Major League Baseball gets the weekend off to a strong start with a 12-game slate this Friday night. A handful of key divisional matchups make up the core of the main slate, highlighted by an important series in Kansas City between the Royals and Twins, who are separated by just 1/2 game in the final two Wild Card spots. In the National League, the Braves and Mets start the weekend tied for the third and final Wild Card spot as they host the Blue Jays and Reds, respectively.
With less than a month until the postseason, every slate contains plenty of drama and storylines to follow. As you assemble your DFS fantasy baseball roster for this Friday night’s action, there are some nice values to consider if you need salary savings. The three options analyzed below bring high ceilings and good upside even though they come at very affordable salaries.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $100K Rally Cap [$25K to 1st]
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SP Shane Baz, Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles, $7,500
The matchup is tough for Baz in Baltimore, but the rookie righty brings enough upside to be still worth a look at just $7,500. Baz was viewed as one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball a couple of years ago but battled injury and required Tommy John surgery. After a long recovery and almost two years between MLB appearances, he has gone 2-2 in his nine starts this season with 41 strikeouts in 49 innings while compiling a 3.49 ERA and 4.13 FIP.
Baz has allowed more than three runs only once all season and has a 3.03 ERA since the All-Star break and 3.04 ERA on the road. He earned at least 16 fantasy points in his last three outings, including a season-high 25.7 fantasy points in a great outing against the A’s in Oakland. In that game, he allowed just three hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
Even though the matchup with the Birds is less than ideal, Baz brings a better ceiling than the other options with salaries under $8,000. He still has the potential to develop into the ace he was projected to be before his injury, and he’s looking to lock down a spot in the Rays rotation for next season with a strong finish this year.
1B Kyle Manzardo, Cleveland Guardians at Los Angeles Dodgers, $2,700
Mazardo has started all four games for the Guardians since returning to the majors last Sunday. On Tuesday, he had two homers and 30 fantasy points in return and posted another multi-hit game with double-digit fantasy points. Manzardo’s numbers in the majors this year are not earth-shattering, but he showed good potential at Triple-A, hitting 20 homers to go with a .409 wOBA and 142 wRC+. Manzardo has a 60% hard-hit rate since returning to the majors, per Statcast, and the youngster looks ready for a big September.
In Friday’s matchup, the Guardians are visiting the Dodgers in what could be a World Series preview since both teams lead their divisions. The Guardians start the series against spot starter Landon Knack ($7,800), who is filling in for the injured Clayton Kershaw. The righty Knack is a good matchup for the lefty Manzardo, who brings good power upside from under $3,000.
OF Mickey Moniak, Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers, $3,100
While Moniak has yet to live up to the potential that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, the 26-year-old is having a strong second half and has been a solid contributor to the Angels’ depleted lineup over the last month. Since August 1, Moniak has posted a .320 (24-for-75) batting average with seven home runs, an impressive .347 ISO and a .433 wOBA. He homered on Wednesday against the Dodgers and is just one home run away from matching his career-high from last season. He also has six stolen bases this season, matching his career-high, and he already established a new career-high with 47 RBI.
Right now, Moniak is on the strong side of the platoon in CF with Kevin Pillar, meaning he will likely return to the lineup against righty Gerson Garabito ($4,000) after sitting against the lefty on Thursday. Since Garabito is more of an opener than a true starting pitcher, Moniak and the Angels have good value potential in this AL West contest.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $100K Rally Cap [$25K to 1st]
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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.
