On Friday, the fantasy baseball weekend begins with 10 games on the main DraftKings slate, which begins at 7:05 p.m. ET. After a few early interleague games, the main wave of contests starts just after 8:00 p.m. ET, highlighted by a key matchup between the Astros and the Royals, both in the hunt for playoff spots. Coors Field is also in play with the Rockies hosting the Orioles, and the West Coast games include two of the three divisional contests, including a huge matchup between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks as they fight for control of the NL West.
As you break down the 20-team player pool for this Saturday, there are many angles to consider, and several strategies point to some strong plays. If your plans leave you short on salary in a few spots or you just want to pay way up for superstars, check out these three bargain plays that come with very low salaries but still provide very attractive ceilings.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Hidden Ball Trick [$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 Tylor Megill, New York Mets at Chicago White Sox, $7,400
The Mets will call up Megill to fill in for Paul Blackburn (hand) on Friday, and with such a favorable landing spot, Megill is worth a look, even though he’s had a rough 2024. The 29-year-old is 2-5 in his 10 MLB games with a 5.17 ERA and 4.08 FIP. The good news is that he has still been getting strikeouts, with 55 in his 47 MLB innings. He was sent down to Triple-A at the beginning of August and had 21 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings across three starts for Syracuse.
Megill has a great opportunity to put together a strong outing in his return since he’ll be facing the lowly White Sox. Chicago seems to be on its way to setting multiple MLB records for futility. The White Sox come into this series only 31-104 on the season and have lost the first seven games of this homestand. They have the fewest runs and lowest wOBA of any team in the MLB this season, and over the last 30 days, they have averaged only 3.1 runs per game with a .269 wOBA. Megill should be able to limit them on Friday, and his strikeout potential gives him a great ceiling as a great fantasy value under $7,500.
OF Austin Slater, Baltimore Orioles at Colorado Rockies, $3,000
Slater is playing for his third MLB team this summer after leaving the Giants for a stopover in Cincinnati before landing with the Orioles. He has typically been leading off against lefties, and he’ll be a great value if he’s in that premium lineup spot against Austin Gomber ($6,500) on Friday night. Gomber is 4-9 with a 4.70 ERA and 4.98 FIP and has let right-handed hitters post a .348 wOBA against him at Coors.
Since joining the Orioles on August 1, Slater has hit .303 (10-for-33) with two doubles, a home run and a stolen base. He did not play in the series against the Dodgers and came up empty in his last two starts, but before that, he showed some upside with 27 fantasy points in his previous three starts. He makes sense as a cheap outfield play with upside due to his run production potential in this favorable spot.
1B Luken Baker, St. Louis Cardinals at New York Yankees, $2,100
Baker brings power potential at this bargain price as the Cardinals visit the Bronx and face Marcus Stroman ($7,200) and the Yankees. Stroman has served up 15 home runs in his 13 home starts and has a 5.09 ERA and 5.44 FIP in those outings. Baker only has one homer since being called up to serve as the team’s primary DH, but he smashed 32 homers with a .376 wOBA at Triple-A Louisville this season after hitting 33 homers with a .482 wOBA at that level last year.
The big righty has only hit .133 (2-for-22) since being called up last week with a home run and a double. He has also drawn six walks, picked up five RBI and stolen a base to average 5.8 fantasy points per game in spite of his low batting average. While the 27-year-old rookie has a lot of “swing-and-miss” to address before he becomes a fixture in the majors, his power upside at barely over the minimum salary is enough to make him a good option this Friday against Stroman.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Hidden Ball Trick [$50K to 1st]
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
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.
