MLB DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy baseball picks, lineups, advice for April 5, 2024

The 2024 MLB season is a week old, which means starting pitchers are beginning their second trip through the rotation. Phillies starter Aaron Nola struggled in his first appearance of the year, allowing six earned runs on 11 hits with just three strikeouts across 4.1 innings in a loss to the Braves. He was one of the top MLB DFS picks during the 2024 postseason, going 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA. Nola will try to get back on track when he faces a mediocre Washington lineup on Friday, which makes him an intriguing option from the MLB DFS player pool on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel.

Some of the top offensive teams in the majors will be in action on Friday night, including the Braves and Astros. However, it can be difficult to afford more than one star in your MLB DFS lineups, so you will have to look at some other rosters when you set your MLB DFS strategy. Before submitting any MLB DFS picks for Friday, be sure to check out the MLB DFS advice, strategy and projections from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.

McClure is a daily Fantasy pro who has won more than $2 million in his career. And when it comes to daily Fantasy baseball, McClure is at his best. Recognized in the book “Fantasy Football (and Baseball) for Smart People: How to Turn Your Hobby into a Fortune” as a top MLB DFS player, McClure’s proprietary projection model simulates each game 10,000 times, taking factors such as matchups and recent results into account. This allows him to find the best values on every site.

On Thursday, McClure highlighted Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. as one of his top DFS picks on both sites. The result: Witt went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and one run scored, returning 12 points on DraftKings and 15.2 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.  

Now, with the 2024 MLB season rolling, McClure has locked in his top MLB daily Fantasy picks for Friday, April 5. Head to SportsLine now to see them. 

McClure’s top MLB DFS picks for Friday

One of McClure’s top MLB DFS picks for Friday is Astros second baseman Jose Altuve at $5,300 on DraftKings and $3,800 on FanDuel. Altuve has opened the new season with a seven-game hitting streak, including a trio of multi-hit performances. He has three homers in his last four games, blasting a solo home run against the Blue Jays in the seventh inning on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old is batting .345 after an outstanding 2023 campaign when he hit .311 with 17 homers and 51 RBI. He does not steal as many bases as he did early in his career, and that is not expected to change after he swiped 14 bags last year. However, Altuve is as good as ever at the plate, and McClure has identified the slugger as one of his top DFS picks on Friday. 

McClure is also rostering White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn at $3,800 on DraftKings and $2,500 on FanDuel. Vaughn was one of the only bright spots for Chicago in its 10-1 loss to Kansas City on Thursday, as he had two hits and drove in the lone run. It was the first multi-hit game of the season for the 26-year-old, who is batting .250 through his first six games. 

He has consistently rewarded his DFS owners with power and a solid batting average over the last two years, hitting 17 homers in 2022 before increasing that number to 21 last year. Vaughn is still in search of his first long ball this season, but history suggests it will happen sooner rather than later. He draws a favorable matchup against Royals starter Brady Singer, who went 8-11 with a 5.52 ERA in 29 starts last year. See McClure’s full MLB DFS player pool at SportsLine.

How to set your MLB DFS lineups for April 5, 2024

McClure is also targeting an undervalued player who is set to explode for huge numbers on Friday. The stars are aligning for him to return tournament-winning value and he comes at a price that won’t break the bank. You can only see who it is here.

So what are the top MLB DFS picks for Friday? Visit SportsLine now to see DFS millionaire Mike McClure’s complete player pool and picks for FanDuel and DraftKings, all from the DFS expert who has won more than $2 million.