MLB DFS Picks Today: Daily Fantasy Baseball Strategy and Tips For FanDuel, DraftKings (9/19/25)

Zach's top DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks for today, Friday, 9/19/25. His favorite daily fantasy baseball lineup sleepers and value picks for DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Welcome Back, RotoBallers! Just over a week remains in the Major League Baseball regular season, so there are only a few giant slates like Friday night's left before the offseason. With 12 games on Friday night under the lights, storylines and drama of some kind can be found in just about every matchup. Some teams are chasing playoff spots, while others are looking forward to next season, trying to decide which players will be a part of their future plans.

Overall, the weather looks pretty solid for this Friday's slate, but there could be some issues in the Midwest with the Padres-White Sox and Guardians-Twins matchups possibly having to deal with a delay. Be sure to check back before game time for the latest forecast and to be sure the players you picked are in the batting order where you expected them to be.

This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 9/19/2025, with the slate starting at 7:05 PM EST. The lineup picks will showcase elite players, 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.

DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Garrett Crochet, SP - BOS ($10.5K DK/$11K FD)

The Red Sox are currently in the third and final AL Wild Card spot, one game behind the Astros and just 1.5 games ahead of the charging Cleveland Guardians. Boston will need a big finish to lock up a playoff start, and they'll send their Ace to the mound to start their series in Tampa on Friday night. Crochet has been excellent in his first year with the Red Sox, and he's the top option on the board this Friday, especially with so much on the line.

This year, Crochet has gone 16-5 with a 2.63 ERA and 2.86 FIP. He leads the majors with 240 strikeouts, and he has produced an average of 24.8 DraftKings points and 43.4 FanDuel points per game. He has never pitched this many innings in his career, but has shown no signs of slowing down, posting over 25 DraftKings points and 45 FanDuel points in four of his last six games, including each of his last two starts against the Athletics in Sacramento and the Yankees at Fenway.

Garrett Crochet Is our freaking ace 12 Ks tonight was just beautiful to watch pic.twitter.com/9A2o4uozhQ

— Lucasparmenter23 (@Lucasparmenter0) September 15, 2025

Crochet faced the Rays one time this season and threw a complete-game shutout with nine strikeouts and just three hits allowed. He catches them at a good time for this rematch, since over the last two weeks, only the Pirates have scored fewer runs. The Rays are hitting only .235 as a team with a .302 wOBA over those two weeks and averaging under three runs per contest. Crochet has the potential to post another dominant outing on Friday and is worth paying up for if you have the salary available.

Brandon Sproat, SP - NYM ($7.8K DK/$9.2K FD)

The Mets are in the third and final NL Wild Card spot as they open a home series against the Nationals. They have a two-game lead over the Reds and Diamondbacks and a three-game cushion over the Giants with nine games left in their season. They'll roll out another promising young arm on Friday in a matchup of two excellent young NL East prospects.

Sproat will be making his third start in the majors after his promotion early this month. He went six innings in his debut against the Reds, allowing three runs on three hits with four walks and seven strikeouts. He was much more efficient in his second outing, throwing six shutout innings against the Rangers with no walks and three strikeouts. In Triple-A, Sproat went 8-6 with a 4.24 ERA overall, but he was much more effective in his last 10 starts for Syracuse, going 5-1 with a 2.44 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 59 innings.

The Nationals should be a favorable spot for Sproat since they rank in the top 10 in K% and the bottom 10 in wRC+ over the last two weeks. Washington does have a few big bats, but Sproat brings lots of upside for a value pitcher on this slate. He is still seeking his first win in the majors and should have a good shot at earning it with another strong outing Friday.

Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):

• Trevor Rogers, SP - BAL ($8.9 DK/$10.5K FD)
• Clayton Kershaw, SP - LAD ($7K DK/$8.3K FD)
• Andrew Alvarez, SP - WSH ($6K DK/$7.8K FD)

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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Jose Ramirez, 3B  - CLE ($5.6K DK/$3.9K FD)

The Guardians are surging to the finish and have won seven straight after finishing off their sweep of the Tigers on Thursday. They have won 12 of their last 13 and are just 3.5 games back of Detroit. Ramirez has been the heart of Cleveland's offense all season and is hitting .281 with 28 homers and 39 stolen bases. His dual-threat production gives him a high ceiling in any matchup, and he's able to post big games in different ways.

José Ramírez gives the @CleGuardians the lead! pic.twitter.com/gFjpy9SC00

— MLB (@MLB) September 18, 2025

He had two hits, including that home run, on Thursday, and he has had success in the past against Twins' starter Pablo Lopez, going 9-for-22 (.409) in their previous meetings with a pair of doubles. Ramirez has smashed the Twins all season, going 13-for-36 (.361) in his nine games against Minnesota this year with two homers, three stolen bases, and an average of 11.8 DraftKings points per game.

Geraldo Perdomo, SS  - ARI ($4.9K DK/$3.9K FD)

Perdomo has emerged as a great option at the top of the Diamondbacks' lineup and helped his team stay squarely in the playoff race even though they sold off so many pieces at the trade deadline. Perdomo's breakout season has helped him jump from the bottom of the order to the leadoff spot, and he's hitting .289 with a .371 wOBA on the season, along with 19 homers and 26 stolen bases. His previous career-bests were a .272 batting average, a .319 wOBA, and just six home runs, so this season has definitely been a huge step forward for the 25-year-old.

He comes into the Snakes' series against the Phillies riding an eight-game hitting streak, and during that span, he is 12-for-27 (.444) with two doubles, a triple, two home runs, and two stolen bases. He's in a good matchup against Taijuan Walker and should be able to keep rolling for Arizona, and like Ramirez, his dual-threat ability gives him multiple paths to success.

