The Opener: MLB DFS Pitching Picks for Friday (5/13)

There’s a reason gambling lines list starting pitchers next to the odds and totals for baseball games, and books take games off the board when starting pitchers get scratched. Pitchers dictate the context of the matchup and have a larger impact on each possible individual event (ball, strike, foul ball, ball in play) than any hitter ever could. They generally can’t win games single-handedly (Shohei Ohtani the notable exception of course), but they sure can lose them.

While other team sports can adjust strategy based on personnel, there’s nothing the rest of the defense can do if the pitcher allows too many walks or home runs. Suffice it to say, making the right decisions in DFS starts with pitching.

Main Slate (7:05 p.m. ET)

This is...