Friday night starts a huge weekend of fantasy baseball with 14 games on the main slate for DraftKings, which begins at 7:05 p.m. ET. Only the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs aren’t on the slate since they are playing a doubleheader that starts in the afternoon. There are five divisional matchups on the slate along with some of the top teams in each League going head-to-head in potential playoff previews. It should be a great weekend of baseball and Friday night offers lots of interesting possibilities to consider for your lineups.
As is the case whenever you are building a team for DFS fantasy baseball, it’s critical to stay up to date with all the latest injury, weather, and lineup news. One way to do that is by installing the DK Live app and following DraftKings Network on X (@DKNetwork). I’m also on X (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the regular season races play out and we get geared up for what should be an outstanding postseason.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Justin Verlander, Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees ($9,800) – There are multiple strong SP options to consider including a drama-filled, head-to-head matchup between Zack Wheeler ($10,600) and Freddy Peralta ($10,300). For fantasy baseball purposes, though, Verlander offers a great ceiling in a good matchup at a slightly lower price. After 15 starts with the Mets, Verlander has returned to vintage form since heading to Houston. In five starts with the Astros, he went 4-1 with 29 strikeouts in 29 innings, a 2.79 ERA, a 3.30 FIP and a 1.24 WHIP.
In his two most recent starts, he totaled 11 scoreless innings while beating the Tigers and the Red Sox. He had a total of 16 strikeouts in the two outings while posting 31.3 and 25.1 DKFP. He takes on the Yankees at home on Friday in what is actually a favorable matchup. Since the All-Star break, the Yankees have scored the fourth-fewest runs in the majors while hitting just .221 as a team. They also have the sixth-highest K% over that span, so Verlander should be able to produce elite numbers even with his salary just under $10K.
Other Options – Tyler Glasnow ($11,200), Freddy Peralta ($10,300)
Value
Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals ($8,000) – Keller has been very streaky this season, but he’s re-discovered his All-Star form in his past few outings. The 27-year-old struggled right after the break, giving up 24 runs in 21 2⁄3 innings in his first four outings of the second half. He found his footing after that, though, with just a total of seven runs allowed over 25 innings in his four most recent outings. He had 29 strikeouts in those 25 innings with a 2.16 ERA, 2.30 FIP and 1.20 WHIP. Keller had over 20 DKFP in three straight outings and over 30 DKFP in each of his last two starts, which came against the Twins and Cubs.
Keller will look to continue that success against the sinking Cardinals. Over the past 30 days, the Cardinals have scored the fourth-fewest runs in the majors with a .243 average and .318 wOBA. In a divisional matchup where he should be able to stay in good form, Keller brings an elite ceiling, and it’s a little surprising to be able to get him at only $8K given his upside.
Other Options – Eury Perez ($8,800), Patrick Sandoval ($7,200), Jake Irvin ($6,100)
INFIELD
Stud
Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves ($6,800) – Both leading NL MVP candidates had huge nights on Thursday in the first game of this four-game set between the Braves and Dodgers. There’s more on Ronald Acuña Jr. ($6,900) below, but Betts outproduced him on Thursday with two homers, four RBI and 36 DKFP. His recent run has been absolutely remarkable. In August, Betts hit a scorching .455 (51-for-112) with 10 doubles, 11 homers and three stolen bases helping him to average 15.1 DKFP for the month. He has multiple hits in nine of his 11 most recent contests and has hit .533 (24-for-45) with six homers and an average of 18.9 DKFP over that span. Betts has very strong splits at home, where he is hitting .343 with a wOBA well over .450 and 23 of his 38 home runs, and has also produced good numbers against lefties like Max Fried ($9,000). He can fit in your lineup either at 2B or in the OF and remains one of the top options on any slate.
Stud
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays at Colorado Rockies ($5,500) – The Blue Jays get the Coors Field boost this weekend, and the reigning Home Run Derby champion will look to take advantage of the elevation. Guerrero’s numbers have been down across the board this season and he enters September with just 20 home runs and a .335 wOBA on the year. He has been trending up, though, and comes into this matchup with an 11-game hitting streak. During that streak, he hit .298 (14-for-47) with two doubles, two homers and a .341 wOBA. He and the Jays get a great matchup against Chris Flexen ($5,000), who is 1-6 on the season with a 6.94 ERA AND 6.38 FIP. He allowed 19 home runs in just 72 2⁄3 innings, and 14 of those homers have been hit by righties, who have a .427 wOBA against him.
