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Thunder Dan's top DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks for today, Friday, 4/18/25. His favorite daily fantasy baseball lineup sleepers and value picks for DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Even with a few early starts not included on tonight's main slate, we still have a massive 11-game slate on both FanDuel and DraftKings tonight. Big slates can often feel overwhelming to tackle when trying to build DFS lineups, but I'm here to help by giving you some places to start when it comes to which pitchers, hitters, and stacks you should consider.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 4/18/2025, with the slate starting at 7:05 p.m. EDT. The lineup picks will range from some 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. Now let's get to the picks!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Yoshinobu Yamamoto at TEX ($10.2K DraftKings; $11K FanDuel)
Some of you may not want to pay up for the top-priced pitcher on such a big slate, and I get it. But it's hard to advocate for any pitcher on tonight's slate over Yoshi in cash games.
Not only is he racking up strikeouts, he's been great when it comes to run prevention, too. He has impressive numbers across the board and is generating plenty of weak contact.
MLB Pitchers with a GB% over 50% and K% over 35%:
- Clay Holmes
- Carlos Rodon
- Logan Gilbert
- Yoshinobu YamamotoYamamoto is solidifying himself as a true ace, and could be a real Cy Young contender, while Holmes is making a good impression by being on here. pic.twitter.com/iCRLmrfJEV
— LouisAnalysis (@LouisAnalysis) April 15, 2025
His numbers right now remind me of what his mound opponent (Jacob deGrom) used to do in his prime. High strikeout rates with a high groundball rate and above-average control. Texas finally got some runs last night, but their offense ranks mediocre at best against RHP this season.
MacKenzie Gore at COL ($7.8K DraftKings; $9.2K FanDuel)
Use a pitcher at Coors Field? Sure, why not! While park factors should be weighed heavily in our decision-making, I am not someone who has ever shied away from using good pitchers in good hitting environments.
Gore checks in with some of the best metrics on the slate through his first handful of starts and arguably has the best matchup of any pitcher on the board, as the Rockies have been simply awful offensively to start the year.
There should be strikeouts here as Colorado is whiffing 29 percent of the time against LHP this season. Those strikeouts give him a solid floor for DFS and help negate any damage he might surrender on the scoreboard. And the venue will likely suppress his rostership in tournaments, too.
DraftKings Special: Ryan Gusto vs. SDP ($7.2K)
I don't think too many folks are familiar with Gusto, who made his first start of the season last week after beginning the year in the bullpen. His overall numbers are impressive, as he boasts a 32 percent K percentage, a 15.8 percent SwStr percentage, and a relatively low 74.6 Z-Contact percentage.
He finished four innings last time out on 72 pitches and struck out six. He should have a longer leash today, and despite the tough matchup against the Padres, I think he has sneaky upside here for GPPs at minimal rostership.
Also consider: Tyler Anderson vs. SFG, Drew Rasmussen vs. NYY, J.T. Ginn at MIL
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Ozzie Albies - 2B, ATL vs. Chris Paddack ($4.5K DK; $3.2K FD)
Chris Paddack stands out as a pitcher I want to target tonight with an abysmal 5.53 SIERA and a high 13 percent BB percentage, even with an Atlanta offense that has underperformed. Albies has been turning it on at the plate with three home runs in his last five games.
Ozzie Albies - Atlanta Braves (4) pic.twitter.com/MT1uzhzlb5
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) April 16, 2025
Second base is always a tough position to find power, and I like Albies' potential to keep his power surge going in this spot.
Junior Caminero – 3B, TBR vs. Carlos Rodon ($4.2K DK; $3K FD)
Don't look now, but the Tampa youngster is heating up with four home runs in the last six games. I love attacking Rodon with home run hitters, and this ballpark in Tampa is not going to do Rodon any favors with keeping the ball in the yard.
Caminero is on the right side of his splits here, facing the lefty Rodon, and is priced very affordably on both sites. Toss him in a sneaky Tampa stack or roll him out as a one-off with solid home run potential.
Ryan Mountcastle – 1B, BAL vs. Andrew Abbott ($3.9K DK; $2.7K FD)
If there's one thing that Mountcastle does well, it's destroy lefties. He has fantastic splits against southpaws in his career and gets a great matchup against lefty Andrew Abbott tonight.
