It’s time to get fired up for a fantastic 11-game fantasy baseball slate this Friday night on DraftKings. The contests lock at 7:10 p.m. ET and include several exciting series including the Cardinals and Cubs clashing for the first time this season (and the Cardinals debuting their new City Connect uniforms), the Yankees heading to San Diego to face Juan Soto’s former team, and the Phillies heading to Coors Field to take on the Rockies for the first in their three-game set.
With 22 teams in the player pool, there are plenty of great matchups to attack. Whether you build around a Phillies stack at Coors, a Dodgers stack in Cincinnati, or a completely different option, you may end up cutting it close on salary cap space. If you need some cost-saving options, check out these three bargains that save significant salary but still bring plenty of potential production.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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SP Christopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies at Colorado Rockies, $7,200
Going with any starting pitcher at Coors Field is a high-risk play, but I’m willing to take a shot on Sanchez in Friday night’s matchup. He should get plenty of run support and at least be able to minimize the damage against a Rockies lineup that ranks in the bottom 10 of the MLB in runs scored and team ISO. Since wRC+ is adjusted for park factors, Colorado has the second-worst wRC+ of any team in the MLB at just 82 (and remember, 100 is considered league average). Sanchez faced them earlier this season in Philly and produced a season-high 31.3 DKFP with a season-high 10 strikeouts in six innings while allowing just one run. He also had 23 DKFP against the Nats in his last start and has posted at least 19 DKFP in five of his nine starts this season. He’s been much better at home than on the road, but even in this environment, I think he has a shot at a win against the scuffling Rockies, who have dropped five of their last six. Since Sanchez has the added risk factor of Coors, I’d go with another option if there was an alternative, but the other plays under $7,500 are all pretty sketchy.
OF Heliot Ramos, San Francisco Giants at New York Mets, $2,800
Ramos has been a regular in my picks and continues to produce great numbers for an outfielder under $3,000. He didn’t get much done last year in the MLB but started on fire at Triple-A, hitting .296 with eight homers and a .409 wOBA to earn a call-up in early May. In his 14 games in the MLB, the 24-year-old righty has kept crushing, hitting a matching .296 with three doubles, two homers, a stolen base and a .355 wOBA. Ramos has hit safely in five straight and nine of his last 10, going 13-for-42 (.310) with a .374 wOBA, 54.8% hard-hit rate and an average of 9.2 DKFP per contest. He and the Giants have won six of seven, scoring 56 runs during that stretch.
SS Max Schuemann, Oakland Athletics vs. Houston Astros, $2,700
The Athletics have gotten good production from Schuemann as their everyday shortstop since Darell Hernaiz (ankle) hit the 60-day IL and will remain out until at least July. Schuemann is a 20th-round pick out of Eastern Michigan who slowly climbed his way through the minors. He hit .277 with nine homers, 20 stolen bases and a .382 wOBA in Triple-A last season and has hit .262 with two homers, three stolen bases and a .325 wOBA in 33 games for Oakland this season. He has been heating up over his last 10 games, going 12-for-35 (.343) with a home run and a pair of stolen bases to produce 6.2 DKFP per game. He had 22 DKFP on Thursday against the Rockies, going 3-for-5 with a stolen base and a key rally-sparking double. He doesn’t have elite power but had been consistent enough to be worth a look at under $3,000 if you want to go with a cheaper SS play to stack big bats in other spots.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Bat Flip [$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.
