What shapes up to be a great weekend of fantasy baseball to close out the month of June gets underway with a massive 13-game main slate on DraftKings this Friday. The contests lock at 7:05 with the first pitch of the night scheduled for Baltimore, where the Orioles host the defending champs. Five of the 13 games on the slate are divisional showdowns, including the final game of the night when the Dodgers and Giants meet by the Bay in the latest installment of their bitter NL West rivalry.
With 26 teams to choose from, there are many different matchups to break down and analyze to find just the right fit for your lineup. If you run a little short on salary, there are some great inexpensive plays that still bring good upside. I’ve listed and broken down my three top bargains for this monster slate, and I think they bring great upside at their very affordable price points.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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SP Drew Thorpe, Chicago White Sox vs. Colorado Rockies, $7,300
Even though there is no shortage of bargain options on the mound this Friday, finding a good fantasy option at a good rate is tricky. All of the 15 SP with salaries under $8,000 come with major risk factors, but my favorite option of the bunch is rookie Drew Thorpe. Thorpe gets a great home matchup against the Rockies and seemed to have found a pitch mix in his last start against the Tigers, relying heavily on his effective changeup. Thorpe went six scoreless innings and allowed just two hits in that outing to earn his first MLB victory and 23.9 DKFP. The 23-year-old righty was the team’s No. 3 prospect coming into the season after being a key part of two major trades this offseason that landed Juan Soto for the Yankees and then Dylan Cease for the Padres. He went 7-1 in 11 starts in Double-A this season with a 1.35 ERA, 3.01 FIP and 8.4 K/9 in 60 innings. He doesn’t have blazing speed, so his strikeout rate may remain low, but he proved in his last start that he can work effectively. The Rockies should be a favorable spot for him in his first home start of his career. Colorado has the third-lowest team wRC+ in the MLB, and away from Coors Field, the Rockies hit just .231 as a team with a .285 wOBA. While I wish his strikeout ceiling was higher, the matchup is enough to make him the most attractive cheap play on the mound this Friday.
3B/OF Daniel Schneemann, Cleveland Guardians at Kansas City Royals, $2,900
The Guardians have already played Schneemann at every defensive position but first base, catcher and pitcher in his 19 games since being called up from the minors. The 27-year-old super-sub earned his chance with a hot start to the season at Triple-A Columbus, hitting .294 with 10 homers, four stolen bases and a .431 wOBA. Since being called up, he has brought great energy to the lineup and hit .269 (14-for-52) with two doubles, two triples, two home runs and a .369 wOBA. Schneemann hit second in the batting order on Thursday and cleanup on Wednesday, and if he keeps getting a chance in such premium run production spots, he should be a great value under $3,000. His opponent, Alec Marsh ($7,900) started the year strong but has a 6.61 ERA, 4.63 FIP and has allowed a 48.5% hard-hit rate over his last six starts, per Statcast. The Guardians dropped the series opener on Thursday, but Schneemann will hope to help them bounce back with a big game on Friday.
OF Heston Kjerstad, Baltimore Orioles vs. Texas Rangers, $2,200
Kjerstad was the No. 20 prospect in all of baseball coming into the season, per MLB Pipeline, and he thrived in his 56 games in Triple-A with the Norfolk Tides. He smashed 16 homers and hit .300 with a .424 wOBA. During his first stint in the majors this year, he went just 2-for-17 in seven games, but he already looks much more comfortable and locked in this time around. In his three starts since rejoining the O’s on Monday, he is 4-for-10 (.400) with a double, a home run, a walk and three RBI. He had 25 DKFP in the series opener and will look to continue his emergence on Friday against Max Scherzer ($9,100). Kjerstad brings a very high ceiling with his power potential and is a great outfield option at barely over the minimum salary.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
