Garion Thorne dives into this tonight’s 11-game MLB slate to find three players you need to put in your DraftKings lineups.
We’re so back.
To celebrate the unofficial second-half of the MLB regular season kicking off on Friday night, DraftKings is rolling out an 11-game DFS slate with a $50,000 grand prize. Not too shabby.
Which players should you be building your lineups around? Let’s dive into all the action on the diamond.
Set your DraftKings fantasy basketball lineups here: MLB $200K Rally Cap [$50K to 1st]
SP Charlie Morton, Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays, $7,500
This is an odd pitching slate — it’s not exactly Opening Day pt. II, anyway. To that point, there’s only two pitchers priced at or above $9,000, so you might as well get a little creative and save some money at the position. That’s where Morton comes into play. Somehow, Morton has turned himself into a legitimate asset prior to the trade deadline, despite the fact that there were real concerns Baltimore would DFA the veteran right-hander back in May. Morton’s overall numbers in 2025 are still a wee bit gruesome, yet in his seven starts since the beginning of June, the 41-year-old has posted a 2.72 ERA and a 2.48 FIP with an extremely notable 26.5% strikeout rate. It’s a span where Morton has managed to exceed 25 FPTS three times, including an outing versus this same Tampa squad back on June 19.
Meanwhile, the Rays are in the free-fall down the AL East standings, having dropped four games in a row and eight of their last 10. The big reason for the team’s struggles have been an inability to score runs. In July, Tampa is slashing a putrid .251/.291/.380 with an 83 wRC+. Brandon Lowe ($4,600; oblique) is back off the IL, yet I’m not sure that’s enough to make me fear for Morton in this spot.
SS Carlos Correa, Minnesota Twins at Colorado Rockies, $4,200
I mentioned that you can save some salary at pitcher tonight, which means, in turn, you can spend pretty big on a couple of stacks. The most obvious place to start is in Colorado, where the Twins will take on the left-handed Kyle Freeland ($5,000). As you might expect, Freeland has not fared well in the altitude in 2025, owning an inflated 6.69 ERA at Coors Field. It’s also a place where the veteran southpaw has allowed opposing RHBs to combine for a .395 average and a .424 wOBA. Woof.
So, which right-handed bats in Minnesota’s should we all be getting some exposure to? The obvious name is Byron Buxton ($6,500), yet the All-Star’s salary is suddenly the most expensive of all position players on this slate. I still have no issue calling Buxton viable on Friday, but allow me to offer a cheaper pivot. In general, Correa has been pretty good this season, so long as you ignore a horrendous start in March and April. That said, he’s been at his absolute best when facing an LHP. In 74 plate appearances within the split, Correa sports an .881 OPS and a 145 wRC+. While Buxton leads the Twins in expected wOBA versus lefties (.401), Correa isn’t too far behind (.386) — certainly not far enough behind to warrant a $2,300 price difference.
3B Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians vs, Athletics, $5,500
Here’s where you finally want to spend some real cash.
Ramirez is well on his way to another 30/30 campaign in 2025. In fact, with 29 stolen bases in 92 games, there’s a legitimate chance that the 32-year-old infielder is going to break his career-high in steals (41) — which was, of course, set just last season. The perennial All-Star is a great option in MLB DFS every single night he takes the field, yet it is worth noting how dominant Ramirez has been specifically as a right-handed hitter in 2025. Across 119 plate appearances against LHPs, Ramirez owns a .349/.403/.538 slash line with a 155 wRC+.
Tonight’s lefty? JP Sears ($6,200). Sears has been at his worst when pitching at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, but overall, the veteran possesses an ugly 6.29 ERA over his last 10 appearances. It’s a span where opposing RHBs have combined to hit .293 with an eye-popping .599 slugging percentage.
