To start the second full month of the MLB regular season, DraftKings has a solid 11-game fantasy baseball slate on Friday. With 22 teams in the main player pool, DraftKings has a wide variety of ways to get a piece of the fantasy baseball action, including GPPs, Tiers and Pick6. For this post, we’re focused on some prime picks for MLB DFS cash games.
This style of contest gives managers the opportunity to double the entry fee since almost half of the players are paid out. These 50/50 or “double-up” contests are best suited for lineups with high floors and as little risk as possible. In on-diamond terms, we’re looking to hit singles with these lineups, not home runs. Variance is not as much of a factor here as we look for players with high floors regardless of their ceilings. In short, these should be the safest and most consistent MLB DFS plays of the slate.
With all that in mind, let’s dive into my top picks.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Single Entry $5 Double Up
SP Will Warren, New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles, $8,900
It’s an interesting slate of volatile options on the mound with a few boom-or-bust plays and a few high-risk bargains on the board. If you’re looking for more stability, though, Warren is a solid option to consider as he takes the mound at home against the Orioles.
Warren has at least 17 FPTS in three straight starts and four of his last five. He had a season-high 34.75 FPTS against the Royals two starts ago in his most recent home start, and he had a solid 20.7 FPTS on the road against the Astros in his last outing.
Warren has 37 strikeouts in his 31 1/3 innings, and that high strikeout rate helps him compensate for any runs he does allow. His 21.5 FPTS per game at home makes him an especially strong play against Baltimore, even though the O’s lineup has been much more productive this season than last year.
2B Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves at Colorado Rockies, $4,900
Albies has been red-hot and rolls into Coors Field with a 12-game hitting streak. He has gone 11-for-46 (.413) with a .498 wOBA and an average of 11.5 FPTS per game over that span. He has been very consistent with at least 10 FPTS in five of his last seven.
Albies is on the strong side of his splits with a good history against Jose Quintana ($5,500), as I highlighted in my top home run props for the day. He has a very high ceiling in what should be a smash spot, with the potential for a very high-scoring game in Denver, but he also has the kind of high floor we look for in cash game builds, especially for a play under $5,000. He’s worth considering as one of the top MLB DFS picks in all formats based on that high ceiling and high floor combo.
OF Austin Martin, Minnesota Twins vs. Toronto Blue Jays, $3,500
One way to try to improve consistency from MLB DFS picks is by leaning more heavily into plays near the top of the batting order. Over time, players near the top of the order get more at-bats and more run production opportunities. Austin Martin is one potential value option to consider for Friday, since he has been hitting second in the order against lefties like Patrick Corbin ($6,700), who will start for the Blue Jays in the second game of their series in the Twin Cities.
Martin is hitting .313 with a .415 wOBA, and his contact-first approach is another factor that makes him a solid option for cash lineups. He also has upside on the base paths, with four stolen bases to go with his four doubles and a home run in 86 plate appearances this season. He has hit safely in each of his last five starts, going 6-for-17 (.353) with four walks, a double and a stolen base. Against lefties like Corbin, he’s hitting .316 on the year with a .434 wOBA and 176 wRC+. While he doesn’t hit for a ton of power, his consistent contributions and premium lineup spot make him a good value to consider for cash lineups on Friday.
