Major League Baseball has a fabulous Friday night slate of games lined up to get the weekend started. There are only two teams not in the player pool since the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs face off in a Wrigley Field matinee. The other 28 teams are all on the main slate on DraftKings, which locks at 7:05 p.m. ET. There are five divisional games on tap as part of this slate including some of the fiercest rivalries on the East and West coasts at the start and finish of the slate.
When building your DFS fantasy baseball team, it’s critical to keep a close eye on pregame lineups and the latest player news leading up to game time. You can do that by installing the DK Live app and following DK Live on Twitter (@dklive). I’m also on Twitter (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the season continues.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st] (Night)
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25263747/IMG_9722.jpeg)
Bet at a top rated Sportsbook!
View the latest odds and bet online legally at a top rated Sportsbook! Place a bet now at DraftKings Sportsbook!*
*Odds and lines are for illustrative purposes only.
PITCHER
Stud
Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays at San Diego Padres ($11,000) – The top of the salary spectrum of starting pitchers on this slate is absolutely stacked with top options. There are four starters over $10K and several strong options below that mark as well. Of the elite group, McClanahan is my favorite option as he takes on the Padres at Petco Park. San Diego’s offense has plenty of big names and good upside but has also been disappointingly inconsistent. They’re not a matchup to target necessarily, but neither are they one to avoid.
McClanahan leads the majors with 10 wins on the season and has a dazzling 2.18 ERA to go with a 3.56 FIP and 10.02 K/9 rate. While those supporting numbers show there may be some late-season regression again for the lefty, he’s still a very strong play at this point and has been very consistent to this point in the season. He has produced over 17 DKFP in all but one of his starts this season with over 18 DKFP in five straight while averaging 23.02 DKFP over that stretch. He hasn’t had more than seven strikeouts in any of those outings, but he has picked up victories in tough matchups against the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. With a good chance at a win in this matchup against Yu Darvish ($8,100), McClanahan brings the most reliable elite-level production on this slate and a high ceiling if he can bring a few more strikeouts back into the mix.
Other Options – Joe Ryan ($10,600), Zac Gallen ($10,200)
Value
Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds at Houston Astros ($7,100) – The Reds’ youth infusion has made them a fun team to watch over the past few weeks, and they roll into Houston after winning five straight games and eight of their last 10. While the young bats have gotten most of the attention, Abbott has been a nice addition to the rotation in his first two MLB starts. Before getting called up, the 24-year-old lefty went 4-0 with a 2.50 ERA in Double-A and Triple-A. His most impressive stat from the minors, though, was his 90 strikeouts in just 154 innings for an eye-popping 15.4 K/9.
Abbott has been able to convert that success to the big leagues as well, allowing just six hits in 11 2⁄3 shutout innings over his first two starts. He only had 10 strikeouts while issuing seven walks, so there is still much room for improvement and increased production if he’s more efficient and gets more punchouts. Abbott did get the win in each of his first two starts, producing 26.5 DKFP against the Milwaukee Brewers and 20 DKFP against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Astros are still a formidable opponent, but their lineup has been depleted by injury, so they’re no longer a “stay away” option. They’ve scored just 12 runs in their past four games and are just 3-6 in their past nine games.
Other Options – Taijuan Walker ($7,000), J.P. Sears ($6,900), Bryan Woo ($5,400)
INFIELD
Stud
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals ($6,400) – Ohtani carried the Angels to a win on Thursday in Texas, not only by throwing six solid innings to earn the win as a pitcher but also by hitting his 22nd home run of the season, tying him for the Major League lead. Ohtani has been one of the best players in baseball even if you only consider his production at the plate. He has hit safely in 12 straight games, going 22-for-45 (.489) during that stretch with seven home runs, five doubles, a triple, 16 RBI and an incredible .659 wOBA. He has even added three stolen bases for good measure to boost him to an average of 18.6 DKFP as a hitter over that 12-game span. Ohtani has been a monster at the plate and gets a great matchup against righty Brady Singer ($6,100), who has struggled against left-handed hitters this season, allowing them to hit .301 with a .400 wOBA over his 13 starts.
Stud
Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds at Houston Astros ($4,700) – I’m still in on the Elly De La Cruz ($5,100) hype train, but his salary is a little high for me on this slate, especially when his teammate and fellow rookie McLain has been also putting up great numbers and comes cheaper. McLain brings great positional flexibility at either middle infield spot and brings good upside from under $5K. The 23-year-old McLain arrived in the Majors just before De La Cruz and has come out of the gate swinging a hot stick. In his first 28 games, he is hitting .328 with three home runs, two stolen bases and a .385 wOBA. He has averaged 10.1 DKFP per game over his past nine contests after going 2-for-4 with 23 DKFP in his most recent contest on Wednesday. He already has 13 multi-hit games and has supposedly locked himself into the second spot in Cincinnati’s batting order, which is a great place for consistent run production ahead of the power hitters just behind him.
