MLB DFS: Optimal FanDuel, DraftKings picks, player pool, fantasy lineup advice for July 18, 2025

With the All-Star Game behind us, the unofficial start to the second half of the 2025 MLB season begins on Friday with a full 15-game slate on the Friday MLB schedule. With options like Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso and Corbin Caroll, who all hit a home run either during the 2025 MLB All-Star Game or in the swing-off during extra innings in the National League’s victory, in the MLB DFS player pool and available for MLB DFS lineups, who should daily Fantasy baseball players feature in a Friday MLB DFS strategy?

Before making your MLB DFS picks on daily Fantasy sites like DraftKings and FanDuel for Friday, July 18, you NEED to see the top MLB DFS picks from Mike McClure. McClure is a daily Fantasy pro with over $2 million in career winnings. 

When it comes to MLB, McClure is at his best. Recognized in the book “Fantasy Football (and Baseball) for Smart People: How to Turn Your Hobby into a Fortune,” McClure’s proprietary MLB DFS projection model simulates each game 10,000 times, taking factors such as matchups and recent results into account. This allows him to find the best values on every site.

On Friday, July 11 (when McClure last made MLB DFS picks), McClure highlighted Reds pitcher Chase Burns as one of his top starting pitchers for MLB DFS picks on both sites. The result: Burns allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts over six innings, returning 25.3 points on DraftKings and 46 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups could have been well on the way to a profitable day!

One of McClure’s top MLB DFS picks for Friday is Orioles second baseman/shortstop Jackson Holliday, who is $3,800 on DraftKings and $3,200 on FanDuel for MLB DFS lineups. McClure is also rostering Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers ($4,700 on DraftKings and $3,400 on FanDuel). Jeffers entered the MLB All-Star Break on a five-game hitting streak and with five RBI over his last four games. The Twins draw the historically poor Rockies on Friday and Colorado is starting Kyle Freeland. The left-handed pitcher is 1-10 with a 5.54 ERA this season. 

McClure is also targeting a player who is set to EXPLODE for huge numbers on Friday! The stars are aligning for him to return tournament-winning value, and he comes at a price that won’t break the bank. This pick could be the difference between cashing in big or going home with nothing!