Friday night features a 13-game MLB DFS slate, and DraftKings has a wide variety of ways to get in on the fantasy baseball action including GPPs, Tiers and Pick6.
However, in this post, we’ll be keying in on some great picks for cash games, contests where your entry fee is doubled and almost half of the players are paid out. In on-diamond terms, we’re looking to hit singles with these lineups, not home runs. Variance is not as much of a factor here, as we look for players with high floors regardless of their ceilings. In short, these should be the safest and most consistent MLB DFS plays of the slate.
With all that in mind, let’s dive into my top picks.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Single Entry $10 Double Up
SP Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins vs. Milwaukee Brewers, $9,500
Joe Ryan is a relatively low-risk, mid-range starting pitching option that makes sense for cash game lineups, as he and the Twins host the Brewers. Ryan has gone 7-2 in his 14 starts this season, putting together a 2.93 ERA, 3.44 FIP and 0.90 WHIP. He has 89 strikeouts in 80 innings and has been a very reliable option, which gives him a high floor.
He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his last eight starts, going 6-0 in those outings and averaging 25.9 fantasy points per start over that span. One of those starts came in this same matchup against the Brewers, as he allowed just two hits in six shutout innings on his way to 33.1 fantasy points.
He has a similar ceiling in this rematch at home, where he typically turns in strong outings. For cash games, Ryan’s main asset is his consistency and the fact that he rarely has a bad game. He’s not as sparkly as the more expensive starting pitching plays, but he’s a very solid cash game play to build around.
SS Jeremy Pena, Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels, $4,600
Pena has been a fixture in my cash game lineups over the past month or so since he brings both a high ceiling and a high floor from his salary which is much cheaper than the elite options at shortstop.
He’s coming off back-to-back multi-hit games against the Athletics and has at least six fantasy points in eight of his last 10 games. In his last 50 games, Pena is hitting a robust .356 with 12 doubles, a triple, six home runs and 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts.
Pena will take on his former teammate Yusei Kikuchi ($7,600) in the series opener, and the matchup with the lefty also plays to his strengths. Against lefties, Pena is hitting .341 on the year with two homers and a .381 wOBA.
The Astros should be in a good spot as a team, and with Pena leading off, he typically gets plenty of chances for a big game when Houston’s offense is firing on all cylinders.
3B/OF Addison Barger, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago White Sox, $4,000
Barger is another strong option in the midrange that can be part of a balanced lineup and brings both a good ceiling and a good floor. He has typically been hitting second in the order for the last few games and that position is getting him extra chances at run production.
Over his last 19 games, Barger is hitting .324 with six doubles, six home runs, a .444 wOBA and a 44.2% hard-hit rate. His batted ball metrics have been consistent since his arrival in Toronto but he’s had better luck finding holes in the defense over his last few games. He went a scalding 6-for-13 (.462) in the team’s three-game series against Arizona with three doubles and a home run.
Friday night should be a good matchup for Barger and the Blue Jays since they will face a bullpen game led by righty Grant Taylor ($4,000), who made the jump from Double-A earlier this month. Barger is a lefty, but he has hit lefties just as well as righties since his promotion, although all eight of his homers have come against right-handed pitchers. If he ends up facing a lefty, that does raise the risk a little bit, but he’s still hot enough to be a solid mid-range play for your cash game lineups this Friday.
