This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Ready for another weekend of MLB action? Need a little extra cash for a last-minute Father's Day gift? Friday's MLB DFS action could leave you with enough money to buy a nicer tie. There are 12 games on the schedule starting at 7:05 p.m. ET. Here are my lineups to try and help you out on that front.
Pitching
Jacob deGrom, TEX vs. CWS ($10,400) Not only is it nice that deGrom has made 13 starts, but he's excelled on the mound. Sure, his strikeouts are decidedly down (if it's helping his arm I'll happily accept that), but deGrom has a 2.12 ERA. Just because the White Sox aren't in the bottom two-or-three teams in runs scored, don't think that this lineup has improved all that much. Chicago is still last in team OPS.
Luis Castillo, SEA vs. CLE ($8,500): Look at the home/road splits of Mariners pitchers and you will come to realize their ballpark is underrated as being pitcher friendly. Castillo is no outlier. Since 2023 he has a 4.02 ERA on the road, but at home he has a 2.98 ERA. The Guardians are in the bottom 10 in runs scored, and that combined with Seattle's ballpark bodes well for Castillo.
Bryce Elder, ATL vs. COL ($7,800): Last year was brutal for Elder, and he started this year in poor form as well. However, over his last seven starts he has a 2.98 ERA. I don't know if that'll continue, but the Rockies are last in runs scored even though they play home games as Coors Field, so it should continue for at least another outing.
Top Targets
A hitter with a lot of power squaring off with a pitcher with a big fastball and an issue with homers. That sounds like a winning combination, and so I point you to Pete Alonso ($5,300). He already has 17 home runs and will likely surpass 40 once again, and he has an 1.035 OPS versus his fellow righties. Taj Bradley's fastball routinely tops 96 miles per hour, but he's allowed 1.56 home runs per nine innings in his career. If Alonso comes close to squaring up a fastball, it's going to leave the park Friday.
Even with his eight homers and eight stolen bases, Gunnar Henderson ($4,700) has not yet risen to expectations. Mostly, though, that's because he's tanked against his fellow lefties post-injury. Against righties, Henderson has a .960 OPS. Jack Kochanowicz has a 5.61 ERA and 1.45 K/BB rate. On top of that, lefties have hit .316 against him.
Bargain Bats
Maybe Brice Turang ($4,500) set the bar too high by swiping 50 bags last year. He has 15 stolen bases through 67 games this season, but since he doesn't bring power, he really needs to get it done on the base paths. The second baseman does have a .359 OBP versus righties, so there's a good chance he gets on and has a chance to swipe a bag against Erick Fedde. Fedde has a 5.62 K/9 rate and 4.03 BB/9 rate, so if Turang isn't able to get to first with a chance to steal second, it'll be a bit surprising.
Though Ceddanne Rafaela ($3,700) is most revered for his defense in center field, he has six home runs and 10 stolen bases. Last year he had 15 of the former and 19 of the latter. On top of that, he has an .849 OPS over the last three weeks. With a lefty in Ryan Yarbrough in line to start for the Yankees, you can trust Rafaela will be out there for the Red Sox. As for Yarbrough, he has a career 4.20 ERA even though he's spent much of his career as a reliever.
Stacks to Consider
Atlanta vs. Colorado (German Marquez): Matt Olson ($5,100), Austin Riley ($4,700), Michael Harris ($3,700)
The poor Rockies. Even away from Coors Field they make such an obvious choice for stacks. Over the last three seasons – and I will note he barely pitched in 2023 and 2024 – Marquez has a 7.69 ERA on the road. On the road! Since both lefties and righties have hit over .300 against Marquez this year, I was fine looking for batters from both sides of the place. Since the Rockies starter is right-handed, though, I did end up with two southpaws.
Olson started the season slowly, but he's slugged .468 on the year with 14 home runs and 15 doubles. Speaking of his slow start vis-à-vis the present, over the last three weeks Olson has slugged .493. Riley likes his home park, where he has an .879 OPS since 2023. This year he has been better against his fellow righties as well, hitting .284 in those matchups. Slowly, but surely (and also unfortunately), Harris has gotten worse at the plate. However, he's still managed five homers, two triples and 10 stolen bases. The counting stats matter for DFS! Against Marquez, a below-average righty, Harris is worth a shot.
Angels at Orioles (Charlie Morton): Zach Neto ($5,500), Taylor Ward ($4,500), Nolan Schanuel ($3,400)
If you hold on too long, you play with fire. Morton didn't want to retire. He skated by in his age-40 season, posting a 4.19 ERA with a 4.45 FIP for Atlanta. Well, this year with Baltimore, Morton has a 6.59 ERA and 5.23 FIP. His walks and his home runs are up, and Morton was even pulled from the rotation for a bit. Since 2023, righties have hit .267 against the veteran, so I have two righties for this stack.
Neto is of the "with any plate discipline he could rule the world" school. He never walks and he strikes out too much, but the shortstop also has hit .281 with 10 homers and 11 stolen bases in only 49 games. Neto has shown more power against lefties but has actually hit .286 against righties. Ward has cooled down after a hot run laden with homers, so much so he's racked up 18 of them on the campaign. The issue is a recent home stand, as Ward has a .910 OPS on the road. Ward has a history of playing better on the road, so that's not too surprising. Schanuel is the antithesis of Neto, in that he is all about patience and discipline, but he doesn't provide the counting stats one expects from a first baseman. While he may have three homers and three stolen bases, Schanuel has hit .284 and gotten on base at a .380 clip. The lefty has an .816 OPS against righties and an .885 OPS on the road, though.
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