This is going to be a fun slate. Like, Yu Darvish ($8,000) is only the 10th-most expensive pitcher on Friday — the man hasn’t allowed an earned run since April 14. That’s a good sign that these 11 games are stacked.
How will you pick and choose who gets into your lineups? Let’s dive in.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles at Chicago White Sox, $10,600 – There are some good pitchers on this slate, but the combination of Burnes and a matchup with the lowly White Sox is too much to ignore. Chicago’s offensive struggles have continued into May, where the team owns a 76 wRC+ — the worst mark in the American League. Things also somehow got more bleak on Tuesday, when Eloy Jimenez (hamstring) injured himself running the bases. Meanwhile, Burnes owns a 2.56 ERA and a 2.83 xERA across his first 10 starts. He’s on the heels of tying a season-high with 11 strikeouts in his last outing. What’s not to like?
Value
Patrick Sandoval, Los Angeles Angels vs. Cleveland Guardians, $7,700 – Sandoval had a terrible start to 2024, yet the left-hander’s month of May has gone much better. In 24.0 innings, Sandoval is in possession of a 2.63 ERA and a 2.34 FIP. His walk rate has fallen off a cliff and his strikeout rate is sitting at a notable 25.5%. In general, it’s the most consistent stretch Sandoval has had in recent seasons. A matchup with the Guardians isn’t ideal — they’ve crushed LHPs — but no other pitcher below $8K has the type of upside that Sandoval has.
INFIELD
Stud
Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies at Colorado Rockies, $6,100 – Bohm is breaking out. Well, you could argue he broke out last season, but whatever is happening in 2024 is better. The former third-overall pick is hitting .323 with a 152 wRC+. It’s the sort of stat line that Bohm has always been able to produce against LHPs, with the third baseman owning a career .896 OPS within the split. On Friday, Bohm and the Phillies will draw the left-handed Ty Blach ($5,200). In Colorado. What more do I need to say?
Stud
Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Miami Marlins, $5,000 – Marte is having an amazing season. In fact, his .374 expected wOBA is comparable to his 2019 campaign. You know, the one with the juiced baseballs. That’s quite the compliment. Throughout his career, Marte has always been his most dangerous as a right-handed hitter and that has certainly continued to be the case in 2024. In 78 plate appearances within the split, Marte is slashing .347/.397/.736 with a 213 wRC+. Braxton Garrett ($5,800) is a lefty. Garrett also sports a 10.24 ERA at the moment.
Value
Edmundo Sosa, Philadelphia Phillies at Colorado Rockies, $3,800 – Sosa is a cost-effective addition to a Phillies stack. The infielder has been getting more playing time since the injury to Trea Turner, yet Sosa is at his best as a right-handed platoon bat. To wit, he’s hitting .310 with a 200 wRC+ against LHPs so far in 2024. Blach and his 5.43 xERA might be in for a really long and nightmarish Friday evening.
Value
LaMonte Wade, San Francisco Giants at New York Mets, $3,500 – Death, taxes and Wade Jr. being an absolute steal on every slate. Those are the constants in life. Did you know the only qualified player with a higher batting average this season than Wade (.339) is Shohei Ohtani ($6,600)? Little bit of a different price tag on those two assets, huh? In any case, Wade draws a fantastic matchup on Friday in the form of Christian Scott ($7,900), who is allowing opposing LHBs to slash .393/.414/.429 in his brief time in MLB.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics, $6,400 – There’s a few things to note in this spot. First and foremost: Tucker is a beast. The outfielder currently leads baseball in home runs (17) and the American League in wRC+ (197). Secondly, Ross Stripling ($5,600) has had his issues with left-handed bats in 2024, with the veteran surrendering a .345 average within the split. Lastly, the A’s just played in a wild extra-innings game on Thursday and come into Friday with a tired bullpen. Put it all together and Tucker’s appeal is clear.
Stud
Ryan O’Hearn, Baltimore Orioles at Chicago White Sox, $4,300 – O’Hearn might be in a battle with the aforementioned Wade Jr. for the title of best platoon bat in baseball. The veteran currently sits in the 97th percentile for both expected wOBA (.413) and expected slugging percentage (.604). O’Hearn also sports a 150 wRC+ in his 121 plate appearances versus RHPs in 2024. That’s all pretty damn good. The right-hander in question on Friday is Chris Flexen ($5,900), who owns a 6.16 ERA as a starter this season. That should translate into some fireworks for O’Hearn and the Orioles.
Value
Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels vs. Cleveland Guardians, $3,700 – There haven’t been many positives for the Angels in 2024, but Adell is the exception. The former top prospect is finally producing at the MLB level and he’s been particularly great against southpaws. In fact, Adell’s already hit four home runs off of LHPs in just 33 plate appearances. Logan Allen ($7,400)? He’s surrendering 1.58 opponent long balls per nine this season.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Bat Flip [$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.
