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Zach's top DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks for today, Thursday, 9/5/25. His favorite daily fantasy baseball lineup sleepers and value picks for DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Welcome back, RotoBallers! On Friday night, Major League Baseball has 11 games lined up for the main slate after four early games led by an afternoon matinee at Wrigley Field. The 22 teams that start their game after 7:00 p.m. ET provide a very solid player pool loaded with good fantasy baseball options. Both DraftKings and FanDuel have plenty of big prizes in play, so let's take a look at what to expect from the 11-game slate, which is set to start the weekend off right.
The weather looks cooperative overall, with a few potential showers but nothing very ominous coming into the day. Chris Sale and Logan Gilbert go head-to-head in Atlanta in one of the best pitching matchups of the day, while the big bats should be ready to go in Colorado at Coors Field, where the Padres start their series against the Rockies by taking on Kyle Freeland, who is on short rest after his early departure on Tuesday. Freeland is just one matchup to attack on Friday night, though, since there should be several good places to find offense based on matchups and current form. Let's dive into this huge slate and pick out some top options from across the salary spectrum.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 9/5/2025, with the slate starting at 7:05 P.M. 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.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Chris Sale, ATL vs. SEA ($10.5K DK/$10.4K FD)
In the Braves' disappointing season that has been impacted by multiple big injuries, Sale missed over two months with a fractured ribcage. He returned last Saturday and continued his dominant performances when available. He only needed 78 pitches to get through six strong innings against the Phillies, allowing one run on three hits and racking up nine strikeouts. He has been outstanding when available this season, posting a 2.45 ERA, 2.72 FIP, and 123 strikeouts in 95 1/3 innings.
Sale's average per-start numbers are very similar to last year's Cy Young campaign, but the huge difference is that he's been limited to 16 starts after making 29 appearances last year. He comes into his 17th start of the season on a run of 12 straight games allowing two earned runs or fewer, and he has at least eight strikeouts in nine of those 12 starts.
He hasn't faced the Mariners this season, but Seattle was just swept by the Rays and is 1-5 on its current road trip. The Mariners have the third-lowest team batting average and the fourth-highest strikeout rate in the majors over the last month. They also have the third-highest strikeout rate against lefties this season, so Sale has an extremely high ceiling with loads of punchout potential this Friday.
Welcome Back Chris Sale!
3Ks in the 1st...including a literal back foot Slider. 🙂 pic.twitter.com/OYo9kWP4PV
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 30, 2025
Ian Seymour, TB vs. CLE ($7.8K DK/$7.4K FD)
Seymour has been very impressive this season for the Rays, and the young lefty will be the team's bulk reliever on Friday after Griffin Jax serves as the opener against Cleveland. The Rays have won seven straight and are now just two games back of the Mariners in a tight race for the final AL Wild Card spot. The 26-year-old has worked his way back from Tommy John surgery and posted very strong numbers the last two years in the minors.
He produced a 2.62 ERA, 3.47 FIP, 1.14 WHIP, and 104 strikeouts in 86 innings at Durham and has a similar 2.97 ERA, 2.78 FIP, 1.02 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings in the majors. He started his last two games after working out of the bullpen and earned back-to-back wins. He also faced the Guardians in the first of those two starts, racking up eight strikeouts in five shutout innings and earning 30.05 DraftKings points and 45 FanDuel points.
Working after the opener could actually be to Seymour's advantage since he won't have the five-inning minimum to qualify for the win. His strikeout ceiling makes him a great value play on the mound, especially against the struggling Guardians, who have hit only .199 as a team over the last month, averaging a league-low 3.6 runs per game.
Others To Consider:
- Cristopher Sanchez, PHI ($9.7K DK/$10.2K FD)
- Payton Tolle, BOS ($8.3K DK/$9.3K FD)
- Jose Soriano, LAA ($7.1K DK/$8.2K FD)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Junior Caminero, 3B - TB ($5.7K DK/$3.8K FD)
Caminero will be a key part of the Rays' lineup backing Seymour this Friday, and continues to be a great option at the hot corner. The 22-year-old has been excellent all season, and he's especially enjoyed hitting at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Caminero is hitting .327 with a .417 wOBA and 167 wRC+ at home this year, including 21 of his 40 homers.
He is 9-for-17 (.529) in the four games on this current homestand, and he is hitting an even .300 with 13 homers and a .420 wOBA in his 30 games since August 1. He and the Rays will look to keep rolling against the Guardians and Gavin Williams on Friday.
Zach Neto, SS - LAA ($4.3K DK/$3.4K FD)
Neto had a quiet series in Kansas City, but he's extremely affordable coming home for what should be a great matchup for him and the Angels against Mason Barnett (more below). Neto got a late start to the season but has already set a career-high with 25 homers and also has 24 stolen bases in his 121 games. He's hitting .261 with a .342 wOBA, which would also be new career-highs for the 24-year-old.
Over his last 10 games, he has four homers, a 50% hard-hit rate, and a 25% barrel rate. Since he's hitting in the leadoff spot atop what should be a productive lineup, getting him at this salary makes him a key option to build around Friday night. He'll be on the strong side of his splits at home and against a righty.
Jordan Lawlar, 2B/3B on DK, 2B/3B/SS on FD - ARI ($2K DK/$2.2K FD)
After going a brutal 0-for-36 in the majors, the Diamondbacks' top prospect finally broke through on Tuesday with a double and a single against the Rangers.
