Major League Baseball is set to start the weekend right this Friday night with the rare, all-play slate for fantasy baseball. With 15 games on the schedule, all 30 teams are in the player pool for DraftKings’ main DFS contests, giving managers plenty of players to choose from as they make out their lineup card for Friday’s contests. If you need to mix in some affordable options that can offer great value and still leave you extra salary cap space, check out my top three MLB DFS value picks highlighted in this post. Even though they’re cheap, they bring great bargain upside and should be set up to outproduce their affordable price point.
The weather may not cooperate with the 15-game schedule, though, with potential issues in Chicago, Minnesota and Kansas City, along with some scattered showers in Baltimore and Detroit. The Mets-Royals game looks like the highest risk, but you’ll want to check the latest updates before locking in your team to avoid taking a zero from players who are in postponed games. It is also critical to check starting lineups to be sure your players are in place to produce, especially your MLB DFS value picks.
Check out the full range of MLB coverage from the team at DraftKings Network, since these bargains are just one piece of the MLB DFS picture to consider.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Rally Cap [$50K to 1st]
SP Ryne Nelson, Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Angels, $7,800
Depending on the forecast in Baltimore, Edward Cabrera ($7,200) is another great value starting pitcher to consider, but the top pitcher in my MLB DFS Value Picks for Friday is Ryne Nelson of the Dbacks, who gets a great matchup in Anaheim and has been very effective since returning to the rotation for the banged-up Snakes.
Nelson has allowed two runs or fewer in 13 of his last 14 games overall, and in eight of his last nine starts. In his last five games, he is 3-0 with a 1.52 ERA, 2.92 FIP, and a sterling 0.78 WHIP while striking out 26 batters across 29 1/3 innings. He has earned at least 17 fantasy points in each of those five outings, and over 20 fantasy points in each of his last four.
On Saturday of last week, Nelson posted 25.35 fantasy points by pitching a season-high seven innings against the Royals and allowing just one run on four hits with five strikeouts.
Nelson should be in a good spot for strikeouts on Friday against the Angels, who rank third in the majors in K% on the season. While the Halos have been scoring more runs lately, they still have the second-highest K% in the majors over the last 30 days, which should allow Nelson to return good value at this price point if he continues to be so effective.
OF Denzel Clarke, Athletics vs. Toronto Blue Jays, $2,800
While it isn’t quite Coors Field, Sutter Health Park has been a very hitter-friendly venue while serving as the temporary home for the Athletics this season. The Athletics don’t have a great matchup against Max Scherzer ($7,000) and the Blue Jays, but the environment and the offense are still enough to make Clarke a strong value option in the outfield since he has been producing so well lately
Clarke has gotten plenty of deserved attention for his impressive defense, but he has also been productive over the last week in areas that provide fantasy points. He’s still hitting only .214 overall, but he has gone 7-for-20 (.350) on the A’s current home stand with three doubles, a triple, a home run, and a stolen base over those six games, backed up by a 58.3% hard-hit rate.
Clarke has averaged 9.7 fantasy points per game over those six contests and had seven fantasy points on Thursday, even without a hit, since he walked and stole his sixth base of the season. Hitting ninth in the lineup can make him a nice piece of a wraparound stack and often puts him on base in front of the heavy hitters for the A’s. Getting him under $3,000 is a great option in the outfield on Friday night.
1B Andrew Vaughn, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Washington Nationals, $2,300
With so many options on the board, you probably won’t need to include multiple players under $3,000, but you could if you wanted to, since Vaughn is such a strong play in my MLB DFS value picks, along with Clarke.
Vaughn joined the Brewers in mid-June from the White Sox in exchange for Aaron Civale. He spent a few weeks in Triple-A before earning a promotion when Rhys Hoskins (thumb) landed on the injured list. With the Nashville Sounds, Vaughn hit .259 in 16 games with three homers and a .368 wOBA. Since joining the Brewers, he is 3-for-6 with a home run, five RBI and a pair of walks.
Vaughn will likely get the start on Friday night against lefty Mitchell Parker ($6,000), who has a 5.66 road ERA and 5.48 road FIP. This season, Vaughn doesn’t have great numbers against lefties, but throughout his career, he has excelled on that side of his splits. Getting him in a good matchup with positive momentum makes Vaughn one of the best MLB DFS value picks on the board for this Friday, as he continues to try to prove his worth as a platoon bat, since his new team is a little lefty-heavy in the lineup.