Coby Mayo, 1B on DK, 1B/3B on FD - BAL ($2.6K DK/$2.4K FD)

Mayo has been one of the Orioles' top prospects for a while, but whenever he has been given a shot in the majors, he has struggled badly. He may be starting to figure things out, though, and has had much better at-bats and results in September. He has immense upside at just 23, but he hasn't been able to consistently produce in the majors. Last year, he hit 25 homers in just 93 minor league games while hitting .293 with a .413 wOBA. This year, his numbers were down at Triple-A, and he has only hit .203 in his 75 games in the majors, although he does have nine homers.

His season-long numbers are not exciting, but he has hit safely in six of his last seven games, going 9-for-23 (.391) with a pair of homers and a 20% barrel rate. He and the Orioles will try to play spoiler against the Yankees this weekend and have a good matchup against Will Warren on Friday night. I'm not sure I'm ready to buy all the way in on Mayo long-term just yet, but his last week has been good enough to make him a good bargain play on Friday.

Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):

• Ketel Marte, 2B - ARI ($5.4K DK/$3.8K FD)
• Jose Caballero, SS on DK, 2B/3B/SS/OF on FD - NYY ($4.3K DK/$2.8K FD)
• Luis Rengifo, 2B/3B on DK, 2B/3B/SS on FD - LAA ($3.8K DK/$3K FD)
• Christian Moore, 2B - LAA ($3.9K DK/$3K FD)
• Thomas Saggese, 2B/SS on DK, 2B/3B/SS on FD - STL ($2.6K DK/$2.4K FD)

DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Corbin Carroll, OF - ARI ($5.9K DK/$4.2K FD)

Carroll is just one stolen base from a 30/30 season and is hitting .258 with a .372 wOBA to go with his career-high 30 homers and 78 RBI. He missed time with an injury but has still posted outstanding numbers when available, and he's a good play as the D-backs come home to take on Walker and the Phils.

In his last 30 games, Carroll is hitting .297 with eight doubles, three triples, four homers, 15 stolen bases, and a .395 wOBA. That production is backed up by a 51.8% hard-hit rate and an average exit velocity of over 92 miles per hour over that stretch. He's been an extra-base hit machine this season, and his power and speed make him a strong play to build around Friday night.

Players with 30 doubles, 15 triples and 30 homers in a season since 1947:

- Corbin Carroll, 2025
- Jimmy Rollins, 2007
- Stan Musial, 1948 pic.twitter.com/5cIWej79IN

— MLB (@MLB) September 16, 2025

Jackson Merrill, SD ($4.2K DK/$3.2K FD)

Keep an eye on the weather, but if the Padres get to face the White Sox on Friday night, Merrill is a great mid-range option to target. He has been limited by injuries much of the year, but he has been heating up in the last few weeks and brings a high ceiling against Davis Martin, who has struggled against lefties, giving up 12 homers and a .338 wOBA to them in the splits.

Merrill is 15-for-48 (.313) over his last 12 games with three doubles, two triples, five home runs, 10 runs scored, and 10 RBI. He has a 60.6% hard-hit rate and 27.3% barrel rate in those games, a dramatic improvement on his season-long numbers, which were just a 40% hard-hit rate and 11.1% barrel rate before his hot streak.

Robert Hassell III, WAS ($2.8K DK/$2.4K FD)

Hassell is my top bargain outfielder, and he has been getting regular playing time in September when the Nats face a righty like Tyler Mahle, who they'll go up against on Friday in Arlington. Hassell hit .310 with 10 homers and 16 stolen bases in 76 Triple-A games this year, while bouncing back and forth to the majors a few times as well. In his 62 games in the majors, the lefty is hitting .233 with three homers and four stolen bases.

Hassell has gone 8-for-30 (.267) in his last 10 games with a plate appearance with a double, a home run, and two stolen bases. He's a solid play with good potential under $3,000 on both sites if you opt to go cheap with a roster spot to allow you to spend up in other spots.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• George Springer, OF - TOR ($5.5K DK/$3.8K FD)
• Jo Adell, OF - LAA ($4.9K DK/$3.6K FD)
• Teoscar Hernandez, OF - LAD ($4.2K DK/$3.6K FD)
• Tyler Freeman, 2B/OF - COL ($4K DK/$3.2K FD)
• Zach Cole, OF - HOU ($2.2K DK/$2.2K FD)

DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks

1. Los Angeles Angels (Implied Run Total - 6.3) vs Bradley Blalock

The Coors Field effect is definitely in play for the Angels this Friday, and they're a strong stack to consider against Blalock, who has gon 1-5 in his 12 games in the majors with a 9.00 ERA and 7.23 FIP. Lefties have eight homers and a .436 wOBA against him, and he has allowed 34 runs and seven home runs in just 24 1/3 innings at Coors this year. The Angels have an interesting mix of youngsters and veterans in their lineup right now, but they're all worth a look in such a great spot.

Favorite Combo: Rengifo, Adell, Mike Trout, Moore, Denzer Guzman

2. Arizona Diamondbacks (Implied Run Total - 4.9) vs Taijuan Walker

The Diamondbacks have been so resilient this season that it's hard not to hope they can squeak into the playoffs. This three-game series against the Phillies will be tough, but since the Phillies clinched, they may focus more on rest and getting their pitching lined up for the postseason. Walker has given up at least four runs in four straight games, surrendering 17 runs on 32 hits in just 20 innings over those four outings.

Favorite Combo: Perdomo, Marte, Carroll, Blaze Alexander, Tim Tawa

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