After a busy day of baseball to celebrate July 4, MLB returns to the field this Friday with a 12-game main slate for DFS on DraftKings. The contests begin at 7:05 p.m. ET when the Red Sox visit the Yankees in one of the three divisional matchups on the board. The other two divisional contests come from the National League, where the Phillies visit the Braves and the Padres host the Diamondbacks. The other especially significant games for fantasy baseball include the Twins and Astros meeting in an important AL Wild Card matchup and the Royals heading to Denver to face the Rockies at Coors Field.
With 24 teams in the player pool, there are many strategies to consider when building your fantasy baseball roster. If your plan leaves you short on salary cap space, check out the three players discussed below who can help balance your spending. One great way to get players at a reduced salary is to target young players with shorter track records. For this Friday, three rookies stand out as bargains who bring good upside at low salaries.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DraftKings Network on Twitter @dknetwork.
SP Drew Thorpe, Chicago White Sox at Miami Marlins $7,000
Thorpe got traded twice this past offseason, once as part of the package for Juan Soto ($6,200) and later in the offseason for Dylan Cease. After arriving in the White Sox system, the 23-year-old righty dominated at Double-A, going 7-1 with a 1.35 ERA, 3.00 FIP and 56 strikeouts in 60 innings. He was called up to the majors four starts ago and has put together three strong outings around a rough outing against Arizona. He went exactly six innings and earned a win in each of his last two starts, giving up just two hits in each game. After earning 23.9 DKFP against the Tigers in his best fantasy start, Thorpe earned 19.7 DKFP at home against the Rockies in his most recent outing. He should be in a good spot to turn in a third straight strong outing on Friday night as he takes the mound against the Marlins in Miami. The Marlins have scored the second-fewest runs in the MLB this season and have the lowest team wOBA at just .276 with an MLB-worst 77 wRC+. The offense hasn’t been trending the right way, either, with just a 67 wRC+ over the last 30 days and an average of only 3.0 runs per game.
OF Justyn-Henry Malloy, Detroit Tigers at Cincinnati Reds, $2,500
Malloy is only hitting .197 in his 25 games in the MLB, which is why his salary is so low, but the 24-year-old is showing signs that he’s ready to deliver on his potential. In his last four games, he has gone 6-for-14 (.429) with two home runs, a stolen base and an average of 12.8 DKFP per game. Malloy showed promise last year in the minors, batting .277 with 23 homers and a .402 wOBA in 135 games in Triple-A, and this season he hit .253 with a .396 wOBA in 45 games before being called up. On Friday, Malloy will face Reds’ rookie SP Carson Spiers ($6,700) in what should be a favorable matchup. As the weather heats up, Great American Ballpark becomes more hitter-friendly, so getting a young power hitter on the rise for just $2,500 is a great deal.
3B Brooks Lee, Minnesota Twins vs. Houston Astros, $2,000
Thorpe and Malloy have been in the MLB for a long time compared to Lee, who just joined the Twins mid-week. The 23-year-old was ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Twins system and the No. 13 prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline, and the Twins are giving him a look while Royce Lewis (groin) is back on the IL. Lee earned his call-up by hitting .329 with seven homers and a .439 wOBA in 20 games at Triple-A. In his first two games in the MLB, Lee didn’t seem overmatched at all, going 2-for-4 with 8.0 DKFP in his debut and 1-for-2 with a walk and 7.0 DKFP on Thursday. Lee has a very high ceiling, both long-term and short-term, and is a bargain at the minimum salary with plenty of upside against the Astros, who are planning a bullpen game with Shawn Dubin ($5,500) as the opener.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DK Sportsbook app.
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.
