It's time for another weekend of MLB action, and I'm looking forward to it even with how the Tigers' season is going! There are 12 games on the slate for DFS purposes Friday, with the first pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET. Here are my MLB DFS lineup recommendations. Good luck!
Pitching
Emerson Hancock, SEA vs. SDP ($8,400): Hancock is still homer prone, but otherwise his game has taken off. He has a 5.56 K/BB ratio and a 3.21 ERA. Like many a Mariners pitcher he likes being at home as well, where he has a 2.74 ERA. The Padres are in the bottom five in team OPS, so Hancock might be good shape at home Friday.
Spencer Arrighetti, HOU vs. TEX ($8,200): Previously, Arrighetti has struggled at the MLB level. However, he pitched very well in Triple-A to start this season, and so when injuries hit the Astros' rotation he got another chance in the big leagues. So far, Arrighetti is managing his time. He's been walking a ton of batters, but he has an 1.88 ERA through five starts. The walks may catch up to him at some point, but the Rangers are in the bottom four in runs scored, so Arrighetti may be able to handle this one.
Connor Prielipp, MIN vs. MIL ($7,600): Prielipp is another pitcher who started the season at Triple-A, pitched well, and got a shot at the MLB rotation. The difference is that this is the lefty's first taste of MLB action. He has a 3.22 ERA, though it is only through four starts. Still, that's encouraging, and Prielipp, as noted, is a lefty. The Brewers are lefty heavy, so that makes this a workable matchup for the Twins hurler.
Top Targets
It would not be accurate to say that Shea Langeliers ($5,900) came out of nowhere, given that he hit .277 with more than 30 homers and 30 doubles last season. This year, though, he's hit .340 with 12 homers and 10 doubles already. Since 2024, Tyler Mahle's fellow righties have hit .270 against him. This year, though, he also has a 5.18 ERA.
The Athletics have a ballpark that is conducive to hitters, but it's hard to compete with Coors Field. Mickey Moniak ($5,500) has certainly benefited from moving to the Rockies, but Coors can't fully explain how he's revitalized his career. Since joining Colorado he's hit .280 and slugged .558, and he has 12 homers and two triples this season. This has been a disastrous season for Arizona's Merrill Kelly, who has a 7.62 ERA through five starts.
Bargain Bats
Well, it does seem like Jose Altuve ($4,100) is heading toward the tail end of his career. He has still hit well at home, and since 2024 he has an .837 OPS in Houston. With his salary where it is now, though, and with his position being second base, at home Altuve is worth rostering in the right matchup. Jack Leiter has a career 4.61 ERA and righties have hit .269 against him, so that makes this the kind of matchups I'm talking about.
Though he's off to a slow start, Vinnie Pasquantino ($4,000) still has five home runs and two triples. While he has been less good against righties in 2026, mostly he's really struggled against lefties. Dustin May has a 4.85 ERA through eight starts, but the reason I want Pasquantino primarily is that lefties have hit a whopping .343 against May this year.
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Stacks to Consider
Diamondbacks at Rockies (Kyle Freeland): Ketel Marte ($5,700), Ildemaro Vargas ($5,200), Nolan Arenado ($4,000)
I mentioned Coors Field earlier, so I am returning to that realm. This time, though, I am stacking Diamondbacks against long-suffering Rockies pitcher Freeland. The lefty has a 6.10 ERA and 2.10 HR/9 rate this year, and over the last four seasons he has a 5.13 ERA. Since he is a southpaw, I have three Diamondbacks who can hit right-handed.
Even with a slow start, Marte has five homers, two triples and five doubles. Since 2024 he has a .909 OPS on the road, so I am not too worried. On the flip side, Vargas has been surprisingly good. He's hit .331 with seven home runs and seven doubles. He's a switch hitter, but he's been better against lefties like Freeland this year. Arenado will be making another return to Coors Field. In his first season with Arizona he's hit .274 with six home runs. He's been much better at home, but this is Coors Field, so I figure that's a worthwhile caveat on that front.
Dodgers at Angels (Jack Kochanowicz): Andy Pages ($5,200), Freddie Freeman ($4,800), Max Muncy ($4,600)
I don't think Kochanowicz is going to sustain his 3.97 ERA, and not entirely because of his 4.07 FIP. He has a career 5.40 ERA, for starters. Secondly, he has an 1.30 K/BB rate this season. By the end of this game Kochanowicz's ERA could be notably higher. In his career, lefties have hit .291 against him, so I have two lefties in this stack.
Pages has taken another step forward this season, as he's hit .308 with nine homers and six stolen bases. Previously he's struggled on the road, but this year Pages has a .924 OPS in away games. Freeman has started to get into gear, and he's now hit .270 with 11 doubles. Mostly, though, his issues have been at home. He has an 1.022 OPS on the road this year, and a .902 OPS on the road since 2024. Muncy is off to a soaring start, having already hit 11 home runs. Since 2024 the third baseman has a .911 OPs versus righties, so as long as a righty is on the mound, I like his chances of success.
