Let's get those daily fantasy baseball lineups ready with our starting pitcher rankings, closer news and weather reports below. As usual, we'll also have hitter matchups and daily fantasy baseball picks to help you win some cash.
Friday's full MLB schedule starts with three games at 7:05 p.m. ET, followed by five more before 8 o'clock. In other words, it will be a busy night for DFS contests. Good luck!
READ MORE: Fantasy football cheat sheet | Hitter splits | Daily Fantasy Baseball Playbook | FanDuel lineup
Today's Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Rankings
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Scherzer | Nats | vs. Marlins |
| 2 | Clayton Kershaw | Dodgers | vs. Cubs |
| 3 | Masahiro Tanaka | Yankees | at Braves |
| 4 | Matt Harvey | Mets | vs. Red Sox |
| 5 | Michael Wacha | Cardinals | at Giants |
| 6 | Danny Salazar | Indians | vs. Angels |
| 7 | Sonny Gray | A's | at D-backs |
| 8 | Francisco Liriano | Pirates | vs. Rockies |
| 9 | Ian Kennedy | Padres | at Phillies |
| 10 | Scott Kazmir | Astros | at Twins |
| 11 | Kevin Gausman | Orioles | at Rangers |
| 12 | Taijuan Walker | Mariners | at White Sox |
| 13 | Cole Hamels | Rangers | vs. Orioles |
| 14 | Raisel Iglesias | Reds | at Brewers |
| 15 | Mike Leake | Giants | vs. Cardinals |
| 16 | Andrew Heaney | Angels | at Indians |
| 17 | Aaron Nola | Phillies | vs. Padres |
| 18 | Edinson Volquez | Royals | at Rays |
| 19 | R.A. Dickey | Blue Jays | vs. Tigers |
| 20 | Henry Owens | Red Sox | at Mets |
| 21 | Jon Gray | Rockies | at Pirates |
| 22 | Erasmo Ramirez | Rays | vs. Royals |
| 23 | Taylor Jungmann | Brewers | vs. Reds |
| 24 | Jason Hammel | Cubs | at Dodgers |
| 25 | Chase Anderson | D-backs | vs. Athletics |
| 26 | John Danks | White Sox | vs. Mariners |
| 27 | Adam Conley | Marlins | at Nationals |
| 28 | Kyle Gibson | Twins | vs. Astros |
| 29 | Matt Boyd | Tigers | at Blue Jays |
| 30 | Williams Perez | Braves | vs. Yankees |
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Saves Sleepers
Good news/bad news for Greg Holland owners. The good is that he was back on the mound on Thursday after a recent bout with what manager Ned Yost referred to as a "cranky' arm; the bad is that he allowed three hits and a pair of runs. With the Royals headed for another postseason, it wouldn't be a shock to see them take it easy with Holland and let Wade Davis handle more save chances -- that is, if they don't demote or place Holland on the DL.
Twins manager Paul Molitor said he's optimistic that Glen Perkins (back) will be available to pitch on Friday. Perkins dealt with a neck issue last week, so it's unlikely the Twins will rush him back into action, but it sounds like he'll certainly avoid the disabled list. Kevin Jepsen will handle save situations if Perkins is unable to go.
Bruce Rondon got the call in the top of the ninth inning with the Tigers trailing by a run on Thursday, and he proceeded to allow two hits, a walk and a run. This marks the third time in four outings Rondon has allowed at least one run. Given his lack of closer experience, it's fair to wonder how long Detroit will stick with him. Alex Wilson figures to be next in line for save chances if Rondon gets demoted.
Jim Johnson picked up a save for the Dodgers on Thursday, but Kenley Jansen owners don't need to worry. Jansen was just being given a rest after pitching each of the previous two days.
It only took him 30 pitches, but Ken Giles threw 2.1 innings on Thursday. Expect to see Jeanmar Gomez in the ninth inning if the Phillies have a save situation on Friday.Weather Watch
Despite another generally cloudy day around the league, there aren't any significant threats of rain Thursday.