Major League Baseball fires up a beautiful 12-game slate to start a big weekend of fantasy baseball. With 24 teams in the player pool, it’s a fun night to build MLB DFS lineups with options from all different spots on the salary spectrum. If you are looking for some low-cost plays that still bring a high ceiling, check out these three top MLB DFS Bargain Plays for this Friday, 5/02/25.
The contests begin Friday night at on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET with a pair of AL East division matchups. Five of the 12 games on the schedule are divisional matchups, including the last game on the slate between the Giants and the Rockies in San Francisco. There are a few weather concerns on the slate, so be sure to check back for the latest updates before gametime, especially in Baltimore, New York, and St. Louis.
As you make out your lineup card for Tuesday’s contests, be sure to check out the full range of MLB DFS coverage from the team at DKNetwork, since these bargain values are just one piece of the MLB DFS picture to consider.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Hidden Ball Trick [$50K to 1st]
SP Gunnar Hoglund, Athletics at Miami Marlins, $4,000
Getting a starting pitcher at the minimum salary can pay off, as everyone was reminded on Wednesday by Noah Cameron. On Friday, it’s rookie Gunnar Hoglund who brings good upside in his MLB debut in a favorable matchup. Playing him at only $4,000 leaves a ton of salary to stack up big bats in the rest of your roster and sets you up for success Friday night.
Hoglund is a 25-year-old righty who started the season ranked as the team’s No. 3 prospect by FanGraphs and the No. 89 prospect in all of baseball. He went just 1-2 in his starts in Triple-A but had a strong 2.43 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 1.04 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings. Hoglund didn’t give up a run in either of his two most recent outings, totaling nine scoreless frames with 10 strikeouts.
He’ll get a good matchup against Miami at LoanDepot Park. Miami’s offense has been much better than last year this season, but they still rank in the middle of the pack in most categories and have a top-10 K%. Even against the Marlins, Hoglund brings plenty of risk since he’s making his MLB debut, but his recent results and salary savings make him my favorite bargain play of the day on the mound.
2B/OF Jeff McNeil, New York Mets at St. Louis Cardinals, $3,000
McNeil started the season on the injured list with a right oblique strain, but he returned last Friday and immediately stepped into a productive starting role. He is 6-for-19 (.316) since returning with a triple, a home run, and an average of 8.4 fantasy points per game. He has hit safely in each of his five contests and homered off Trevor Williams on Monday.
Last year, McNeil hit just .238 with 12 home runs and a .304 wOBA but has looked much better in his small sample size this season. On his rehab stint, he hit .393 with a pair of home runs, so he’s swinging the bat well coming into Friday night’s road matchup with Sonny Gray ($8,300) in St. Louis. McNeil’s still affordable since he is just coming off IL, so take advantage of his low salary and positional flexibility on Friday.
2B/SS Chase Meidroth, Chicago White Sox vs. Houston Astros, $2,500
Meidroth was just activated from the 10-day IL on Thursday after missing the minimum 10 days with right thumb inflammation. He was right back at the top of the order hitting leadoff Thursday and went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs scored and 11 fantasy points.
In his 10 games since joining the White Sox, Meidtroth is averaging 5.7 fantasy points per game while hitting .267 (8-for-30) with six runs scored, six walks, and a stolen base. The 23-year-old middle infielder joined the organization as part of the Garrett Crochet trade and hit .267 with three home runs and two stolen bases in nine games at Triple-A to start the season. If he continues to hit leadoff, he brings enough upside to be a good bargain play at only $2,500. He doesn’t bring elite power or speed, but his solid hit tool and on-base skills should make him fantasy relevant if he hits leadoff at such a low salary.