Don't let Abbott's first start of the year against the lowly Pirates scare you off the Orioles tonight; he had only a five percent SwStr percentage and is a fly-ball prone pitcher who can give up the long ball. I love paying down at the corner infield spots where we can find cheap home runs, and I'll be doing so with both Caminero and Mounty in my cash game lineups tonight.
Also consider: Pete Alonso (NYM), Isaac Paredes (HOU), Trevor Story (BOS)
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Randy Arozarena - OF, SEA vs. Bowden Francis ($4.3K DK; $3.2K FD)
As much as I want to like Bowden Francis after last year's breakout, there have been some warning signs in spring training and his first few starts that he could be in line for some regression. He's sporting a 13 percent barrel rate and a 6.01 xERA as well as a massive 52 percent hard hit rate.
Those batted ball metrics are concerning, and this Seattle lineup is finally heating up. Aroz had a great series in Cincinnati, capping it off with a home run and a double in yesterday's game.
Francis is very fastball-heavy in his approach, which bodes well for Aroz and the red-hot Cal Raleigh, who both drill four-seamers. If you are looking for value in the outfield, Aroz stands out here as a cheap cleanup hitter with upside.
Austin Hays - OF, CIN vs. Cade Povich ($3.3K DK; $2.5K FD)
Hays might be the chalkiest play on the slate tonight. He should hit cleanup for the Reds and has blasted two home runs in his first three games as a Red. He's facing his old team tonight in Baltimore and a lefty on the mound in youngster Cade Povich, who enters with a 4.96 xERA and 50 percent hard-hit rate.
Yesterday, Austin Hays became just the third Red since 1920 to have 4+ RBI in his team debut. pic.twitter.com/qx5Qatp4rA
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 16, 2025
Hays has consistently hit lefties and is undervalued for his current production, matchup, and lineup spot. Click him into cash game lineups first and don't overthink this one.
Sal Frelick - OF, MIL vs. J.T. Ginn ($3.9K DK; $3.0K FD)
Frelick is hitting over .300 on the year and has been busy on the basepaths with five steals. He finally got on the board in the power department Wednesday, slugging his first home run of the season against Detroit.
Frelick feels underpriced here for what should be a positive matchup against Athletics' youngster J.T. Ginn. While Ginn pitched well in his 2025 debut, I am not entirely sold on him being a legit major league pitcher just yet. Stack up some lefties against Ginn today and make sure Frelick is part of that stack.
Also consider: Jesse Winker (NYM), James Wood (WSN), Jung Hoo Lee (SFG)
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
1. Baltimore Orioles vs. Andrew Abbott (5.1 implied run total)
Baltimore is a team I might attack with a better lefty, but Abbott doesn't miss any bats and has a major home run problem. Vegas likes the Orioles to lead the slate in runs, and I could see it happening if they keep their current power surge going.
Fave combo - Westburg, Rutschman, O'Neill, Henderson, Mountcastle
2. Atlanta Braves vs. (4.7 run total) vs. Chris Paddack
The Braves have been attacking with good pitchers for strikeouts, but they are still in the middle of the pack in terms of offensive numbers, and Chris Paddack qualifies as one of the worst arms on the board today.
The Braves' lefties look good here, and this park is excellent for southpaws with power. Don't skip over Austin Riley or Sean Murphy; both have elite power against right-handed pitchers and are starting to heat up.
Fave combo - Harris, Riley, Olson, Murphy, Albies
3. Houston Astros vs. Kyle Hart (4.9 implied run total)
The wind is blowing out to left field, and perhaps a matchup with the Padres' worst starter is what this Houston offense needs to get jump-started against lefties this year. This lineup is loaded with power from the right side of the plate and a very dangerous lefty in Yordan Alvarez. I think they'll be lightly rostered since they have been underperforming for much of the first month.
Fave Combo - Altuve, Paredes, Walker, Pena, Diaz
Also consider: New York Mets vs. Miles Mikolas, Minnesota Twins vs. Bryce Elder, Nationals vs. Chase Dollander, Tampa Bay Rays vs. Carlos Rodon
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