You’ve worked hard all week long to make it to the weekend. We have a full slate of Major League Baseball games on Friday, which creates endless possibilities for you when building your DFS lineup.
Baseball can be an unpredictable sport at times, but there are also in-depth statistics that can help us make educated decisions when it comes to trying to pick who will have the best day. We want to do the dirty work for you. We have gone back and looked at how certain hitters have performed in the past against their Friday night opponent. By the numbers, here are two hitters to add to your DFS on May 9 and one you likely want to avoid.
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Add: C Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are sitting at the top of the American League West standings and look like a postseason team. Part of the reason for their success this year has been the contributions slugger Cal Raleigh has made. Raleigh has hit 12 homers with 25 RBIs thus far in 2025 and has the opportunity to add to that total on Friday night.
Seattle will face the Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Kevin Gausman. In 13 plate appearances against Gausman, Raleigh has done some serious damage. He is 5 for 11 with two singles and three home runs. The power threat of Raleigh could be the difference maker for your DFS tonight.
Raleigh’s DraftKings salary sits at the average you get per player at $5,000. However, with pitchers always being a little more pricey, $5,000 may be a little steep for a catcher. This is worth the risk on Friday given Raleigh’s success against Gausman.
Add: OF Mike Yastrzemski, San Francisco Giants
Mike Yastrzemski is quietly performing well for the San Francisco Giants. The 34-year-old veteran will not receive league-wide recognition for his performance but is hitting a respectable .278 with five homers and 17 RBIs this year. Yastrzemski has a favorable matchup on Friday that should bump him into your DFS lineup.
The Giants will face Chris Paddack and the Minnesota Twins. In 17 chances, Yastrzemski is 7 for 15 (.467) with two singles, three doubles and two home runs. Yastrzemski has also drawn two walks against Paddack. The possibilities are endless when it comes to ways Yastrzemski can be the hero of your DFS lineup.
Yastrzemski’s DraftKings salary for Friday is a middle-of-the-line $4,500. He would be a great addition to your DFS that is budget friendly and has a good chance to produce big numbers.
Avoid: OF Dylan Carlson, Baltimore Orioles
Anytime you go searching for budget-friendly additions to plug into your DFS that may be a risk, a switch-hitter is usually a good fit. This allows that hitter throughout the game to have a statistical advantage, unless that hitter is Dylan Carlson of the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.
Carlson will be facing Kyle Hendricks of the Los Angeles Angels and the veteran right-handed pitcher has won the majority of the previous matchups among these two. Carlson is just 4 for 18 with all for hits being singles and has struck out six times. If these numbers continue on Friday, the best Carlson would do is add a single to his stat line which is not very beneficial for your DFS.
Carlson’s DraftKings salary is on the basement floor at just $2,000. This may be an indication that Carlson is not even in the lineup for the Orioles on Friday night but if he is, do not take that extremely low salary as an invite to spend less on his position to spend more elsewhere. Regardless of how cheap his salary is, he is not on track to be productive for your DFS on Friday.