This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We collectively blinked, and suddenly we were in summer and almost to the end of June. Friday is bringing an abundance of MLB action. The DraftKings slate starts at 7:05 p.m. ET and features 14 teams in action. The Stanley Cup may be raised Friday, but before that, get your DFS MLB lineups in, perhaps with these players.
Pitching
Michael Kopech, CWS vs. BAL ($9,000): Kopech has had two bad outings this season, which also happen to be the only two starts in which he has allowed a home run. That's why he has a 2.38 ERA, and it should be noted both of those tough days on the mound came on the road. On Friday, Kopech is at home against Baltimore's bottom-10 offense.
Jeffrey Springs, TAM vs. PIT ($8,500): Springs pitched entirely out of the bullpen for the Rays in 2021 and started the year there as well. Now, though, Springs has made nine starts, and he's been eligible to pick up the win five times in his last six outings. All in all, Springs has a 2.00 ERA, and the Pirates are 28th in runs scored and team OPS.
Merrill Kelly, ARI vs. DET ($7,900): Don't worry about the fact this game is in Arizona. Kelly actually has a 3.06 ERA at home in 2022, and a 3.46 ERA at home since 2020. Plus, you could put the Tigers' offense in any ballpark and not sweat it. They are last in runs scored comfortably and have a .609 OPS as a team.
Top Targets
In his first season as a Dodger, Freddie Freeman ($5,900) has slashed .303/.386/.494 with eight home runs and a surprise six stolen bases. Plus, the lefty has a .985 OPS against righties since 2020. Freeman will get to face the righty Ian Anderson on Friday. It's been a tough year at home for him, as the Brave has a 5.84 ERA.
This offseason, Carlos Correa ($5,100) was one of the headliners, and he's been paying off. Over the last three weeks he has an 1.009 OPS. He's also enjoyed his new ballpark, as he has an .883 OPS at home. German Marquez has a 6.16 ERA, but it's not all Coors Field. He's had an ERA of more than 5.30 on the road over the last two seasons.
Bargain Bats
I've gotten into the habit of going with Ji-Man Choi ($4,200) whenever the Rays are facing a right-handed starter. Why not? He's slashed .293/.389/.484 in 2022, and since 2020 he has an .823 OPS against righties. Meanwhile, since 2020 Mitch Keller has allowed lefties to hit .299 against him. This matchup is right up Choi's alley.
When a righty is on the mound, Jared Walsh ($3,600) is basically Mike Trout. That's only a slight exaggeration. Over the last three seasons Walsh has a .309/.374/.576 slash line versus right-handed pitchers. Chris Flexen is a righty, one with a 4.59 FIP this season.
Stacks to Consider
White Sox vs. Orioles (Kyle Bradish): Luis Robert ($5,200), Andrew Vaughn ($3,900), Jake Burger ($3,400)
The White Sox don't really have a lefty to use in a stack, but this trio should be just fine. It'll still be worth it to target Bradish. The rookie has a 7.38 ERA. Also, through 10 starts, right-handed hitters have hit .402 against Bradish. That is not a typo. The Orioles hurler is turning righties into Rogers Hornsby. Maybe it's just fine there is no lefty to include in this stack.
Robert is a .296 hitter in his career, and he's picked up seven home runs and 11 stolen bases. While he's had trouble staying on the field in the majors, he has 31 home runs and 26 stolen bases in 177 career games. However, speaking of that trouble staying healthy, Robert is dealing with a nagging minor injury right now. Vaughn was drafted for his bat, and this year he's shown why thanks to his .330/.378/.497 slash line. Plus, over the last three weeks he has a .930 OPS. Burger has eight home runs, and he's loving being at home. This year he has an 1.043 OPS at the White Sox's ballpark.
Cardinals vs. Cubs (Kyle Hendricks): Tommy Edman ($5,200), Nolan Gorman ($3,700), Dylan Carlson ($2,900)
Hendricks slipped a step in 2021, posting a 4.77 ERA. This year, he's slipped another step, as he's posted a 5.43 ERA. Over the last two seasons he's allowed a lot of home runs and also been smashed by lefties. That's why I have three hitters who hit left handed at least some of the time.
Edman has seven home runs and 16 stolen bases after he had 11 homers and 30 swiped bags in 2021. The switch hitter also has a .351 OBP. The rookie Gorman has shown his stuff in a limited sample size, as he's slashed .277/.342/.495 with six home runs in 31 games. Carlson has four home runs and three stolen bases, and he's been hot recently. Over the last three weeks he has a .923 OPS.
Diamondbacks vs. Tigers (Rony Garcia): Ketel Marte ($4,400), Josh Rojas ($4,000), Alek Thomas ($2,900)
Garcia has been consistent, which is to say that he's allowed at least one home run in each of his last seven outings. In his career he's allowed 2.30 home runs per nine innings, which is partially why he has a career 5.89 ERA. On top of that, the hot weather of Arizona in the summer can boost offense. I also have two lefties and a switch hitter against the righty Garcia.
Marte has been in and out of the lineup recently, but in his career he's slashed .285/.345/.454. He also has four home runs and four stolen bases in 62 games. Rojas doesn't have much power, but he has four home runs and five stolen bases after he had 11 of the former and nine of the latter in 2021. The rookie southpaw Thomas has shown his potential thus far. He has a .275 average with six home runs and four stolen bases.
