Fantasy Baseball Value Picks Today: Top DraftKings MLB DFS Bargains for July 5

After a busy day of baseball to celebrate the Fourth of July, MLB returns to the field this Friday with a 12-game main DFS schedule on DraftKings. Action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET when the Red Sox visit the Yankees in one of three divisional games. The other two divisional games are in the National League, with the Phillies visiting the Braves and the Padres hosting the Diamondbacks. Other particularly important games for fantasy baseball include the Twins facing off against Astros in a key AL Wild Card matchup and the Royals heading to Denver to face the Rockies at Coors Field.

With 24 teams in the player pool, there are many strategies to consider when building your fantasy baseball roster. If your plan doesn’t give you enough salary cap room, check out the three players discussed below that can help you offset your expenses. A great way to get players on a reduced salary is to target young players with shorter track records. For this Friday, three rookies stand out as bargains that offer good upside at low salaries.

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Thorpe was traded twice last season, once as part of the package for Juan Soto ($6,200) and later in the offseason for Dylan Cease. After arriving in the White Sox system, the 23-year-old right-hander dominated in Double-A, going 7-1 with a 1.35 ERA, 3.00 FIP and 56 strikeouts in 60 innings. He was called up to the major leagues four starts ago and has put together three strong appearances, save for a rough outing against Arizona. He went exactly six innings and picked up a win in each of his last two starts, allowing just two hits in each game. After posting 23.9 DKFP against the Tigers in his best fantasy start, Thorpe posted 19.7 DKFP in his most recent appearance at home against the Rockies. He should be in good position to post his third straight strong outing on Friday night when he faces the Marlins in Miami. The Marlins have scored the second fewest runs in MLB this season and have the lowest team wOBA at just .276 with an MLB-worst wRC+ of 77. The offense hasn’t been trending in the right direction either, with just a wRC+ of 67 over the last 30 days and an average of just 3.0 runs per game.

Malloy has just a .197 batting average in his 25 games in the MLB, which is why his salary is so low, but the 24-year-old is showing signs of being ready to reach his potential. In his last four games, he’s batted 6-for-14 (.429) with two home runs, a stolen base and a 12.8 DKFP per game average. Malloy showed promise in the minors last year, batting .277 with 23 home runs and a .402 wOBA in 135 games in Triple-A, and this season he’s batting .253 with a .396 wOBA in 45 games before being called up. On Friday, Malloy will face the Reds’ rookie SP Carson Spires ($6,700) in a matchup that should prove to be favorable. As the weather warms up, Great American Ballpark becomes more hitter-friendly, so getting an up-and-coming young power hitter for just $2,500 is a great deal.

Thorpe and Malloy have been in the MLB for a long time, unlike Lee, who only joined the Twins midweek. The 23-year-old was rated the No. 2 prospect in the Twins’ system and the No. 13 prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline, and the Twins are taking a look at him while Royce Lewis (groin) is back on the IL. Lee earned his call-up by posting a .329 batting average with seven home runs and a .439 wOBA in 20 games at Triple-A. In his first two games in the MLB, Lee didn’t seem overwhelmed at all, going 2-for-4 with 8.0 DKFP in his debut and 1-for-2 with a walk and 7.0 DKFP on Thursday. Lee has very high potential both long-term and short-term and is a bargain at the minimum salary with plenty of upside against the Astros, who are looking for a bullpen game with Shawn Dubin ($5,500) as an opener.

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and sometimes play the games I advise on using my personal account. While I have expressed my personal opinion on the games and strategies mentioned above, they do not necessarily reflect the opinion(s) of DraftKings. and do not represent a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All clients should use their own skills and judgment in assembling their own positions. I may use different players and strategies than those I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to non-public information.