Major League Baseball starts off Players’ Weekend with a great Friday night schedule. The Pirates and Cubs play a Wrigley matinee, but the other 14 games are all under the lights, with 12 of those contests on the main MLB DFS fantasy baseball slate on DraftKings, which starts at 7:07 p.m. ET. With 24 teams in the player pool, there are plenty of strong options to consider as you assemble your squad and some great matchups to attack for star players and more affordable options. Some great hitters’ parks are on the board, including Sutter Health Park and Coors Field, so be sure to break down every angle as you pick your players. If you run short on salary, check out these three bargain options with high upside. These three players are strong MLB DFS value picks with the potential to outproduce their minimal salaries.
As always at this time of year, it pays to double-check the weather before the first pitch to avoid any delay or postponement issues. Nothing looks awful in terms of rain, but there is some potential for a delay in Minnesota and Colorado. The weather in Kansas City is notable since it will be hot and humid with the winds blowing out, which will make it more hitter-friendly than normal for that matchup between the Royals and White Sox.
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 Extra Inning [$50K to 1st]!
SP Luis Gil, New York Yankees at St. Louis Cardinals, $7,500
The 2024 American League Rookie of the Year has been limited to just two starts for the Yankees this season after missing extended time due to a high-grade lat strain. He struggled in his season debut against the Marlins, allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings with four walks, five hits allowed, and only three strikeouts. He looked much sharper in his second outing, though, holding the Astros to just two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings with only one walk and seven strikeouts. The bullpen blew his chance for a win, but he still ended up with 17.8 fantasy points due to his strikeout total. He totaled 36 called or swinging strikes among his 91 pitches with 60 total strikes, a huge improvement over his first start and a good sign that his strikeout ceiling is back.
He gets a good road matchup against the Cardinals on Friday night. St. Louis just dropped back-to-back home games against the lowly Rockies and has scored the fewest runs in the majors since the All-Star break. In their 25 games since the break, the Cardinals are averaging only 3.3 runs per game, with a .292 team wOBA that is the third-lowest in the majors over that span.
3B Kyle Karros, Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, $3,000
The Rockies are giving their young players a chance to prove they can contribute at the MLB level coming down the stretch, and Karros has been one of the fastest risers in their system this season. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 11 prospect in the Rockies’ system, and he comes with some name recognition since he’s the son of former MLB player Eric Karros.
Karros started the season in Double-A and hit .301 with six homers, seven stolen bases, and a .396 wOBA across his 75 games in the minors. He only played 16 games in Triple-A, but he has made a good impression in his seven major league games. He made his debut last Friday and went 1-for-3 with a walk, and in his seven games, he is 7-for-25 (.280) with three doubles, a 38.1% hard-hit rate, five runs scored, three walks, and only four strikeouts. While his contact tool is more developed than his power tool at this point in his career, he has been able to produce an average of 7.0 fantasy points per game with his consistent production.
He’s a good way to get some cheap exposure to Coors Field on Friday night, and he should be in a good spot to produce against the inconsistent Brandon Pfaadt ($7,000) and the Dbacks.
OF Colby Thomas, Athletics vs. Los Angles Angels, $2,300
In another offense-friendly spot, Colby Thomas is another rookie who brings good upside at a very affordable salary as one of my top MLB DFS Value Picks for this Friday. Thomas has much more prospect pedigree than Karros, and MLB Pipeline had him as the A’s No. 5 prospect in their well-stocked farm system. The third-round pick from the 2022 MLB Draft played 82 games in Triple-A for the Las Vegas Aviators, hitting .291 with 18 homers, seven stolen bases, and a .386 wOBA. He was called up for a week in early July but sent back down. He returned to the majors at the end of July when Denzel Clarke went on the injured list with an adductor strain.
Since returning, Thomas has flashed his upside, showing off his potent mix of speed and power. He has gone 6-for-19 (.316) with a double, a home run, and two stolen bases over his last seven games, averaging 8.4 fantasy points per game during that stretch even though he only started four of those contests.
He will likely get the chance to start on Friday against veteran lefty Yusei Kikuchi ($8,800) and the visiting Angels. Since he can produce a big fantasy night in multiple ways, getting the 24-year-old righty at barely over the minimum salary on Friday night is a great way to go cheap at an outfield spot while still keeping a high ceiling.
