After a light Thursday night, Major League Baseball is ready to return to the spotlight of the sports world with a 10-game main slate on DraftKings on Friday. There are some potential weather issues in a few spots, so be sure to keep a close eye on the status of each game leading up to the first pitch. Of the 10 games on the schedule, just two are divisional matchups, but there are some interesting storylines to monitor in some of the other matchups, including a contest at Coors Field and a rematch of the 2017 World Series.
As usual for DFS fantasy baseball, be sure to keep up with the latest on pregame lineups and the latest player news leading up to game time. You can do that by installing the DK Live app and following DK Live on Twitter (@dklive). I’m also on Twitter (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the season continues.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Micro Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.
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PITCHER
Stud
Shane Bieber, Cleveland Guardians vs. Milwaukee Brewers ($9,400) – Bieber gave up a couple of late home runs vs. the Diamondbacks in his last outing to spoil an otherwise solid start. Overall, he’s had mixed results this season with a few rough road outings, but he has also had some great starts, especially at home. In his six home starts, Bieber has gone 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 3.14 FIP. He has a 7.11 K/9 rate and has held opponents to a .209 average. In his two home starts in June, Bieber allowed only a total of one run in 12 2/3 innings on eight hits while striking out 11. He dominated vs. the Astros in his most recent home start, with nine strikeouts in seven shutout innings for 35.4 DKFP.
Bieber should be in a good spot as the Guardians welcome the Brewers, who continue to struggle at the plate. The Brewers have the second-worst team batting average and the sixth-worst wOBA in the majors, and they have scored the fifth-fewest runs of any team. They’ve hit just .231 on the road as a team with a .294 wOBA, and they should be a good matchup for Bieber to continue his strong home splits against on Friday night as long as the weather cooperates.
Other Options – Kodai Senga ($10,200), Brayan Bello ($8,400)
Value
Emmet Sheehan, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Houston Astros ($6,500) – The 23-year-old righty definitely got everyone’s attention with his stellar debut last week. He was called up straight from the Tulsa Drillers in Double-A and threw six no-hit innings vs. the Giants, finishing with 18.3 DKFP in a no-decision after the bullpen fell apart. Before being called up, Sheehan went 4-1 in 12 games with Tulsa, posting a 1.86 ERA, 3.20 FIP and 88 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings.
Sheehan was the No. 8 prospect in the Dodgers’ system coming into the season, according to MLB Pipeline, but he has continued to climb with his strong performance this season. He brings a very high ceiling Friday night since he has so much strikeout potential, and he’ll be facing the Astros’ lineup that is still severely depleted by injury. Sheehan will probably allow a hit at some point, but he has enough upside to still be a great option at this price point.
Other Options – Kyle Gibson ($8,100), J.P. France ($7,400)
INFIELD
Stud
Manny Machado, San Diego Padres vs. Washington Nationals ($5,300) – It was a rough start to the season for Machado, who wasn’t hitting well and was also dealing with injuries. He seems to have moved past his early-season slump, though, going 23-for-66 (.348) over his past 16 games with four doubles, four homers and a .407 wOBA. He has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games while averaging 10.5 DKFP per contest. Machado gets a juicy matchup to attack on Friday night against lefty Patrick Corbin ($6,100). Despite his early-season woes, Machado is hitting .381 against southpaws with three homers and a .436 wOBA. All three of those homers against lefties have come in the past month, and he has a .496 wOBA against lefties during that span. In this specific matchup, Machado is 7-for-18 (.389) with a home run in his career against Corbin.
Stud
Brandon Drury, Los Angeles Angels at Colorado Rockies ($5,000) – While Shohei Ohtani ($6,700) at Coors Field is definitely worth paying attention to; he’s priced way up and in a matchup against a lefty. Instead, I like Drury in this matchup with Kyle Freeland ($5,000). While Drury’s splits against southpaws aren’t spectacular this season, he does have a history of excelling against lefties throughout his career. The 30-year-old can slide into either your 1B or your 2B slot depending on your roster construction, and he has been heating up since the start of June. In his 17 games this month, he is 23-for-71 (.324) with four doubles, three home runs and a .374 wOBA. Drury had multiple hits in four straight games before going 0-for-4 on Wednesday. He should be able to bounce back at Coors Field Friday.
