It’s been a long week, am I right? Let’s celebrate the near arrival of the weekend with a 12-game MLB slate on DraftKings. We’ve got some aces taking the mound — including the expected return of Kodai Senga ($9,000; shoulder) — and a handful of $6K hitters ready to carry your lineups.
Let’s dive in and break it all down.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
George Kirby, Seattle Mariners at Chicago White Sox, $9,600 – Kirby doesn’t possess the highest ceiling in the world, but he’s been one of the most consistent arms in baseball in 2024, pitching to a 3.20 ERA and a 2.74 FIP over 123.2 innings. His numbers specific to the beginning of June have been even more impressive, with the RHP maintaining a 2.11 ERA and a 1.99 FIP with a 26.6% strikeout rate. Still, I’m burying the lede. Obviously, Kirby’s value skyrockets on Friday thanks to a matchup with the White Sox. Chicago is winless in seven games since the All-Star break — a span of time where the team has scored only 11 total runs. Woof.
Value
Kyle Harrison, San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies, $6,900 – It’s been a bit of an underwhelming season for the former top prospect, but Harrison’s looked good in his last two starts, allowing just a single earned run across 10.1 innings of work. That includes five scoreless frames against this same Rockies squad last week in Colorado. Now, Harrison will get the benefit of facing the Rockies away from Coors Field. When on the road in 2024, Colorado sports an 84 wRC+ and the National League’s highest strikeout rate (26.9%). Sounds like a spot to take advantage of, especially with Harrison’s modest price tag.
INFIELD
Stud
Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles vs. San Diego Padres, $6,200 – The Padres had a no-hitter on Thursday. I promise you that won’t be the case on Friday when Adam Mazur ($5,300) and his 7.84 ERA take the mound. It’s been a rough go for the rookie at the MLB level — particularly when facing LHBs. Within the split, Mazur is allowing opponents to slash .343/.452/.582. Henderson is one of the best lefty hitters in baseball. He’ll be worth every penny in this matchup.
Stud
Willson Contreras, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals, $5,200 – The Cardinals have been horrendous against left-handed pitching in 2024, with Contreras acting as the team’s lone bright spot. In the backstop’s 53 plate appearances within the split, he owns a .407 wOBA and a 168 wRC+. The LHP he’ll see on Friday? MacKenzie Gore ($7,500). The 25-year-old started the season tremendously, but he’s fallen off a cliff in his recent outings. Going back to June 25, Gore has registered an ugly 7.84 ERA with a 16.2% walk rate.
Value
Ben Rice, New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox, $3,900 – Rice comes into Friday hitting below the Mendoza line, yet that doesn’t really due him justice. The rookie also owns a .383 expected wOBA and a 117 wRC+ off right-handed pitching. There’s a reason he’s recently been hitting leadoff for the Yankees in opposite-hand matchups. Now let’s talk Brayan Bello ($7,100). It’s been a struggle for the RHP in 2024. Bello sports a 6.20 ERA when pitching at Fenway Park and, on top of that, he’s surrendering 1.97 home runs per nine to LHBs. Not a fantastic combination.
Value
Tyler Fitzgerald, San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies, $3,500 – There’s a couple of things to note here. First and foremost, Fitzgerald has been fantastic in his limited opportunities at the MLB level in 2024, slashing .323/.398/.615 with a 185 wRC+ in 108 plate appearances. Second, in a matchup with the left-handed Clayton Kershaw on Thursday, Fitzgerald hit out of the two-spot in San Francisco’s order. If that happens again on Friday, with Kyle Freeland ($5,500) on the bump for the Rockies, Fitzgerald is incredibly viable.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Tyler O’Neill, Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees, $5,400 – The last time O’Neill and the Red Sox faced a left-handed starter, the hulking outfielder went deep twice. Yes, that game was at Coors Field, not Fenway Park, but O’Neill’s hit southpaws hard regardless of location in 2024. To wit, in 109 plate appearances within the split, O’Neill is slashing .333/.450/.711 with a 210 wRC+. If you’re wondering, that slugging percentage is the highest qualified mark in baseball. I would suggest that Nestor Cortes ($8,500) proceed with caution.
Stud
Anthony Santander, Baltimore Orioles vs. San Diego Padres, $5,100 – Santander’s been on a different level since the beginning of June. Entering play on Thursday, the switch-hitting outfielder had posted a .345 ISO and a 162 wRC+ within the stretch. He then proceed to hit another home run in a 7-6 victory against the Marlins. That was his 19th in that same span of time — easily the most of any player in MLB. An Orioles stack would be incomplete without Santander’s bat.
Value
Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Miami Marlins, $3,500 – It took the top prospect a couple months to acclimatize himself to the majors, but Chourio has been swinging a hot bat and living up to the hype in recent weeks. In fact, going all the back to June 1, Chourio is slashing .311/.361/.489 with a 137 wRC+. He’ll need to carry a large offensive load with Christian Yelich (back) sidelined and he’ll draw an opposite-hand matchup with Trevor Rogers ($6,100) on Friday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
