This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Friday is sandwiched between the start of the NBA Finals and the start of the Stanley Cup Finals. That makes it the perfect day for some baseball! It helps that there are 10 games starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later. This also gives you several options for your MLB DFS lineups. With that in mind, here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Chris Bassitt, TOR at OAK ($8,300): Over his last six starts, Bassitt has posted a 2.83 ERA. There have been some easy matchups in the mix, but Oakland isn't any tougher. The Athletics are in the bottom six in runs scored, and they also have a sub-.300 OBP.
Framber Valdez, HOU at LAA ($8,200): Valdez has had a couple bad starts this year, including a recent one against the Dodgers. However, in three of his last five outings he's gone 7.0 innings and allowed two runs or fewer. The Angels, now without Mike Trout, have fallen into the bottom 10 in runs scored. Valdez is a lefty, which also will complicate the Angels' lineup decisions.
Logan Allen, CLE at MIA ($6,900): Why recommend a pitcher with a 5.83 ERA through 12 starts? Is it because he had a 3.81 ERA in 24 starts as a rookie in 2023? Well, it's less that and more the matchup. The Marlins are the NL's version of the White Sox. They rank 29th in runs scored and seem primed to fall behind the pack, and they have slashed .237/.289/.351 as a team.
Top Targets
Even with 11 homers and 19 stolen bases through 62 games, Bobby Witt ($6,200) may not replicate his 30/49 season from 2023. Of course, this year he's hit .317, so all in all he's been much better. Witt also loves his home ballpark, where he has an .889 OPS in his career. Bryce Miller, meanwhile, has really relied on T-Mobile Park. He has a career 3.09 ERA at home, but a 5.04 ERA on the road.
Nobody could quibble with Freddie Freeman ($5,500) posting a .294/.395/.485 slash line, but those numbers are a little below what we have come to expect from the sweet-swinging southpaw. He's really only struggled against lefties this season, though, as he still has .993 OPS versus righties. Cody Poteet has made two starts for the Yankees and has a 2.45 ERA, but a 3.95 FIP. The 29-year-old has only pitched 69.2 innings at the MLB level and has a career 5.06 FIP, so I doubt he keeps this up.
With Kyle Tucker not expected to return Friday, and lefties at a premium in the Astros' lineup, there isn't a stack opportunity here. What there is, though, is a great opportunity to roster Yordan Alvarez ($5,300). He has an 1.017 OPS over the last three weeks, but his .485 slugging percentage on the season is still below his career .576 number. Griffin Canning has a 5.29 FIP with a woeful 1.88 K/BB rate. Crucially, lefties like Alvarez have batted .302 against him.
Bargain Bats
It's been a tough season for Jake Cronenworth ($4,200) against his fellow southpaws, but he's having a quality campaign versus righties. He's posted an .863 OPS against right-handed pitchers. Brandon Pfaadt has made strides in his sophomore campaign, but he has a 4.32 ERA in part because of the one place where he still struggled. The righty has let lefties hit .282 against him.
He's been heading in the wrong direction, but Paul Goldschmidt ($3,900) has an .807 OPS over the last three weeks. The righty also has a .701 OPS against lefties on the season after having an .826 OPS in those matchups last year. Austin Gomber will face his former team Friday. While he has a 3.06 ERA this season, he has a 5.03 FIP and has allowed 1.61 homers per nine innings. His .236 BABIP will not hold up.
After stealing more than 20 bases in each of the last two seasons, Thairo Estrada ($3,900) has oddly given up on running. He only has one stolen base, but he's hit eight homers and 12 doubles, so he's delivering some power. Though Michael Lorenzen is a righty, he's proven to have reverse splits. Last year, lefties hit .218 against him while righties hit .275. This season, things are even more striking. Southpaws have batted a mere .091, while right-handers have averaged a robust .303.
Stack to Consider
Guardians at Marlins (Ryan Weathers): Jose Ramirez ($6,300), David Fry ($5,700), Tyler Freeman ($3,600)
Prior to this season, Weathers had a career 5.88 ERA. This year he has a 3.41 ERA, but a 3.81 FIP. Also, in his new home ballpark the lefty has a 5.33 ERA. I did note he is a southpaw, so all three of these Guardians can hit right-handed.
Ramirez has seen his power surge this year, as he's slugged .555 with 17 homers in 60 games. He's been a 20/20 guy for years, but this should be his third 30/20 campaign. While he usually is better against righties, the switch hitter has an 1.020 OPS versus lefties this season. Fry, whom you can roster at catcher, has emerged out of nowhere with a .336/.473/.602 slash line. He also has an 1.103 OPS against southpaws in his career. Freeman is not the best bitter, but the Guardians are lefty heavy, and at this salary the right-handed Freeman is worth it. Plus, he does have five homers and eight stolen bases in 55 games.
