If you’re looking for the best hitters to hit home runs in Friday’s fantasy baseball slate, here are three sluggers you should target, regardless of whether you’re playing in DFS contests or season-long formats.
Why Giancarlo Stanton Is a Top Home Run Pick on Friday
The Yankees appear to be a favorable matchup for Friday’s slate since several of their hitters have had success against Steven Matz. However, one player worth keeping close tabs on as a potential homer threat is Stanton, who sports a .316 average and a 1.013 OPS across 19 at-bats against Matz, a span in which he’s gone yard twice.
Stanton is enjoying a strong start to the season and has as much power as any hitter in the majors, so it wouldn’t be surprising if this favorable matchup translates into the star slugger hitting his second home run of the season. Stanton is hitting .326 with an .812 OPS in 11 games this season, but he hasn’t hit a homer since the second game of the campaign against the Giants.
Why Javier Baez Is an Excellent Home Run Candidate vs. Chris Paddack
Granted, Baez is not the player he once was, but he remains a legit homer threat every time he makes contact. The veteran infielder, affectionately called “El Mago” due to his defensive prowess, isn’t having the best offensive season since he’s yet to launch a homer in 2026, but he owns a solid .323/.353/.419 line with 3 doubles, 3 RBI, 3 runs scored, 1 stolen base, and a 1:7 BB:K across 34 plate appearances.
The matchup against Chris Paddack is a favorable one for Baez, though. In 8 at-bats against Paddack, Baez is hitting .375 with a 1.444 OPS while hitting 1 homer. The sample size is small, but Baez is seeing the ball well enough to hit a dinger sooner rather than later, and with his history against Paddack, Friday might be the day it happens.
Why You Should Target Vinnie Pasquantino as a Home Run Hitter on Friday
Staying with the trend of sluggers who have fallen short in power numbers over the first two weeks of the regular season, we have Pasquantino, who has yet to hit a homer this season but isn’t even seeing the ball too well. After playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, which limited his spring training reps, Pasquantino has opened the season with a subpar .184/.281/.204 line and no homers, 5 RBI, and a 14:6 K:BB through 13 games.
The .485 OPS is certainly a concern, but Friday’s game against Davis Martin and the White Sox might be favorable for him. In 10 at-bats against Martin, Pasquantino has hit .300 with a 1.264 OPS and 2 home runs.
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