Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: MLB DraftKings Strategy, Primer for July 3

The start of the holiday weekend happens to feature 15 MLB games for fans to feast on in between hot dogs and beer.

Want to make those games more entertaining? Setting up lineups and playing DraftKings offers a perfect way to make Friday's slate even more engaging. In anticipation of the lone afternoon game and 14 night showdowns, here are the best players to target, with a few bargain-bin players to help fill out rosters.

Catcher/First Baseman: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants ($4,200)

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Whether you slot him as a first baseman or as a catcher, Buster Posey is a smart option. The former MVP for the San Francisco Giants is torching at the plate with six extra-base hits in his last seven games and over 12 fantasy points in five of those starts.

Not to mention, Posey will also be facing Gio Gonzalez, who has struggled thus far this season. Expect big numbers from Posey as he continues one of his hottest streaks of the season for fantasy owners.

Second Baseman: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds ($3,700)

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At the beginning of the season, Brandon Phillips was a dud for me on nearly every list. But with the way he's swung the bat over the last two months, there's no reason Phillips can't be an everyday starter for fantasy owners.

Friday's matchup makes him even more enticing. Phillips will not only be facing a struggling Milwaukee Brewers club, but he'll be up against Mike Fiers, who owns a 4.14 ERA. Coming in with an average of 8.8 fantasy points in the last 10 games, Phillips is a steal for any lineup.

Third Baseman: Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays ($4,500)

Just when you think Josh Donaldson has slowed down, he comes right back with another impressive stretch. His power appeared to be waning, but Donaldson has two home runs over his last five games in a lineup that has plenty of pop.

One of the biggest components owners look for is stability around the player—and Donaldson definitely has that.

The great thing about choosing Blue Jays players is that it's difficult to pitch around any batter on Toronto's roster. Sandwiched between Jose Reyes and Jose Bautista, Donaldson will have no issues against an inconsistent Anibal Sanchez on Friday.

Shortstop: Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants ($3,700)

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Similar to Posey, Brandon Crawford isn't slowing down anytime soon. The shortstop wasn't able to do enough to avoid a sweep against the lowly Miami Marlins, but he added another hit to go along with his two homers in the last four games.

Tack on the fact that Crawford now has an average of 8.2 fantasy points per game away from home this season, and he seems like an ideal fit for DraftKings lineups. Facing off with the aforementioned Gio Gonzalez, Crawford is a sneaky-good pick on Friday.

Outfielder: Billy Burns, Oakland Athletics ($4,200)

DraftKings owners know by this point that in order to win, you'll have to find not only a star outfielder, but also a prominent player at a reasonable salary. Billy Burns fits that category to a tee with nearly 10 fantasy points per game in his last 10 starts.

On Wednesday, Burns had a double and another triple against the Colorado Rockies. Facing off with a scuffling J.A. Happ, Burns will continue his hot hitting for owners who tab him as a high-end No. 2 outfielder or, if necessary, a bargain No. 1 option.

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