Other Options – Corey Seager ($6,400), Gary Sánchez ($4,000)
Value
Ryan O’Hearn, Baltimore Orioles vs. Seattle Mariners ($3,200) – O’Hearn has stayed red hot while filling in for Ryan Mountcastle (illness), and he could be playing his way into a regular role even after Mountcastle returns. O’Hearn has hit safely in nine straight games, going 15-for-32 (.469) with two doubles, three homers and a .554 wOBA. During that nine-game hitting streak, he has an unheard-of 76% hard-hit rate and 20% barrel rate. As long as he stays hot, he’s a great value at barely over $3K, especially since he can move to the outfield as well if you want to go with another 1B.
Value
David Hamilton, Boston Red Sox at Chicago White Sox ($2,000) – Hamilton is an interesting option at the minimum since he brings so much speed potential. The 25-year-old lefty swiped 70 bases last season in Double-A and had 27 stolen bases in his first 52 games in Triple-A Worcester this season before being called up for his MLB debut this week. He came in as a pinch runner and stole a base before scoring a run. He got his first MLB start and plate appearance yesterday, going 1-for-3. With Pablo Reyes ($2,200) leaving the game early on Thursday, there should be even more room for Hamilton to make his mark in the short term. If he’s in the lineup Friday against Lucas Giolito ($9,600), he brings a lot of upside for a minimum-priced player.
Other Options – Yainer Diaz ($3,000), Triston Casas ($2,900), Kevin Padlo ($2,400)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres vs. Washington Nationals ($6,600) – Not even playing at Coors Field is enough to push Mike Trout ($6,500) past Tatis as the top option in the outfield. Tatis is in a favorable matchup himself against Corbin and has been on an incredible roll lately. Tatis was quiet the past two days but is still hitting .359 (28-for-78) this month, with 17 of his 28 hits going for extra bases. He has 11 doubles, six homers and seven stolen bases in his 20 games in June for a .494 wOBA and an average of 14 DKFP per contest. Against lefties like Corbin, Tatis is hitting .308 on the year with a .469 wOBA. He also has great home splits with a .433 wOBA at Petco Park. All the splits point to him having a big game in this matchup, and he’s a nice mini-stack with Machado if you can afford their hefty salaries.
Joc Pederson, San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($4,700) – Tatis and the Padres ended the Giants’ 10-game winning streak on Thursday, but San Francisco has a good bounce-back spot at home against Zach Davies ($5,500), who has allowed 15 runs in 6 2/3 innings over his past two starts and now has a 7.11 ERA despite a 4.06 FIP in seven starts. He has allowed lefties to hit .338 with a .378 wOBA this season, so Pederson should be in a smash spot. In his past 12 games with an at-bat, he has gone 14-for-41 (.341) with three homers and a .432 wOBA. He has typically been hitting at or near the top of the order, giving him more chances to deliver good value at his sub-$5K salary.
Other Options – Mike Trout ($6,500), Corbin Carroll ($5,800), Louis Robert Jr. ($4,800)
Value
Esteury Ruiz, Oakland Athletics at Toronto Blue Jays ($3,300) – There hasn’t been much to like about the A’s this season from a fantasy perspective, but Ruiz has been the exception to that rule. He leads the majors with 39 stolen bases in his 75 games and is hitting .266 with a .298 wOBA. Before going 0-for-4 Thursday, Ruiz had produced double-digit DKFP in four straight starts. He is averaging 8.5 DKFP per game over his past 30 games with 19 stolen bases during that span. He and the A’s are in Toronto facing Chris Bassitt ($9,200), but Ruiz has proven he can produce good fantasy numbers regardless of matchup and even without much of a lineup behind him.
Value
Derek Hill, Washington Nationals at San Diego Padres ($2,100) – If you need an ultra-cheap OF play, Hill is a good option to consider as he fills in for Victor Robles (back). Hill collected a hit in each of his first two starts this week, going 2-for-7. The 27-year-old righty looked good in Triple-A, hitting .324 with eight home runs and 10 stolen bases in his 48 games. He has had limited success in parts of three seasons with the Detroit Tigers over the last three years, and he brings both power and speed potential from this rock-bottom salary.
Other Options – Luis Matos ($3,000), Jake McCarthy ($2,800), Corey Julks ($2,600)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Micro Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
