Zach Thompson dives into Friday night’s featured MLB DFS slate on DraftKings to find undervalued players to put in your lineups.
Happy Fourth of July! Major League Baseball is celebrating the holiday with great matchups throughout the day, including eight games under the lights on DraftKings’ main fantasy baseball slate. The action gets underway at 7:07 p.m. ET in Toronto and wraps up with a late-night hammer from Sacramento, where the A’s host their formal Bay Area rivals, the Giants. With so many top plays on the board, you may need to go with a bargain value in a roster spot or two in order to squeeze in all the star power you want for these contests. Check out these three MLB DFS value picks who stand out this Friday. Each brings a high ceiling and plenty of value potential based on matchup and recent form.
The slate is set up for some fireworks, with Coors Field and Sutter Health Park in play under the lights. Be sure to check back for weather and lineup updates before the games begin to ensure your selections are in the best spot possible.
Check out the full range of MLB coverage from the team at DraftKings Network, since these bargains are just one piece of the MLB DFS picture to consider.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Independence Day Special [$50K to 1st]
SP Eduardo Rodriguez, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Kansas City Royals, $7,800
Rodriguez and the Dbacks host the Royals at Chase Field, setting the veteran lefty up in a good spot to return solid value from under $8,000. He allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last five starts, lowering his ERA to 5.13, but with a much better 3.98 FIP and 3.62 xERA. In those five starts, he has a 1.98 ERA and has averaged 16.6 fantasy points per outing.
He had 10 strikeouts two starts ago in Chicago on his way to a dominant performance that earned him 33.3 fantasy points against the White Sox. In his last start, he held the Marlins to just one run in 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts for 17.8 fantasy points in a no-decision.
The Royals haven’t been a great strikeout matchup, but their offense has scored the fewest runs in the majors, allowing opposing starting pitchers to post good numbers. They have a decent team batting average, but have hit the fewest home runs and posted the second-lowest team wOBA in the MLB. Rodriguez should be able to take advantage of the matchup and be one of the top MLB DFS value picks on the mound this Friday night.
1B/3B Colt Keith, Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Guardians, $3,200
Keith got off to another slow start to the season this year, but he’s picking things up as the weather gets warmer, just like he did last year. Keith is a very affordable way to get exposure to the Tigers’ lineup, which has been red-hot lately and has pushed Detroit to the best record in the American League. After dropping two of three games to the Nats, the Tigers will look to bounce back against Slade Cecconi ($8,200) and the Guardians in Cleveland.
Keith has been hitting leadoff on a regular basis, with Kerry Carpenter (hamstring) on the injured list. He’s hitting .258 with a .332 wOBA on the year, but has been much better lately, hitting .327 with a .391 wOBA over his last 16 games. He has three doubles, a triple and two home runs during that stretch, with a 52.3% hard-hit rate and average exit velocity of 92.3 miles per hour.
The 23-year-old lefty has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games and has at least seven fantasy points in six straight contests. Lefties like Keith have hit .291 with a .367 wOBA against Cecconi, so he’s on the strong side of the splits and brings good value at either corner spot this Friday.
2B/OF Davis Schneider, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Angels, $2,800
Schneider’s overall numbers for the season aren’t that impressive, but he caught fire over the Blue Jays’ four-game sweep of the Yankees and helped his team take over first place in the AL East. He went 6-for-13 (.462) with a double, two home runs, and an average of 13.5 fantasy points per game over the four-game set, highlighted by his two-homer performance on Wednesday that earned 30 fantasy points.
On Friday, Schneider and the Jays face Kyle Hendricks ($6,500) and the Angels. Hendricks has a 5.44 ERA and 5.27 FIP on the road this season, and right-handed hitters have hit 10 of the 15 homers against Hendricks this year while posting a .383 wOBA. Blue Jays righties should be in a good spot, and Schneider brings great versatility with the ability to slot in at 2B or in the OF to best fit your roster build, making him one of my favorite MLB DFS Value Picks of the day.