Other Options – Trea Turner ($5,900), Alex Bregman ($5,500), Jeremy Peña ($4,100)
Value
Ernie Clement, Toronto Blue Jays at Colorado Rockies ($2,600) – Clement is a very affordable way to get some Blue Jays exposure Friday night. The 27-year-old signed as a free agent this March and had a strong season in Triple-A, where he hit .339 with 11 homers, 12 stolen bases and a .405 wOBA in 69 games. He had a few short stints in the majors earlier this season but was recalled Monday to help fill in while Matt Chapman (finger) and Bo Bichette (quadriceps) are on the IL. Clement had two multi-hit games against the Nats to start the week, going 4-for-10 (.400) with one run scored and one RBI. He is a nice option under $3K with the flexibility to fill in at either 3B or SS depending on your roster needs.
Value
Ronny Mauricio, New York Mets vs. Seattle Mariners ($2,000) – With so many high-priced options with high ceilings, Mauricio’s arrival in the majors could be the key to unlocking the salary cap space you need this Friday. The 22-year-old SS is available at the minimum salary but is expected to be called up after hitting .295 with 23 homers, 24 stolen bases and a .368 wOBA for Triple-A Syracuse. With Francisco Lindor ($4,900) in place as the everyday SS, Mauricio will likely settle at 2B or 3B while the Mets take a look to see if the prospect is ready to fill a regular role next season. Mauricio was recently ranked as the No. 90 prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline, and he has a high ceiling with his power and speed combo at this minimum salary.
Other Options – Josh Bell ($3,700), Jordan Diaz ($2,300), Lenyn Sosa ($2,100)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers ($6,900) – Acuña had the biggest hit of the night on Thursday, crushing a grand slam in the second inning. He later added a stolen base on his way to 33 DKFP. The home run made him the first player in MLB history with 30 home runs and 60 steals in a season. He’s averaging 12.8 DKFP per contest on the season and 15.4 DKFP over his past nine games. He hasn’t been quite as hot as Betts from a batting average perspective, but his aggressive base-running has kept him as a great fantasy option with a high ceiling. While I’d give Betts the edge if you can only fit one superstar under your salary cap, Acuña makes a strong case for trying to squeeze in both dynamic threats if possible.
Stud
Davis Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays at Colorado Rockies ($4,800) – Schneider cooled off after his initial splash against the Red Sox early in August and fell into a platoon role. With the recent injuries, though, he’s back in an everyday role and starting to thrive once again. The 24-year-old rookie has gone 9-for-17 (.529) with three doubles, three home runs and an average of 19.4 DKFP over his past five games. He has eligibility at both 2B and OF and is a nice way to get exposure to the rarified air of Coors Field for under $5K.
Other Options – Julio Rodriguez ($6,400), Randy Arozarena ($5,500), Adam Duvall ($4,900)
Value
Parker Meadows, Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox ($3,200) – Since the Tigers are out of the playoff race, they’re able to give Meadows a long look as their potential CF of the future. In his 113 games in Triple-A this season, the 23-year-old hit .256 with 19 homers, 19 stolen bases and a .353 wOBA. Meadows started 10 straight games since being called up and went 10-for-34 (.294) with two doubles, a triple, a home run, six RBI, two stolen bases and a solid average of 8.6 DKFP per contest. He should be in a good spot to continue his production as he faces Touki Toussaint ($6,000) and the White Sox in this AL Central matchup.
Value
Michael A. Taylor, Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers ($2,500) – Taylor has had productive stretches at the plate throughout his career, even though he’s mostly known for his defensive contributions. He has been in the midst of a strong run lately with five home runs and two stolen bases in his past 10 starts. Taylor hit .353 (12-for-34) in those 10 starts with a .500 wOBA and an average of 12.3 DKFP per contest. He typically hits at the very bottom of the order for the Twins, but he brings good upside as the lineup flips and he hits in front of the big bats from his “second leadoff” position. His 20 homers this season are already a career-high, and he added 13 stolen bases to his .312 wOBA and .225 ISO through 118 games.
Other Options – Dominic Canzone ($3,200), Mike Yastrzemski ($3,100), Jacob Young ($2,200)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$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 skills 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.
