The MLB slate for Friday is absolutely loaded, which means plenty of options to choose from in DraftKings MLB fantasy leagues. We took the time to sort through the talent, matchups and price tags to come up with the best possible roster for fantasy competitions. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Friday’s DraftKings MLB fantasy leagues.
P: Kenta Maeda, Los Angeles Dodgers
Salary: $9,000
Maeda is off to a terrible start to the season but a lot of that has had to do with the opponents he has played. Maeda has been rocked in three straight starts, but that includes a road date against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field and a back-to-back against the hard-hitting Arizona Diamondbacks. Friday’s matchup with the Philadelphia Phillies should be much more favorable for Maeda. His numbers look terrible on paper so far but we think that makes him overdue for a solid performance against a mediocre hitting club.
P: Nick Martinez, Texas Rangers
Salary: $4,000
DraftKings hasn’t substantially increased the price for Martinez following a solid first start to the season. Martinez held Kansas City to just four hits over seven innings of work in his first start of the season. He could be in line for another win on Friday opposite Tyler Skaggs for the Los Angeles Angels. At such a low price tag, Martinez is a solid sleeper pick for Friday night’s DraftKings competitions.
C: J.T. Realmuto, Miami
Salary: $3,500
Realmuto carried a six-game hit streak in to Thursday’s date with the Phillies and is now hitting .354 on the season. He hasn’t exploded in terms of power at the plate but he does have two home runs and eight RBI. Considering his low price tag, Realmuto makes sense as a strong value pick for Friday.
1B: Mark Reynolds, Colorado
Salary: $4,500
Reynolds has been absolutely on fire to start the season, producing a .333 average with seven home runs and 20 RBI. Long known as a batter who strikes out a ton, he has cut down on those numbers and has managed to make better contact. Colorado will visit Arizona on Friday and Reynolds should be in line for another strong performance in a high scoring game. He’s facing his former team, so maybe he’ll have a little bit of revenge on his mind and help us out in MLB fantasy.
2B: Neil Walker, NY Mets
Salary: $3,400
Walker’s .197 average isn’t pretty but he has started to produce power with two home runs in his last five games. Stephen Strasburg has been solid for the Nationals but Walker has hit him well with a career-.300 batting average.
3B: Jedd Gyorko, St. Louis
Salary: $3,500
Gyorko has heated up of late with eight hits in 16 at-bats in the four games entering Thursday’s action. Gyorko’s average on the year is up to .340 with three home runs and seven RBI. The Cardinals are at home versus Cincinnati on Friday so Gyorko should remain hot.
SS: Chris Owings, Arizona
Salary: $4,100
Owings has been excellent for the Diamondbacks so far this year, hitting .312 with two home runs and 17 RBI. Arizona will be home against the Rockies on Friday and Owings hot start should continue with Kyle Freeland on the mound for Colorado.
OF: Bryce Harper, Washington
Salary: $6,200
After saving big at some of the other positions we have plenty of money left over to address our final two outfield spots. Harper is off to an MVP-caliber start hitting .432 with seven home runs and 22 RBI so far this season. Now that he is fully healthy the sky is the limit for the 24-year-old. The Nationals have been hot of late so we will plug in Harper here.
OF: Mike Trout, LA Angels
Salary: $5,700
Trout has been almost as good as Harper hitting .337 with six home runs and 15 RBI for the Angels this season. Los Angeles might not score too many runs against Texas on Friday but we expect Trout to get his. With the top two outfield options on the board locked in we feel very comfortable with our lineup for Friday’s MLB fantasy competitions.
The MLB season is in full swing, so if you’re looking at betting lines, in-game betting and World Series futures, click here to bet on MLB (or any other sports) at BetDSI!
