15 games. 30 teams. One $50,000 jackpot. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty fun way to spend a Friday night.
Tonight’s huge MLB DFS slate gets going at 7:05 p.m. ET and you’ll want to have a couple lineups ready. Here are my top picks for this evening’s action on the diamond.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Rally Cap [$50K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates at Minnesota Twins, $10,500 – While I’ll avoid the temptation of paying all the way up for the services of Tarik Skubal ($12,000), it’s pretty difficult to get past Skenes. Though the former first-overall pick’s DFS upside is somewhat limited by his teammates’ inability to provide run support, Skenes enters tonight’s tilt with a 1.94 ERA and a 2.37 FIP — both better marks than in his incredible rookie campaign. The hulking RHP has been in his own world since May 18, a span of 10 starts where Skenes has maintained a sterling 1.32 ERA with a 30.8% strikeout rate. The good times will likely continue on Friday, as Skenes will get the privilege of facing-off with a Minnesota squad that ranks 29th in wOBA (.280) and wRC+ (76) over the past two weeks. The sky is truly the limit.
Value
Chase Burns, Cincinnati Reds vs. Colorado Rockies, $7,500 – Let’s stick with generational pitching phenoms, shall we? Burns’ overall numbers remain terrible due to a 0.1-inning outing against the Red Sox, yet his other two starts at the MLB level have been great. The rookie exceeded 17 FPTS in both, thanks primarily to a 30.6% strikeout rate and a fastball that touches 100 mph. That’s going to be Burns’ calling card moving forward. Again, this is a man who was sporting a 1.77 ERA and 36.8% strikeout rate at the Triple-A level before his promotion. We’re not simply talking pedigree and potential with the former second-overall pick, we’ve seen the real results already. Tonight, he’ll draw the easiest matchup in his brief career, as the Rockies visit Cincinnati. Colorado possesses a league-high 28.3% strikeout rate on the road with a pitiful 69 wRC+.
INFIELD
Stud
Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds vs. Colorado Rockies, $5,700 – De La Cruz has been on fire since the beginning of June. In that 35-game sample, the former top prospect has slashed .328/.397/.573 with a .244 ISO and a 163 wRC+. That span also includes seven home runs and six stolen bases. In general, your ideal conditions to use De La Cruz are when the shortstop is facing a right-handed pitcher at Great American Ball Park — and that’s exactly what you’re getting on Friday. The Reds will square-off with German Marquez ($5,200), who somehow has worse stats away from Coors Field in 2025. To wit, opponents have managed to hit .324 with a .381 wOBA off Marquez on the road.
Stud
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays at Athletics, $5,500 – Isn’t the running joke with Vlad that he can only hit at minor league stadiums? Well, here’s another chance to do just that on Friday at the hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. Guerrero is having a “down” season, yet that still means a 100th percentile expected batting average (.318) and a 96th percentile expected wOBA (.405). Vladdy will also get the pleasure of facing the floundering Luis Severino ($5,700) this evening. Severino owns an ugly 8.03 ERA across his past seven starts. It’s a stretch where the veteran RHP has allowed opposing RHBs to combine for a .600 slugging percentage and a .427 wOBA.
Value
Isaac Paredes, Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers, $4,000 – I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around why Paredes is still so cheap in DFS. The 26-year-old is headed to the All-Star Game next week and he’s been doing a great job as the Astros’ unconventional leadoff man in July. For the season as a whole, Paredes has preferred to hit right-on-right, as he’ll do this evening against Jack Leiter ($6,800). Within the split, Paredes sports an .835 OPS and a 138 wRC+. Meanwhile, Leiter possesses an underwhelming 5.02 xERA across 75.0 innings of work.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Washington Nationals, $4,700 – Overall, Chourio hasn’t quite lived up to the hype in his sophomore campaign. However, if there’s one thing that the former top prospect has done exceedingly well in 2025, it’s hit left-handed pitching. In 109 plate appearances within the split, Chourio is slashing .356/.385/.606 with a .250 ISO and a 178 wRC+. The southpaw he’ll look to terrorize on Friday? The struggling Mitchell Parker ($6,000). Over his last five starts, Parker owns a 5.81 ERA and a 5.63 FIP. It’s a stretch where the lefty has surrendered 2.05 opponent home runs per nine. Woof.
Value
Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees vs. Chicago Cubs, $3,600 – The Cubs will turn to Chris Flexen ($5,500) to make his first start of the season tonight against the Yankees in the Bronx. That seems like an awful idea, right? In the 46 games that Flexen started from 2023 to 2024, the right-hander registered a 5.84 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP. I mean, there’s a reason he’s been pitching out of the bullpen in 2025. Stanton hasn’t looked amazing since returning from a lengthy IL stint, but things are beginning to turn in July. In 29 plate appearances in the month, the veteran slugger has three home runs and a .999 OPS. It’s a small, yet encouraging sample. At this modest price tag, he’s worth a look on this slate.
