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Zach's top DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks for today, Tuesday, 4/17/25. His favorite daily fantasy baseball lineup sleepers and value picks for DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.
On Thursday, Major League Baseball has 10 games scheduled, spread throughout the afternoon and evening. Both DraftKings and FanDuel have a split slate, with early contests focused on the four afternoon games, followed by later contests that include the five games starting at 6:35 p.m. ET or later. FanDuel also offers its typical All Day slate, which combines the two slates.
For this post, we'll focus on the 10 teams taking the field under the lights. The five evening matchups include three divisional matchups, so there will be some definite familiarity with opposing teams. The weather looks clear and relatively warm for this time of year. It's a nice medium-sized slate of games with some intriguing pitching matchups, so it should be a great night of DFS fantasy baseball, however you choose to get involved.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/17/2025, with the slate starting at 6:35 p.m. EDT. The lineup picks will showcase elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is always essential.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Taj Bradley, TB ($9K DK/$10K FD)
Even though he's facing the Yankees, Bradley brings the highest ceiling of the options on the board this Thursday. He had seven strikeouts in each of his three starts this season, picking up wins at home against the Rockies and the Braves.
Taj Bradley Tonight:
6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 93 Pitches
11 Whiffs
25% Whiff%
25 CSW%Bradley effectively limited hard contact (85.8 MPH) and his Fastball was on full display tonight topping 98.9 MPH and generating a 32% whiff%. He looked very very impressive! pic.twitter.com/Que6VQijcb
— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) April 12, 2025
Bradley has a 3.71 ERA and 3.30 FIP with 21 strikeouts and just six walks in his 17 innings. His strikeout projections are much higher than the rest of the options in play for tonight's slate.
The Yankees have scored a lot of runs and lead the league in wOBA, but they also have a top-6 strikeout rate and have struggled more on the road than at home. Even if they do get a few runs off Bradley, his strikeout potential should help cover for that enough to make him the most reliable option on the board and also give him the highest ceiling if he looks as sharp as he did last time out against the Braves.
Reese Olson, DET ($7.3K DK/$7.7K FD)
The Royals just dropped three in a row to the Yankees and are 1-5 on their current road trip, which continues with a four-game series this weekend in Detroit. The weather in the Motor City should favor the pitchers with the wind blowing in at about 10 mph.
Olson was strong in his one home start this season, earning a win with six strong IP against the White Sox, allowing two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts to earn 17.5 DraftKings points and 37 FanDuel points. Olson struggled in his two road starts against the Twins and Dodgers, giving up four runs in each outing.
In this matchup, though, he should have a good chance to bounce back as a good value play. He'll be in a favorable environment in a good matchup since the Royals have the lowest wOBA in the MLB and the third-lowest batting average in the MLB, ahead of only the Pirates and White Sox.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Tanner Bibee, DET ($7.9K DK/$7.5K FD)
- Griffin Canning, NYM ($7.4K DK/$7.1K FD)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Corey Seager, TEX ($4.8K DK/$3K FD)
The Rangers finish their home series against the Angels by taking on Jack Kochanowicz, who allowed six runs in four 2/3 IP against the Astros in his last outing and has a 5.74 ERA, 5.50 FIP, and 1.34 WHIP that makes him a good option to attack this Thursday night.
Seager has been rolling lately, and is coming off a three-hit, two-RBI night on Wednesday against the Angels.
Corey Seager added 3 hits tonight and has a team-high 6 multi-hit games, including 5 in his last 7 games.
— Jared Sandler (@JaredSandler) April 17, 2025
In his last seven games, the lefty is 12-for-28 (.429) with a double, two home runs, a .497 wOBA, and a 53.8 percent hard-hit rate. He has caught a barrel in five of his last seven games, according to Statcast, and he's a great way to get elite upside without paying for the top of a stacked shortstop spot.
Seager is on the strong side of the splits against Kochanowicz as well. All three of the homers he has allowed this season have been to left-handed hitters, who have a .337 wOBA against him so far this season.
