All 30 MLB teams will be on the scoreboards at some point this Friday, but most of the action is scheduled for the afternoon to avoid bad weather and allow teams to celebrate their home openers. After two big waves of afternoon action, the main DFS fantasy baseball for Friday evening gets underway at 9:38 p.m. ET, featuring four games from the West. If you’re searching for some MLB DFS value picks to round out your roster on this small slate this Friday, check out these affordable options that still bring upside.
The first two games of the night are AL West matchups as the Angels and A’s have their home openers against the Mariners and Astros, respectively. In Arizona, the Diamondbacks continue their series against the visiting Braves, who took the first game with a huge offensive performance on Thursday. The final game of the night is another non-divisional matchup as the Giants host the Mets in the second game of their four-game set at the Bay. Let’s examine each of those four matchups and pinpoint some MLB DFS value picks for Friday night.
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Best MLB DFS value plays
SP Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels vs. Seattle Mariners, $7,500
Of the eight probable pitchers for Friday night, Detmers is my favorite value play as he takes the ball for the Halos home opener against Seattle. Detmers is transitioning back to the starting rotation after working out of the bullpen last year, and he brings a very high strikeout ceiling whenever he gets the call. He pitched 63 2/3 innings in 61 appearances last year, with a 3.96 ERA and 3.12 FIP. He racked up 80 strikeouts for an 11.3 K/9 rate, consistent with his 11.2 K/9 in his last year as a starter. However, in his 17 starts in 2024, he had a 6.70 ERA and a 4.72 FIP, indicating that he was much more effective last season out of the bullpen.
In his first start this season, he went 4 2/3 innings against the Astros and gave up six hits and three runs. However, he still had a good fantasy day with 18.3 FPTS since he struck out nine. The lefty had a rough history coming into that start against Houston, so overall, it wasn’t a bad way to start his return to the rotation. He’ll look to build on that outing against Seattle, and since the Mariners rank fourth in the majors in strikeouts, the punchout potential is definitely present in Friday’s start. Even if he gives up a few runs or a few too many hits, Detmers brings a good enough strikeout ceiling to be the top value pitcher Friday night.
3B Max Muncy, Athletics vs. Houston Astros, $3,200
Muncy has started all six games this season for the Athletics, and he has posted double-digit FPTS in three of his last five. The 23-year-old righty (not to be confused with the Dodgers lefty with the same name) hit .214 with nine homers in 63 MLB games last year, and he hit .325 with three homers with a .397 wOBA.
This spring training, Muncy hit five homers in 21 games while hitting .380 with a .524 wOBA and a 54.1% hard-hit rate. In his six games in the regular season, he has made even better contact in the regular season with a 66.7% hard-hit rate and 25.0% barrel rate. On the other hand, Muncy has struck out 10 times already this season, so his .182 batting average is still a little disappointing. He’ll need to make more contact going forward, but he’s hitting the ball very well when he puts it in play. He’ll face Cristian Javier ($7,300) at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park on Friday night, and Javier gave up six runs on four hits and four walks to the Angels in his first start of the season.
1B Jose Fernandez, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Atlanta Braves, $2,500
Fernandez is the Diamondbacks’ No. 27 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, but he looked ready to make an immediate impact in his debut. He went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs on his way to 35 FPTS. He started that game at 3B and started at 1B the following day. On Thursday, he entered the game as a pinch-hitter and played shortstop. His positional versatility is a huge asset to the Dbacks, who are without Pavin Smith (elbow) and potentially Jordan Lawlar (hand/wrist), who left Thursday’s game after being hit by a pitch.
Fernandez should get opportunities to play and has shown he brings power potential. Last year, he hit .272 with 17 homers, 80 RBI and 12 stolen bases in Double-A, and he only played one game in Triple-A this season before his promotion. In spring training, he showed promise with three homers in 10 Cactus League contests, hitting .280 with a .458 wOBA.