Other Options – Rafael Devers ($5,800), Bobby Witt Jr. ($5,600)
Value
Ty France, Seattle Mariners vs. Chicago White Sox ($3,300) – France seems severely underpriced based on his recent production, and he’s a nice spot to pay down at 1B if you are building around big-hitting outfielders. You can slide Ohtani to an outfield spot as well to create room for France if you want to build around both AL West producers. France has gone 27-for-80 (.338) over his past 20 games with four home runs and a .422 wOBA. He has regularly been squaring the ball up with a maxEV of at least 96 miles per hour in seven of his past eight games. His power numbers aren’t among the elite at his position, but his consistency and premium lineup spot make him a solid play at barely over $3K in this series-opening matchup with Michael Kopech ($9,300).
Value
Maikel Garcia, Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels ($2,200) – Garcia is one of the best bargains on the slate and can slot in at either SS or 3B for increased roster flexibility. Garcia hasn’t made quite as big a splash as De La Cruz, McClain and Co. on the other side of the Show Me State, but he has been solid across his first 35 games this season with Kansas City. Garcia is hitting .264 with five stolen bases and one home run to average 6.4 DKFP per contest. He has picked up that production recently, hitting safely in six of his last seven while going 8-for-25 (.320) with a .340 wOBA. He has also had success all season against lefties, hitting .318 with a .364 wOBA and 131 wRC+ in that split, so he should be set up to return good value in Friday’s matchup with lefty Patrick Sandoval ($7,300).
Other Options – Ezequiel Tovar ($3,200), Triston Casas ($2,900), Tucupita Marcano ($2,500)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies ($6,600) – If you’re paying up for an outfielder, it’s hard to ever look past Acuña since he offers so much potential for a monster game both at the plate and on the basepaths. He’s averaging 12.4 DKFP per game on the season and has been even better averaging 14.8 DKFP over his past nine games. Acuña leads the National League with 29 stolen bases on the season and has also smashed 15 home runs. Four of those home runs have come in his past 12 games, during which he is hitting .365 (19-for-52) with a .456 wOBA and six stolen bases. Especially when the Braves have a juicy matchup like this one against Dinelson Lamet ($5,000), Acuña is a top building block to consider.
George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays at Texas Rangers ($4,900) – Springer is another leadoff hitter who brings power potential to the table, and he comes at a pretty affordable salary under $5K on this slate. He is 8-for-22 (.364) with a .462 wOBA in his last six games even after going 0-for-4 on Thursday. Three of his 10 homers this season have come in his 13 most recent games, and he should be able to stay hot in this matchup against lefty Martín Pérez ($6,200), who he knows well from his time in the AL West. Springer has gone 8-for-27 (.296) against Pérez in their past matchups with a pair of home runs.
Other Options – Corbin Carroll ($5,400), Bryan Reynolds ($5,000), Julio Rodríguez ($4,900)
Value
Esteury Ruiz, Oakland Athletics vs. Philadelphia Phillies ($3,100) – Ruiz is the only player in the Majors with more stolen bases than Acuña. He has 33 thefts in 69 games while hitting .255 from the Athletics’ leadoff spot. He has seven stolen bases in his past 17 games including two on Wednesday when he had 13 DKFP against the Rays. Ruiz and the A’s have won seven of their past nine games, and they have been playing much better despite all the off-field drama. Ruiz has proven to be a strong value play to consider at this salary all season due to his high ceiling.
Value
Jesús Sánchez, Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals ($2,800) – Sánchez is in a great matchup against Trevor Williams ($5,800) and brings plenty of power production. The lefty is hitting .270 with nine doubles and six home runs in his 43 games, resulting in a .235 ISO and .367 wOBA. He hasn’t homered in just over a week, but he has still been driving the ball well, according to his Statcast numbers. Sánchez will be on the favorable side of the splits against Williams, who is letting lefties hit .275 with a .336 wOBA this season. Sánchez is a boom-or-bust play since he still has a high strikeout rate, but for his power potential, he’s a strong value to consider Friday.
Other Options – Brian Anderson ($3,400), Andrew Benintendi ($2,800), Jakob Bauers ($2,700)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st] (Night)
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
