Shohei Ohtani has forced others to re-think how they view baseball players over the last few seasons. The Angels two-way superstar is unlike anything baseball has seen since Babe Ruth with his ability to dominate on a mound and the batter's box. Well, one of those will be taken away for the rest of the 2023 MLB season after an MRI revealed a torn UCL for Ohtani. But Ohtani, who leads baseball with 44 home runs, reportedly plans to continue to hit this season and he will remain one of the top options in the MLB DFS player pool. How this limits Ohtani's long-term status as a two-way player and his next contract following the end of the 2023 MLB season remains to be seen.
As long as he has a bat in hand, Ohtani is one daily Fantasy baseball players must always factor into their MLB DFS picks on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings. Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper played the majority of the 2022 season with a torn UCL and it significantly hindered his power. Will Ohtani be able to perform the rest of this season as he did prior to Wednesday? That needs to be factored into MLB DFS strategies. 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 highlighted White Sox outfielder Luis Robert as one of his top picks in his MLB DFS player pool on both sites. The result: Robert went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run, returning 16 points on DraftKings and 22.2 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 rolling on, McClure has locked in his top MLB daily Fantasy picks for Friday, August 25. 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 Dodgers OF/2B/SS Mookie Betts ($6,500 on DraftKings and $4,500 on FanDuel). Betts went 2-for-3 with a walk, RBI and a run scored in Thursday's regularly scheduled game and finished off a 5-for-5 performance with a double, two RBI and a run scored in a suspended game from Wednesday that was continued on Thursday. The seven-time All-Star is tearing up opposing pitching lately as he enters Friday on a 12-game hitting streak and has at least one hit in 27 of his last 28 games.
Betts is hitting .463 with seven home runs, 21 RBI and 24 runs scored in 21 games in August. His MLB DFS versatility adds another appealing component to his DFS value as daily Fantasy baseball players can use him where he best fills their lineups. He offers production few middle infielders can match for those able to budget to utilize his ability there. Betts has at least one RBI in five of his last six games and the 30-year-old is hitting .310 with 34 home runs, 89 RBI and a 1.009 OPS, ranking in the top 10 in baseball in each category.
McClure's optimal MLB DFS strategy includes rostering Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman ($5,400 on DraftKings and $3,000 on FanDuel). The 25-year-old enters Friday on a four-game hitting streak with three multi-hit efforts during that span, including going 3-for-4 with a run scored on Thursday. Rutschman is hitting .448 with a 1.067 OPS with three doubles and eight runs scored over his last seven games.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft has already turned himself into one of the best catchers in the sport in just his second season. He ranks in the top six at his position in doubles (22), home runs (16), RBI (61) and leads all catchers in runs scored (67) and total bases (202). His .277 batting average tops all catchers that have played in at least 100 games and he's been a featured part of an Orioles team with the best record in the American League and second-best mark in baseball. Baltimore has averaged 7.5 runs per game over their last five games and begins a three-game series against the Rockies, who have allowed the second-most runs in baseball (739), on Friday. See who else to pick right here.
How to set your MLB DFS lineups for August 25, 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.
