It’s Friday, folks! We’ve got a 13-game MLB slate to work with in DraftKings’ featured fantasy baseball contests, so after a couple of smaller slates earlier this week, there are plentiful options for your lineups. Whether you want a stud pitcher or some high-quality players in the batting order, we’ve got a little something for everyone with today’s DFS must-starts. Tonight’s contest locks at 7:05 p.m. EST, so there’s still time to fill out your lineups before things get rolling.
Without further ado, check out these three must-start players for tonight’s MLB DFS lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Extra Inning [$50K to 1st]
SP Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers vs. Guardians; $10,300
I don’t necessarily love shelling out a five-figure salary here, but the Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi is clearly the best pitcher on tonight’s slate by a rather wide margin. While he’s not listed as a qualified pitcher via MLB.com’s stats, the right-hander’s miniscule 1.76 ERA would easily rank first if he did qualify. Eovaldi’s also delivered an awesome 0.87 WHIP with 120 strikeouts in 123 innings while allowing just a .195 opponent batting average. He averages 21.4 FPPG this year and hit the 20-point mark in seven of his last eight contests, so you know you’re getting reliable production with a 30-point ceiling. Eovaldi and the Rangers face the Guardians tonight, who rank 19th in OPS since the All-Star Game with just a .210 average over the last 15 days. With a great pitcher in a good matchup, there’s not much more to say.
OF Jurickson Profar, Braves vs. Mets; $4,300
Jurickson Profar disappointed last time I put him in this column, but that 0-for-4 performance was more of an aberration than anything else. The outfielder slashes .250/.353/.468 since returning from an 80-game PED suspension earlier this season. In his 47 games, he’s tallied 35 runs, 28 RBI and 10 homers for an average of 9.6 FPPG. Even after the goose egg on Wednesday, Profar still averages 14.8 FPPG over his last 10 contests and posted three consecutive 20-plus point games. Tonight, he faces Mets rookie Nolan McLean, a right-hander who pitched a nice debut against the Mariners last week but now faces a Braves lineup that ranks top-10 in OPS over the last 15 days. Profar has shown a tasty ceiling for fantasy purposes, so he’s a must-start until further notice at this affordable salary.
3B Alex Bregman, Red Sox @ Yankees; $5,000
The Red Sox beat the Yankees on the road last night and now have another crucial AL East battle on tap for tonight. Alex Bregman had a big night in that series opener, going 3-for-5 with a double and a walk. On the season, the third baseman slashes .303/.389/.537 with 49 runs, 52 RBI and 16 homers in 82 games. The veteran provides a steady 9.0 FPPG and does show a nice ceiling during his peaks. One of those could come tonight on the positive side of his splits with a matchup against lefty Max Fried, whose numbers look quite good overall but enters this game having allowed eight hits and four earned runs in three straight contests. With a .359 average and .954 OPS against southpaws, Bregman could bash tonight against a struggling left-hander.
