Just when you think there can't be anything else Shohei Ohtani can do to in his quest to dumbfound baseball fans around the world, the two-way superstar nearly accomplished an MLB first since 1888 on Thursday. Ohtani nearly became the first player in more than 130 years to hit for a cycle in a game he pitched in when he went 3-for-5 and finished just a home run shy of reaching that milestone on Thursday. It wasn't his best pitching performance of the season, as he allowed five runs with eight strikeouts over six innings, but Ohtani recorded the win to improve to 4-0 on the mound. He had a monster day for daily Fantasy baseball players on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings who played Ohtani in their MLB DFS lineups.
Ohtani is always a popular selection in the MLB DFS pools on a daily basis, whether he's pitching or serving as the designated hitter that game. The Angels begin a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend. Ohtani has eight hits, including two home runs, over his last five games. Will he continue as one of the top performers in the MLB DFS player pool? Before submitting any MLB DFS picks for Friday, be sure to check out the MLB DFS advice, strategy and projections from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.
McClure is a daily Fantasy pro who has won more than $2 million in his career. And when it comes to daily Fantasy baseball, McClure is at his best. Recognized in the book "Fantasy Football (and Baseball) for Smart People: How to Turn Your Hobby into a Fortune" as a top MLB DFS player, McClure's proprietary projection model simulates each game 10,000 times, taking factors such as matchups and recent results into account. This allows him to find the best values on every site.
On Thursday, McClure had New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole as his top-ranked pitcher in his MLB DFS picks. The result: Cole allowed two runs with eight strikeouts and one walk while scattering six hits over 6 2/3 innings, returning 26.8 points on DraftKings and 48 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Now, with the 2023 MLB season in full swing, McClure has locked in his top MLB daily Fantasy picks for Friday, April 28. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
McClure's top MLB DFS picks for Friday
One of McClure's top MLB DFS picks for Friday is Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lourdes Gurriel ($4,200 on DraftKings and $3,200 on FanDuel). He is 3-for-8 in his last two games and has risen his batting average from .258 to .267 over the last week and provides value at his current price.
Gurriel and the Diamondbacks head to Coors Field, always known as a hitter-friendly park, to begin a three-game series this weekend. The Arizona offense has performed well to begin the season, rankings 12th in runs scored (121) and the Diamondbacks have scored at least five runs in eight of their last 11 games. Gurriel has been in the middle of the Arizona lineup the majority of those games and continues to see opportunities to score and drive in runs. Playing at Coors Field against a Rockies team with the worst record in the National League (8-18) should only help his and the team's production.
McClure's MLB DFS strategy also includes stacking Gurriel with Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll ($5,300 on DraftKings and $3,800 on FanDuel). Carroll is hitting .500 (10-for-20) over his current six-game hitting streak with four doubles, a triple and six runs scored over that span. He has a .600 on-base percentage with three multi-hit games over the last six contests.
Carroll leads the Diamondbacks in categories such as average (.311), on-base percentage (.374), home runs (four) and extra-base hits (13) in his first full season in the majors. The 22-year-old outfielder had a home run at Coors Field last year and shows no sign of slowing down his recent production. Carroll has at least one hit in 19 of 26 games this season and Rockies starter Kyle Freeland has struggled over his last two starts, allowing 13 runs (11 earned) with four home runs over 8 2/3 innings. See who else to pick here.
How to set your MLB DFS lineups for April 28, 2023
McClure is also targeting an undervalued player who is set to explode for huge numbers on Friday. The stars are aligning for him to return tournament-winning value and he comes at a price that won't break the bank. You can only see who it is here.
So what are the top MLB DFS picks for Friday? Visit SportsLine now to see DFS millionaire Mike McClure's complete player pool and picks for FanDuel and DraftKings, and cash in big on MLB DFS.
