Did you enjoy MLB Opening Day? Let's jump right back into the baseball action with another full slate of games on Friday. If you’ve come looking for cheap MLB DFS picks today, you’ve come to the right place! For tonight’s main slate, I’ve identified some value options for your DFS lineups on FanDuel, DraftKings and Yahoo.
Glancing at the options for tonight’s slate, there are a couple of things that stand out. First off, the pitchers on the main slate are rather limited – so you’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel outside of the top three or four arms. Offensively, the popular MLB DFS stacks today are going to be the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays. So, if you want the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Jose Altuve, and their teammates, keep on reading for some value options to round out your DFS lineups.
Pitchers
($6,500 FD/$6,200 DK/$25 Y!)
This slate of pitchers has me leaning to the top three or four options across the board, but you could do worse than Merrill Kelly if you need to save some money. He posted a 3.78 ERA at home last season and against the Padres, in particular, he went 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. The overall upside is capped for the Arizona starter, and the slate plays more favorable to the more prominent names on the mound. Still, if you want to zig where others zag, Kelly is your budget option on the board.
Hitters
($2,200 FD/$2,400 DK/$13 Y!)
Dom Smith was going to be my guy today, but no luck there. So, how about we pivot to his teammate Robinson Canó! Cano had two hits on Opening Day and Josiah Gray’s struggles against left-handed hitters is well-documented. I like the price point for Cano best on DraftKings today, but he’s a value across the board.
($2,400 FD/$11 Y!)
Charlie Morton is a good play today, don’t get me wrong. However, Tyler Naquin punished right-handers last season (.283 AVG, .853 OPS, 120 wRC+) and we all know that left-handed power plays well in Atlanta. Small sample size, sure, but Naquin hit .400 (4-for-10) at Truist last season – and his upside isn’t reflected at this price point. If paying up for Vladdy Jr. and some other expensive bats (or arms) on the slate, Naquin is a nice upside play at a bargain.
($3,400 DK/$9 Y!)
Alejandro Kirk’s price point is favorable on FanDuel too, but when you don’t have to play a catcher, chances are you won’t. Kirk hit .304 with one home run and just two strikeouts in 23 at-bats this spring, and that hot bat should carry over into the team’s season opener. You will want to be sure he cracks the Blue Jays' lineup, but his bat is too powerful to pass up for sub-3.5k on DraftKings and less than $10 on Yahoo – whether he’s catching or serving as the designated hitter for Toronto.
($2,500 FD)
I do like José Berríos today but, if you want part of the Texas offense, look at the left-handed hitters. On FanDuel, Nathaniel Lowe is a great value. Though Lowe hits southpaws better batting average-wise, his .780 OPS and .166 ISO against righties last year trumped some of his other marks against lefties. Over the last two seasons, Berrios has allowed a .457 SLG, .329 wOBA and 1.6 HR/9 to left-handed hitters. There are a lot of good options at first base today, with Lowe being one of them. If you don’t like Lowe, Luke Voit is the same price on FanDuel – and his reverse splits should match up nicely against Merrill Kelly’s reverse splits.
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Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.