Tonight’s MLB DFS main slate starts at 7:05 p.m. ET at DraftKings and FanDuel and has 13 games. The suggested pick ’em choices from Underdog are also from the 13-game slate.
Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet 
Today’s MLB DFS & Player Props Picks
Friday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
Max Fried (NYY) vs. BAL
Max Fried is having a superb year and is in excellent form. According to FanGraphs, Fried’s 2.53 xFIP in the previous 30 days is the lowest for tonight’s probable starters. During that stretch of five starts spanning 32.1 innings, Fried had the following stats.
- 3.06 ERA
- 2.82 SIERA
- 0.99 WHIP
- Three wins
- Four quality starts
- 4.1 BB%
- 24.6 K%
- 55.8 GB%
- 13.3 SwStr%
- 27.9 CSW%
- 107 stuff+
- 104 location+
- 112 pitching+
Fried’s matchup tonight is tantalizing. The Orioles are 27th in wRC+ (70) with a 25.3 K% versus lefties and 26th in wRC+ (87) with a 23.7 K% on the road in 2025. Thus, the Yankees are -220, and the game’s total is 9.0 runs.
Hunter Brown (HOU) at LAA
Hunter Brown is pitching at an elite level this season. In 14 starts spanning 86 innings this year, he’s had the following stats.
- 1.88 ERA
- 2.94 xERA
- 2.70 xFIP
- 2.84 SIERA
- 0.93 WHIP
- Eight wins
- 11 quality starts
- 8.0 BB%
- 32.3 K%
- 46.9 GB%
- 12.0 SwStr%
- 29.3 CSW%
- 111 stuff+
- 99 location+
- 109 pitching+
Brown has an ideal matchup for reaching his massive ceiling tonight, which was nearly enough for him to edge out Fried for the top spot, but the lefty’s higher floor and my expectation for Fried having a higher roster rate got him the nod as the top starting pitcher tonight. The Angels are tied for 23rd in wRC+ (94) with a 26.2 K% versus righties and 29th in wRC+ (78) with a 28.5 K% at home this year. They were also tied for 19th in wRC+ (92) with a 25.4 K% in the previous 30 days.
Jack Flaherty (DET) at TB
Jack Flaherty is having a rock-solid but slightly unlucky season with the Tigers. In 14 starts spanning 76 innings this year, Flaherty has a 4.03 ERA. However, he has a 3.86 ERA, 3.54 xFIP, 3.40 SIERA and 1.13 WHIP. Flaherty’s 29.0 K% this season is DFS-friendly, and his 11.2 SwStr% and 30.1 CSW% support it.
Flaherty has a challenging matchup tonight. The Rays are sixth in wRC+ (114) with a 22.1 K% versus righties and ninth in wRC+ (116) with a 21.9 K% at home this season. Tampa Bay was also first in wRC+ (133) with a 21.4 K% in the previous 30 days. Despite the challenging matchup, Flaherty’s betting info isn’t too shabby, with the Tigers -110 and the game’s total at 8.5 runs.
Suggested Lineup Stacks
Tanner Bibee isn’t a terrible pitcher. Nevertheless, his 3.79 ERA, 3.83 xERA, 4.33 xFIP and 4.28 SIERA this season range from mediocre to unimpressive, and his career-low 19.5 K% won’t do him favors at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park. The lefties and switch-hitters are the most appealing stacking options from the A’s since Bibee has ceded a .331 wOBA to 554 left-handed hitters since last year.
Didier Fuentes is an intriguing prospect. However, he just turned 20 years old and pitched 21.2 innings in Double-A and 4.2 in Triple-A. Fuentes hasn’t received much seasoning in the upper minors. He also hasn’t lit the world on fire. In nine starts spanning 39.1 innings (13 in High-A, 21.2 in Double-A and 4.2 in Triple-A) this season, Fuentes has a 4.81 ERA and 3.38 xFIP. The gap between his ERA and xFIP is primarily driven by his 58.4 LOB%, but his strand rate was up and down in the lower minors before this season.
- Road (Rogers Centre)
- Game Total/Moneyline: 9.0 Runs/CWS +160
This is the first time I’ve included a third stacking option all season. However, since I love pairing Brown and Fried in GPPs on DraftKings and suspect the Marlins might be somewhat chalky, the White Sox are another stacking option with the duo. Spencer Turnbull is starting tonight. In two relief appearances spanning 4.1 innings this year, Turnbull has a 2.08 ERA, 3.78 xERA, 5.20 xFIP, 5.16 SIERA, 2.08 WHIP, 9.5 BB% and 9.5 K%. The veteran righty’s ERA estimators and identical walk and strikeout rates suggest he’s due to catch a beatdown from an opposing offense. The White Sox have little firepower but could get the better of an overachieving hurler.
Core Studs
- Ketel Marte is a high-salaried piece of exposure to Coors Field tonight, but he’s worth the salary. Marte has swatted 25 homers with a .382 OBP, .248 ISO and 153 wRC+ in 476 plate appearances against lefties since 2023.
- Lawrence Butler has launched 29 longballs with a .314 OBP, .204 ISO and 119 wRC+ in 714 plate appearances against righties since 2023.
- Nick Kurtz has clobbered eight bombs with a .336 OBP, .303 ISO and 155 wRC+ in 107 plate appearances against righties in his rookie season.
Value Plays/Punts
- Liam Hicks has hit four homers with a .378 OBP, .194 ISO and 142 wRC+ in 111 plate appearances against righties in his rookie season.
- Cam Smith has belted four bombs with a .421 OBP, .484 ISO and 228 wRC+ in 38 plate appearances against lefties in his rookie season.
- In 208 plate appearances since April 23, Miguel Vargas has crushed 10 homers with 30 runs, 26 RBIs, two stolen bases, a .356 OBP, .247 ISO and 148 wRC+.
Friday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props
Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet
Ketel Marte: 9.5 Fantasy Points – Higher
Marte has hit 12 homers with 39 runs, 24 RBIs, two stolen bases, a .406 OBP, .249 ISO, .405 wOBA, .422 expected wOBA (xwOBA) and 161 wRC+ in 207 plate appearances this year. He’ll get a Coors Field lift and a boost from facing Gomber tonight. The veteran lefty has coughed up a .345 wOBA to 546 right-handed batters since last year.
Lawrence Butler: 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs – Higher
Butler is excelling at home this year. In 155 plate appearances at home this season, he has tallied 37 hits (16 singles, 14 doubles, one triple and six homers), 26 runs, 16 RBIs, a .262 batting average, .329 OBP and .241 ISO.
Nick Kurtz: 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs – Higher
In 38 plate appearances since returning from the Injured List (IL), Kurtz has amassed 10 hits (three singles, three doubles, zero triples and four homers), six runs, eight RBIs, a .270 batting average, .289 OBP and .405 ISO. He’s also exceeded 1.5 hits plus runs and RBIs in five straight games.
Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