Jonathan Aranda, TB ($4.3K DK/$3K FD)
Another lefty swinging a hot stick to build around this Thursday is Rays' breakout 1B Jonathan Aranda. After injuries delayed his arrival in Tampa, the 26-year-old had been excellent to start the season, hitting .396 with three home runs, 11 RBI, and a .503 wOBA.
Of his 19 hits, 10 have gone for extra bases, and he has a 59.0 percent hard-hit rate, according to Statcast. Since lefties have a .342 wOBA against Yankees starter Will Warren this season, Aranda is in a good spot to help the Rays bounce back after being shut out by the Red Sox on Wednesday.
Gabriel Arias, CLE ($3.3K DK/$2.6K FD)
Arias went just 7-for-35 (.200) to start the season, but over the last week, he has picked up the pace with three home runs and three multi-hit games in his last five contests. In those five games, he went 8-for-17 (.471) with three homers, five runs scored, and six RBI.
He'll ride that heater into this weekend's series against the Orioles, and the Guardians have a solid matchup against Tomoyuki Sugano, who has allowed lots of traffic on the bases and plenty of hard contact in his first few starts of the season.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Ben Rice, NYY ($4.1K DK/$3.4K FD)
- Josh Smith, TEX ($3.5K DK/$2.8K FD)
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Mike Trout, LAA ($5.9K DK/$4K FD)
Trout's DraftKings price has risen to the elite level of outfield bats, but his FanDuel salary remains relatively affordable. He has had a quiet series in Texas so far, but he did add his second stolen base of the season on Tuesday night. Even though he's only hitting .190, he has six home runs and a 45.8 percent hard-hit rate.
His xwOBA and xBA are much higher than his wOBA and average, so he should be due for some positive regression based on his contact metrics. Trout and the Angels face rookie Kumar Rocker in the series finale. Rocker has shown potential but also been inconsistent in the early going this season.
Lars Nootbaar, STL ($4.6K DK/$3.4K FD)
Nootbaar is off to a great start to the season and has thrived out of the leadoff spot for St. Louis. He has shown some good power potential and smashed his third home run of the season on Wednesday afternoon against the Astros.
After Victor Scott (bunt single) and Thomas Saggese (bloop single) set the table, #STLCards LF Lars Nootbaar smashed a hanging curveball 418 feet for a three-run HR for a 3-1 lead. The blast left Nootbaar's bat at 108.4 mph, per Statcast. pic.twitter.com/87RCJV6nKB
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) April 16, 2025
That home run helped boost his wOBA to .392 on the season with three doubles, three home runs, and a pair of stolen bases to go with his .284 batting average. Nootbaar has been a "if only he could stay healthy" player for the last few years, but this year, he looks ready to deliver on that potential and has multiple ways he can contribute to your DFS lineup on Thursday.
The Cardinals will be on the road this weekend in New York, taking on the Mets, starting with Griffin Canning on Thursday.
Heston Kjerstad, BAL ($3.3K DK/$2.4K FD)
There aren't many bargain outfielders on the slate this Thursday night, but Kjerstad is one of the cheaper options that deserves consideration based on his power potential. The 26-year-old lefty is 9-for-42 (.220) and has just one home run in his 15 games this season, but the good news is that he's healthy and getting regular at-bats against right-handed pitchers.
Kjerstad has been an elite minor league hitter the last few seasons and is settling in at the MLB level this year. He has a 51.6 percent hard-hit rate and 12.9 percent barrel rate, according to Statcast, and his xwOBA and xBA show he should have more positive results on the horizon.
He has hit safely in each of his last three starts, going 3-for-11 with a home run, a double, and a two-RBI single in those three contests.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Aaron Judge, NYY ($6.5K DK/$4.6K FD)
- Jorge Soler, LAA ($4.3K DK/$3.1K FD)
- Joc Pederson, TEX ($3.3K DK/$2.5K FD)
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
1. Rangers vs. Jack Kochanowicz
- Favorite Plays: Corey Seager, Josh Smith, Adolis Garcia
2. Rays vs. Will Warren
- Favorite Plays: Brandon Lowe, Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero
3. Guardians vs. Tomoyuki Sugano
- Favorite Plays: Jose Ramirez, Kyle Manzardo, Gabriel Arias
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