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The MLB schedule is packed on Friday night, with the main slate featuring 12 games on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel. There are plenty of stars in the MLB DFS player pool, which means it is more important than ever to find a hidden gem to bolster your MLB DFS lineups. Athletics starting pitcher Paul Blackburn has not allowed an earned run through his first 13 innings of the season, and he is facing a Washington lineup that has scored just 46 runs in 12 games. Should you include Blackburn in your MLB DFS strategy on Friday night?

The Braves, Yankees and Dodgers are all in action during the main slate, so there is no shortage of offensive power. Which players can lead your MLB DFS rosters to victories in MLB DFS contests? 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 Wednesday, McClure highlighted Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease as his top pitcher in his DFS picks on both sites. The result: Cease allowed two unearned runs and struck out seven batters across six innings, returning 29.1 points on DraftKings and 49 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 12. 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 rostering Reds second baseman Jonathan India at $4,200 on DraftKings and $3,000 on FanDuel. India suffered an unfortunate pregame injury when he was hit by a ball in batting practice on Monday, but he returned to his leadoff spot in the lineup on Tuesday. He had one hit, one walk and one steal in that game, and he has now hit safely in seven of his first 11 games this season.

While his batting average remains the same as last year (.244), he has drastically improved his on-base percentage, jumping from .338 to .392. India has more walks (8) than strikeouts (2) and has already stolen two bases. He adds DFS value in several ways, which is why McClure is including him in his roster strategy on Friday night. 

McClure is also targeting Braves third baseman Austin Riley ($5,400 on DraftKings and $3,800 on FanDuel). Riley ranks sixth on Atlanta's loaded roster in hits so far this season, even though he is batting .277. He has already driven in 10 runs and homered twice through his first 47 at-bats in 2024. 

Riley has walked four times and is riding a five-game hitting streak heading into Friday's game against Miami. He has racked up 13 homers, 23 walks and 32 RBI against the Marlins during his career. Starting pitcher Trevor Rogers is off to a slow start, allowing six earned runs through his first 10 innings of the campaign, and he has already given up one home run to Riley in 15 total plate appearances. See McClure's full MLB DFS player pool at SportsLine.

How to set your MLB DFS lineups for April 12, 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.