If I had to draft one pitcher for Friday evening’s DraftKings contests, it would be the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Francisco Liriano.

The Bucs hurler has been excellent this season, despite his 2-4 record. He has a WHIP of 1.14 and ERA of 3.86. Also, his 64 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched make him a potential fantasy stud every time he takes the mound.

Liriano has a favorable matchup that DraftKings owners can exploit on Friday. He and the Pirates will visit the San Diego Padres. Liriano has held the current members of the Padres roster to a combined batting average of .177.

Melvin Upton Jr. is the only member of the Padres who is hitting above .300 against Liriano with more than three at-bats against the lefty—and Upton Jr. is currently on the 15-day disabled list. The table is set for a strong fantasy performance from Liriano. At $9,200, he is the best pitching value of the day.

Need more? Well, you definitely need at least one other option. How about four?

Cole Hamels ($10,200) vs. Colorado Rockies

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After having won four straight starts and lowering his ERA in each of the outings, Cole Hamels is in top form heading into his start against the Colorado Rockies. In his last four starts, Hamels hasn’t had a game where he tallied less than 26.4 fantasy points. 

Were this game taking place in Denver, Hamels might not be the smart choice. However, at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies ace has been lights-out.

His ERA at home is 2.25, and opponents are hitting just .184 against him at home. Hamels is an excellent second pitcher for your DraftKings lineup on Friday.

Lower-Cost Options

Mike Bolsinger ($7,200) at St. Louis Cardinals

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The Los Angeles Dodgers needed someone to step up in their rotation after Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, and that’s what Mike Bolsinger has done. 

He’s been dominant in all four of his starts, with his best outing coming in his last game. On May 23, Bolsinger pitched eight innings of one-hit, shutout baseball against the Padres. He lowered his ERA to 0.71 and WHIP to 0.79. At one point in the game, he retired 23 straight batters.

He hasn’t allowed more than one run in any of his four starts this season. From a sabermetrics standpoint, Bolsinger is an intriguing pitcher. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal examines Bolsinger‘s appeal on that front.

“Bolsinger also had a very small velocity difference between his cutter and curve, the only two pitches he throws, and a curve 2 mph faster than average,” Rosenthal wrote. “By blending them into almost a continuum, as he has done this season, he becomes more effective.”

Were he not facing the potent St. Louis Cardinals lineup on Friday, I might have Bolsinger a little higher on this list. As it stands, he is still a solid option for DraftKings owners looking to spend a little more freely on hitters.

Trevor Bauer ($8,100) at Seattle Mariners

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Corey Kluber gets most of the press, but Trevor Bauer has been an even more consistent performer on the mound for the Cleveland Indians this season. He’s allowed two or fewer runs in six of his nine starts this season.

After a rough patch in late April and early May, Bauer hasn’t allowed more than one earned run in his last three starts. On Friday, he faces the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

In his career, the current members of the Mariners have hit Bauer pretty well, but he has yet to face Seattle this season. If Bauer can maintain the form he’s displayed throughout the last three weeks, he could be a nice bargain at $8,100.

Carlos Rodon ($5,200) at Houston Astros

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

The Chicago White Sox’s prized young hurler had his last start skipped in the rotation, but Carlos Rodon is back in place and ready to take the mound against the Houston Astros on Friday.

There’s no questioning Rodon‘s stuff, but he has struggled with command early on. He’s walked 15 batters in his last 14 innings pitched, but the extra rest could serve him well.

Rodon is facing the Houston Astros, and that could be good news for the rookie left-hander. As good as the Astros have been this season, they are hitting just .235 against lefties. This will be a good spot for Rodon to have one of his best starts of the season.

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