For what feels like the first time in 2024, we’ve got a massive featured slate on DraftKings. 12 games get going past 7:00 p.m. ET — obvious April weather caveats aside — and there’s quite a bit of star power on the mound, too. What more could you ask for?
Let’s dive in and find some studs and values.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Tanner Houck, Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels, $8,400 – The popular play will likely be Kevin Gausman ($10,000) against the listless Rockies, yet I have my concerns about the veteran’s velocity and pitch count at this point in the season. Conversely, Houck’s arguably been the best pitcher in baseball across two weeks, tossing 12.0 scoreless innings with a 1.13 FIP and a 37.8% strikeout rate. One of his two outings was against this same Angels team, with Houck registering 27.3 DKFP in a lopsided win. Oddly enough, Houck’s price tag has gone down in the last five days. I’ll gladly take the discount.
Value
Ryan Feltner, Colorado Rockies at Toronto Blue Jays, $5,600 – In his last outing, Feltner allowed just a single earned run over six innings, striking out 10 and racking up 18 whiffs. Sir, you have my attention. While we’re still dealing with small samples, Feltner’s fastball velocity is up in 2024 and he’s throwing his slider more than ever before. That’s translated to an eye-popping 16.3% swinging strike rate. Could this all be noise? Of course. But Feltner is dirt cheap on Friday and he’s going up against a Jays lineup that owns underwhelming marks in ISO (.132) and wRC+ (95). Might as well take a shot.
INFIELD
Stud
Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves at Miami Marlins, $5,600 – Yet again, here I am, talking about how well Albies hits left-handed pitching. For his career, the switch-hitter is batting .337 with a .933 OPS within the split. If that’s not enough reason to roster Albies against Trevor Rogers ($8,100), consider that the infielder is red-hot at the plate in the present. Albies has multiple hits in three straight contests and a .397 wOBA for 2024 as a whole.
Stud
Christian Walker, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. St. Louis Cardinals, $4,900 – Walker is a very dangerous bat with a left-handed pitcher on the mound. In fact, of all qualified hitters last season, Walker’s .319 ISO within the split was the fifth-highest mark in all of baseball. In terms of 2024, Walker’s been strong out of the gates, posting a .388 expected wOBA and a 148 wRC+. Steven Matz ($7,300) has also looked good in a small sample, yet his expected ERA is nearly three runs higher than his actual 1.74 ERA. The lefty is nothing to fear.
Value
Blaze Alexander, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. St. Louis Cardinals, $3,500 – Aside from having an extremely cool name, Alexander has flashed some promise on the field in his rookie campaign — specifically against LHPs. To be clear, we’re dealing with a sample size of 24 plate appearances, but Alexander has a pair of home runs and a 181 wRC+ within the split. At the very least, Alexander is an inexpensive addition to a D-Backs stack.
Value
Oliver Dunn, Milwaukee Brewers at Baltimore Orioles, $3,400 – If Tyler Wells ($7,700) had an issue in 2023, it was keeping the ball in the park. In fact, Wells surrendered 1.90 opponent long balls per nine. That issue has apparently carried over to 2024, as Wells has served up a home run in both of his outings to start the season. Dunn has some pop. He hit 21 homers and registered a .235 ISO in Double-A last year. Dunn has also been primarily hitting leadoff for Milwaukee versus RHPs. There’s a lot to like here at Dunn’s modest price.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Editor’s Note: Tonight’s game between the Yankees and the Guardians has been postponed due to inclement weather.
Juan Soto, New York Yankees at Cleveland Guardians, $6,100 – I unabashed love Carlos Carrasco ($6,700). He’s been one of my favorite pitchers the past decade. However, as much as it pains me to say it, Carrasco is cooked. The 37-year-old posted a 6.77 xERA in 2023 and his velocity has dipped even further in 2024. Conversely, Soto sports a 197 wRC+ in his first 62 plate appearances as a Yankee. He also owns a career .999 OPS against RHPs. I doubt Soto knows that last fact, but if he does, he’ll surely want to get that figure up over 1.000 on Friday.
Stud
Spencer Steer, Cincinnati Reds at Chicago White Sox, $5,400 – Few hitters have started 2024 better than Steer, with the sophomore slashing .372/.471/.721 with a 213 wRC+ in his first 51 plate appearances. Steer is also right-handed, which is crucial to his viability on Friday’s slate. Opposing the Reds will be Chris Flexen ($6,000). I won’t sugarcoat it. Flexen’s been pretty bad the last two years. In fact, in 2023, Flexen allowed RHBs to combine for a .432 wOBA. Righties managed to hit 3.02 home runs per nine off the RHP. Yikes.
Value
Will Benson, Cincinnat Reds at Chicago White Sox, $3,800 – Don’t take what I’ve written above to mean you can only use RHBs against Flexen. Everyone is viable against the 29-year-old, who currently leads baseball in barrels surrendered (8). Benson sports a career 124 wRC+ versus right-handed pitching. He’s also likely to be hitting second in Friday’s lineup.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is theglt13) 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.
