Friday night features a massive 14-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 Ryan Pepiot, Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles, $8,600
Pepiot comes in on a great roll after posting 20+ fantasy points in six straight starts. His best performance during that stretch came in the same matchup against the Orioles two starts ago. Pepiot went eight innings and had 11 strikeouts while allowing only one run and earning 38.4 fantasy points.
Pepiot will look to pick up where he left off in that dominant outing, but he has been locked in throughout his last six outings with a 1.64 ERA, 3.07 FIP and 10.3 K/9. He has 44 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings over that span and has been very reliable whether at home or on the road.
The environment is hitter-friendly at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, but the Orioles’ lineup hasn’t been a matchup to avoid this season. Over the last 30 days, the O’s rank in the bottom 10 in the majors in batting average, runs scored and wOBA.
I highlighted Pepiot in my top starting pitcher prop bets of the day and see him as a great value with a high floor and ceiling against the O’s on Friday.
1B Luis Arraez, San Diego Padres at Cincinnati Reds, $3,800
Arraez is a high-floor option that makes a lot of sense in cash game lineups since he hits for such a good average. This year, he’s hitting .288 but has been picking up the pace lately, hitting .338 over his last 15 games with three doubles, a triple, 10 runs scored and six RBI.
The Padres have been using Arraez as the second hitter in their order, and when they score runs, he’s usually in the middle of their run production. He has averaged 7.4 fantasy points per game over his last 15 games and almost always finds ways to contribute. The Padres are in a good spot against their former teammate Nick Martinez ($7,200) at Great American Ball Park. Martinez has bounced from the bullpen to the rotation with a 4.40 ERA, 4.38 FIP and 1.23 WHIP.
He’s a contact-first hitter who doesn’t bring a ton of power or a high ceiling, but his consistency and solid salary under $4,000 make him a solid option in balanced cash game lineups.
2B/OF Brendan Donovan, St. Louis Cardinals at Cleveland Guardians, $3,800
Donovan has been hitting leadoff over the last couple of weeks for the Cardinals and has mashed all year against right-handed pitching. Since he’ll probably be atop the order once again on Friday against Luis Ortiz ($7,900), he’s in a good spot to deliver good returns at his mid-range salary.
Over his last 25 games, Donovan is hitting .263 with five doubles, a pair of home runs, 15 runs scored, and seven RBI. He has been in the lineup full-time but has really mashed when he faces righties. Against right-handed pitchers, he has a .344 batting average on the season with three homers, a .383 wOBA and a 149 wRC+. He has actually produced more power on the road as well, hitting .341 on the road with a .393 wOBA.
Donovan is also 5-for-6 with a double in his career against Ortiz, so he finds himself in a good spot in Cleveland. Like Arraez, he doesn’t bring an extremely high ceiling but is a consistent contributor and brings a very good floor.
