Best MLB DFS Picks Today: Top Value Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel Lineups
Friday’s MLB slate is loaded with contests featuring shaky pitching matchups on both sides, which is exactly the kind of night DFS players circle on the calendar. Between a Rockies-Giants series that’s turned into a hitter’s paradise and a White Sox offense that’s quietly been one of the more productive lineups in baseball this summer, there’s plenty of opportunity to build a lineup stacked with value.
Today’s approach leans into pitchers who have been getting hit hard lately and hitters who are heating up at the right time. Two of our picks come from the same Chicago lineup facing a struggling Athletics starter, while a Detroit-Philadelphia matchup rounds things out with both a bat and an arm worth rostering.
Rafael Devers, 1B — San Francisco Giants
Devers has been on an absolute tear over the last week, hitting .346 with four home runs and four RBI in his last 26 at-bats. He’s carrying an .791 OPS for the season, but the recent surge is what makes him a priority tonight — over his last 15 games he’s slugging .745 with eight home runs.
The matchup could not be better. Colorado’s Tanner Gordon comes in with a 6.95 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP through 45.1 innings, and he’s been especially homer-prone, having allowed 11 long balls already this season. In his last outing against the Giants, Gordon gave up five runs on six hits over five innings while serving up multiple homers. Devers has already gone deep twice against Colorado pitching in the last week, and there’s no reason to expect that to slow down against a pitcher who simply cannot keep the ball in the park.
With San Francisco spending most of this week feasting on Rockies pitching at Coors Field-level production, Devers projects as one of the highest-floor, highest-ceiling bats on the entire slate.
Miguel Vargas, 3B — Chicago White Sox
Vargas has quietly been one of the better values in baseball all year, slashing .240/.356/.480 with 20 home runs and 56 RBI on the season. He’s drawn 56 walks against just 66 strikeouts, giving him a strong on-base skill set to go with real power upside.
Tonight’s matchup is about as favorable as it gets. Athletics right-hander Aaron Civale has been in freefall, carrying a 5.10 ERA and 1.58 WHIP for the season that balloons to an 8.51 ERA over his last seven games. Over that stretch he’s allowed 47 hits and 29 earned runs in just 30.2 innings — an alarming rate of hard contact that DFS players should be eager to exploit. Vargas, who has legitimate thump from the right side, is squarely in play against a pitcher who has completely lost the strike zone command that made him serviceable earlier in the year. Whether you’re building on a DraftKings Sportsbook slate or elsewhere, this is a matchup worth prioritizing.
Andrew Vaughn, 1B — Chicago White Sox
Pairing with Vargas in a mini White Sox stack, Vaughn has been one of the hottest hitters in the league recently. He’s batting .322 with a .900 OPS on the season, and over his last 30 games he’s hitting .311/.416/.500 — elite production for a first baseman at any salary tier.
Vaughn gives DFS players correlated exposure to the same soft matchup against Civale, and with Chicago’s lineup clicking as a group this season, there’s real stacking upside if the White Sox get into the Athletics bullpen early. Both Vargas and Vaughn provide a blend of power and on-base skill that should hold up regardless of contest type, whether you’re building for cash games or chasing ceiling in a GPP. Check out our DFS promotions page for the latest sign-up offers before locking in lineups tonight.
Riley Greene, OF — Detroit Tigers
Greene has been arguably Detroit’s best hitter all season, batting .289 with a .844 OPS, 13 home runs and 44 RBI. He’s been especially dangerous of late, going deep four times over his last seven games while producing a .793 slugging percentage in that span — exactly the kind of hot streak DFS players want to jump on before it cools off.
Detroit hosts Philadelphia tonight, and Greene’s blend of contact skills and burgeoning power make him a strong building block regardless of the exact pitching matchup. With his on-base percentage sitting at .376 for the season, he also offers a solid floor for cash-game lineups that need consistent production up and down the order. For a broader look at where to play tonight’s slate, our DFS platforms guide breaks down the top options.
Jack Flaherty, SP — Detroit Tigers
Flaherty’s season-long numbers (2-8, 4.60 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) don’t tell the whole story of where he’s trending. Over his last seven starts, he’s been outstanding — a 3.03 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 44 strikeouts across 32.2 innings, including a scoreless 5.2-inning outing against Houston his last time out where he struck out five without issuing a walk.
He’s also been a strong strikeout arm at home this season, running a 12.5 K/9 rate in Comerica Park starts. With Philadelphia coming to Detroit, Flaherty offers real ceiling as a strikeout-driven arm who has quietly turned his season around since the calendar flipped to June. For DFS players looking for pitching upside without paying top-tier pricing, Flaherty’s recent form makes him one of the more interesting arms on the board tonight, especially for anyone building lineups on a FanDuel Sportsbook contest as well.
Building Your Lineup
Tonight’s slate rewards attacking bad pitching over chasing star power. The Vargas-Vaughn pairing gives you a correlated, cost-effective way to attack Civale and the Athletics, while Devers offers a premium bat in a matchup that’s produced runs in bunches all series. If you’re building a stack, consider adding a complementary Giants bat behind Devers to capture more of that Rockies-pitching upside without overcommitting salary to one player.
On the pitching side, Flaherty gives you strikeout equity at a price that should be well below the slate’s top arms, which frees up salary to pay up for one of the bats above. In cash games, lean on the floor plays — Vaughn and Greene both offer strong on-base skills that hold up even in quieter offensive nights. In GPPs, don’t be afraid to pivot toward the Civale-facing bats as a way to differentiate from the field, since a pitcher bleeding runs at this rate is unlikely to see a dramatic bounce-back overnight. Our DFS reviews hub is a good resource for comparing platforms before you dive into tonight’s contests.
Carmelo Roldan
Sports Betting Contributor
Carmelo graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management. Using his 10+ years of sports betting experience, Carmelo is one of the main analysts for UFC on HelloRookie.