Things that are awesome:
This Jordan Lawlar double 🥹 pic.twitter.com/kaOZGxb6ck
— Reno Aces (@Aces) September 3, 2025
The Reno Aces were celebrating since Lawlar was very productive in his 63 games for them at Triple-A this season, hitting .313 with 11 homers, 20 stolen bases, and a .420 wOBA. Now that he's gotten the monkey off his back with his first hits of the season, he'll look to build on that momentum this weekend against the Red Sox. He comes at the lowest possible salary on DraftKings and barely more than that on FanDuel, where he has extra positional eligibility as well.
Despite his struggles before Tuesday, Lawlar still has plenty of long-term potential and is still just 23. The Dbacks would be smart to give him a long look the rest of the season to figure out where he fits into their future plans. As a bargain basement play on Friday, he offers a very high ceiling.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Bryce Harper, 1B - PHI ($5.6K DK/$3.9K FD)
- Bobby Witt Jr., SS - KC ($5.7K DK/$3.9K FD)
- Alex Bregman, 3B - BOS ($5.2K DK/$3.5K FD)
- Luis Rengifo, 2B/3B on DK, 2B/SS/3B on FD - LAA ($3.1K DK/$2.4K FD)
- Nick Sogard, 1B/2B on DK, 2B/SS/3B on FD ($2.2K DK/$2.1K FD)
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Byron Buxton, OF - MIN ($5.9K DK/$4.3K FD)
Buxton and the Twins are in Kansas City this weekend, trying to play spoiler to their division foes in the Wild Card race. Buxton comes into the series with a seven-game hitting streak, and during that run of success, he's 10-for-29 (.345), and nine of those 10 hits have been extra-base hits. He has three doubles, two triples, four homers, and a .541 wOBA over that short span.
Buxton typically hits leadoff and should be atop the order against veteran Michael Wacha on Friday. Wacha has allowed multiple runs in five straight starts, giving up a total of 13 runs in 28 innings. The Twins have faced him twice this season and scored six runs in 10 1/3 innings.
Ramon Laureano, OF - SD ($5.3K DK/$3.5K FD)
Laureano and the Padres get to visit Coors Field this weekend, and they'll start off with a matchup against lefty Kyle Freeland. Laureano has been excellent since joining the Padres at the trade deadline. He just had a great series against his former team, the Orioles, collecting multiple hits in each of his last two games and making a spectacular catch on Wednesday.
Get up, Ramón!
Ramón Laureano robs a home run from his former team 🤯 pic.twitter.com/p9tpXxGRGZ
— MLB (@MLB) September 3, 2025
Laureano is hitting .322 in his 31 games with the Friars with four doubles, seven home runs, 24 RBI, and even two stolen bases. His .405 wOBA and 51.1% hard-hit rate have helped him lock down a corner outfield spot for the Padres, and he'll be a great play Friday as a standalone play or as part of a Padres stack in Denver.
Nate Eaton, 3B/OF on DK, OF on FD - BOS ($2.4K DK/$2.2K FD)
Eaton is expected to hit leadoff for the Red Sox against lefty Eduardo Rodriguez in Arizona, making him an outstanding bargain play on Friday. He picked up a hit in each of his last three starts this month, going 5-for-8 (.625) with a pair of runs scored. With Romany Anthony (oblique) and Wilyer Abreu (calf) out for a while, Eaton and Rob Refysnyder should get regular playing time against lefties.
Eaton hit .290 in Worcester this season with 12 homers, 15 stolen bases, and a 39.4% hard-hit rate. He has both power and speed potential, and he's a great bargain option in the outfield if he's hitting atop the order off against Rodriguez.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Kyle Schwarber, OF - PHI ($6.3K DK/$4.5K FD)
- Fernando Tatis Jr., OF - SD ($6.2K DK/$4K FD)
- Yordan Alvarez, OF - HOU ($4.4K DK/$3.6K FD)
- Jo Adell, OF - LAA ($4.1K DK/$2.9K FD)
- Jeremiah Jackson, 3B/OF on DK, SS on FD - BAL ($3.2K DK/$3K FD)
- Joc Pederson, OF on DK, 1B/OF on FD - TEX ($2.7K DK/$2.8K FD)
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
1. San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies (Kyle Freeland)
The Padres get the added boost of playing at elevation in addition to facing Freeland on short rest. On the season, Freeland is 3-14 with a 5.41 ERA and 4.63 FIP. At home, though, his ERA is 6.71, and he has allowed 12 runs in 15 innings in his last four outings. Righties have a .405 wOBA against him at Coors Field. Tatis is 7-for-27 (.259) against him with a home run in their past meetings, while Manny Machado is 17-for-51 (.333) but does not have a homer against him.
Favorite Combo: Laureano, Tatis, Machado, Jose Iglesias, Freddy Fermin
2. Los Angeles Angels vs. Athletics (Mason Barnett)
Barnett went four innings and allowed five runs on eight hits in his major league debut last Saturday. He had a 5.83 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and a 5.53 FIP in Triple-A but was pressed into action in the Athletics' rotation due to multiple injuries. The Angels still have a high strikeout rate, but they went 4-2 in their last six games and have a few hitters heating up, as they come home to this favorable matchup.
Favorite Combo: Neto, Rengifo, Adell, Yoan Moncada
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