FanDuel MLB DFS Picks: Friday 8/29/25

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Let's check out the top options on today's main slate.

Note: All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

Top MLB DFS Picks

Pitcher Breakdown

George Kirby ($10,700)

Although Paul Skenes is a fantastic pitcher and is a quality option on Friday's slate, he rarely produces slate-breaking performances on the mound, and George Kirby has the better matchup. In addition to Kirby producing a stellar 3.33 xFIP and 26.9% strikeout rate on the road (compared to a 3.60 xFIP and 22.5% strikeout rate at home), the Cleveland Guardians have the worst wOBA (.212), worst wRC+ (31), worst ISO (.071), and second-highest strikeout rate (26.9%) in baseball across the last 14 days.

Robbie Ray ($9,700)

Robbie Ray can certainly be classified as a boom-or-bust pitcher, but he has a pathway to a ceiling performance on Friday versus the Baltimore Orioles at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park. Over the last 30 days, the Orioles are logging the eighth-worst wOBA (.286), eighth-worst wRC+ (81), and fourth-highest strikeout rate (27.2%) versus left-handed pitching during that span.

Jonah Tong ($8,800)

Jonah Tong is an exciting pitching prospect for the New York Mets, and he'll be making his first start in the majors on Friday after posting an absurd 2.17 xFIP, 40.5% strikeout rate, and 17.1% swinging strike rate in 113.2 innings in the minors this season. The young right-handed hurler draws a favorable matchup at home in his debut, as the Miami Marlins have tallied the fourth-worst wOBA (.282), sixth-worst wRC+ (77), and fifth-worst ISO (.130) in the last 14 days of action.

Payton Tolle ($5,500)

While we'll need to pay attention to the weather for Friday's Pittsburgh Pirates-Boston Red Sox showdown, Payton Tolle is a fantastic salary-saving option if delays or a postponement don't put a damper on this contest. Tolle is an intriguing prospect who is expected to make his debut on Friday after recording a 36.5% strikeout rate and 17.9% swinging strike rate in 91.2 innings in the minors, and he'll face a Pirates squad that has the fifth-worst wRC+ (76) and second-highest strikeout rate (25.7%) against southpaws in 2025.

Stacks to Target

Chicago Cubs

Players to Target: Michael Busch ($3,600), Kyle Tucker ($4,300), Pete Crow-Armstrong ($4,200), and Ian Happ ($3,700)

German Marquez is expected to be handed the ball for the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Friday, and he's ranked in the 12th percentile in xERA (5.16), 6th percentile in xBA (.291), 10th percentile in strikeout rate (16.1%), and 9th percentile in hard-hit rate (47.4%). Even though the Chicago Cubs figure to be popular in a hitter-friendly environment, I'll likely stay away from fully stacking them, as I prefer deploying one-offs or mini-stacks instead -- with Michael Busch (148 wRC+ vs. RHP) being the priority out of the leadoff spot.

New York Yankees

Players to Target: Trent Grisham ($3,100), Aaron Judge ($4,600), Ben Rice ($3,300), and Giancarlo Stanton ($3,700)

The New York Yankees are a perfect team to target on Friday if you're not aggressively stacking the Cubs, as they've been mashing recently, earning the second-best wRC+ (153) and best ISO (.294) across the last 14 days. Yoendrys Gomez is slated to make his fourth start for the Chicago White Sox, and he's carrying a dismal 4.86 SIERA and 5.50 xFIP this year, making nearly everyone in New York's lineup viable.

Athletics

Players to Target: Nick Kurtz ($4,200), Shea Langeliers ($3,700), Tyler Soderstrom ($3,100), and Jacob Wilson ($2,900)

With there being a few interesting salary-saving options at pitcher, I don't mind prioritizing the high-salary stacks, and the Athletics are in a solid spot against Jack Leiter. Along with Leiter accruing a woeful 5.06 xFIP and 1.56 WHIP on the road (compared to a 4.56 xFIP and 1.13 WHIP at home), he's giving up 1.52 HR/9 to lefties when pitching on the visiting team, paving the way for guys like Nick Kurtz (217 wRC+ vs. RHP) and Tyler Soderstrom (138 wRC+) to have notable outings.

Kansas City Royals

Players to Target: Mike Yastrzemski ($2,900), Bobby Witt Jr. ($3,900), Vinnie Pasquantino ($3,200), and Salvador Perez ($2,900)

Besides liking some of the value bats on the Texas Rangers at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park, the Kansas City Royals have decent salaries ahead of a positive matchup against Chris Paddack and the bullpen of the Detroit Tigers. On top of the Royals sporting the 6th-best wRC+ (119) and 10th-best ISO (.196) over the last 14 days, Paddack is coughing up 2.05 HR/9 on the road, and Detroit's relievers have the fourth-worst SIERA (4.56) in the last two weeks.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.