With just over a week remaining in the regular season, DraftKings has a massive 12-game MLB DFS slate on tap this Friday, starting at 7:05 p.m. ET. Several playoff races remain undecided with about nine games left for most teams. The two hottest races are for the Wild Card spots. In the AL, the Twins and Tigers enter the weekend in a tie for the final playoff spot, while the Mets now hold a two-game lead over the Braves in the NL.
All four of those teams are in action on Friday’s massive slate, and with 24 teams in the player pool, plenty of options deserve attention at every position and price point. To help you sift through the cheap plays to find some salary-stretchers with good upside, check out my top three value plays for Friday.
SP Brant Hurter, Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles, $7,700
The Tigers have caught the Twins for the final AL Wild Card spot and are in Baltimore while the Twins are in Fenway for series against the AL East this week. On Friday, they’ll give the ball to rookie lefty Brant Hurter, who has mostly been working behind an opener. Whether he actually starts or not, he brings enough upside to be a good value play against the suddenly struggling Orioles lineup.
Hurter faced the O’s a week ago in his most recent outing and gave up no runs and no hits over 5 2/3 innings. He had a career-high eight strikeouts and earned 32.2 fantasy points. He also won that game, giving him five straight games with a victory. In those five games, he has allowed only six runs in 24 innings with 24 strikeouts and a 2.24 FIP.
The Orioles got a walk-off win on Thursday but are just 3-8 in their last 11 games and have scored an MLB-low 28 runs over the last two weeks while hitting only .196 with a .259 wOBA as a team. They still have some good hitters, but their collective slump sets up Hurter for another strong outing. He has a high ceiling, which he showed off in his most recent game, but the 26-year-old has been solid enough lately to be expected to build on that outing on Friday night.
OF Jordyn Adams, Los Angeles Angels at Houston Astros, $2,500
The Angels have let their young talent take over their lineup for the past few weeks, and Adams has been one of the most consistent producers. The 24-year-old had a solid year at Triple-A with 10 homers, 28 stolen bases and a .325 OPS, and he has been able to translate that success to the majors in his 10 games since being called up.
In his 10 games, he collected his first MLB home run and went 8-for-35 (.229) with two stolen bases and an average of 6.3 fantasy points per game. He has at least five fantasy points in four of his last five games and seven of his last nine. With both power and speed potential, he’s a solid option at just $2,500 as the Angels face Justin Verlander ($7,800), who has given up 19 runs in 17 2/3 innings in his last four starts.
1B Yuli Gurriel, Kansas City Royals vs. San Francisco Giants, $2,100
It’s been a long, strange few years for Gurriel since his Astros postseason success, but he has found his groove for the Royals. He spent most of the year in Triple-A playing for the Gwinnett Stripers as part of the Braves farm system, hitting .292 with a .384 wOBA, 18 doubles, 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases. He was traded to the Royals just before rosters expanded after Vinnie Pasquantino (thumb) landed on IL. Since he hadn’t appeared in any games at the MLB, the trade was legal even though it was well after the Trade Deadline.
Since joining the Royals, he has claimed regular playing time at 1B, going 10-for-26 (.385) with two doubles, five walks and a solid .394 wOBA. He has hit safely in five straight games, going 7-for-14 with a 53.8% hard-hit rate, per Statcast. He is a punt play with upside from just over the minimum salary on Friday as his Royals try to lock down a playoff spot as they host the Giants and Mason Black ($5,500) on Friday.
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.
