, the right-hander owns a pristine 1.30 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. Traveling to Citi Field to take on a Mets team that's below average versus righties and strikes out a lot puts Chatwood in a very nice spot on Friday.

Avoid

Brandon Finnegan has struggled mightily this season but a start against the lowly Padres would at least make him a decent streaming option, right? Wrong. While the Padres' lineup is one of the worst in baseball against right-handed pitching (82 wRC+), it might surprise you to learn that it's actually been the best in baseball against lefty pitching (119 wRC+). Keep the Reds lefty on the waiver wire.

Hitting

Tim Lincecum is the worst-ranked starter of the day. He has been hammered by both left- (.377 wOBA) and right-handed (.584 wOBA) bats. The Red Sox, meanwhile, have been the most lethal team in baseball versus right-handed pitching this season. This one could get ugly in a hurry, so you'll definitely want some exposure to the Boston bats. Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez and Jackie Bradley Jr. are all top-tier plays here. Go nuts.

We already discussed avoiding Finnegan against the Padres, who hammer left-handed pitching, so it stands to reason that they'll have some bats worth targeting. You'll want to focus on righty swingers, with Wil Myers and Matt Kemp being the most desirable targets.

Edwin Jackson has made only two starts this season, and he holds a 2.92 ERA in those two starts. That said, he's also walked more than he's struck out in 23 innings this season and owns a 6.24 xFIP, which hasn't caught up to his 4.30 ERA just yet. Take a look at lefty sluggers Jay Bruce and Joey Votto in this one.

The Cardinals' lineup has been the best in the NL this season against right-handed pitching (113 wRC+), and that could spell trouble for Jose Urena on Friday. The Dodgers righty owns a 5.28 ERA in 38 career appearances (11 starts) to go along with an ugly 4.7 K/9. There are plenty of Cardinals bats worth considering here regardless of platoon advantage, making this a good time to stack.

Most likely to go yard: Chris Carter

Originally this call was made when Jeff Locke was scheduled, but he's since been replaced by Steven Brault. Brault is also a lefty and Miller Park greatly inflates right-handed power. Still sounds like a great time for Carter to muscle up.

Most likely to swipe a bag: Mookie Betts

I'm high on Matz on Friday, but the fact remains that he's allowed 15 stolen bases this season, the third most in baseball. With the Rockies in town, Charlie Blackmon will be off to the races if he reaches first base.