Happy Friday! Let’s get ready to finish our week strong with some more winning MLB DFS picks. We have a lot of excitement in store for us with a full day of baseball. 

Coors Field is back on the main slate, with the San Diego Padres facing The Colorado Rockies. Mookie Betts is finally back in the lineups this week, and his being on the field is always good for baseball. There is a lot of talent all over the diamond for MLB DFS projections today as we look to build our MLB DFS picks!

 

 

 

MLB DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, August 16

MLB Weather Today, 8/16

MLB DFS Optimizer & Lineup Generator Today

This Playbook provides all the tools you need to create top-notch MLB DFS picks. Dive into our expert recommendations and insights, then explore today’s MLB DFS projections, MLB DFS ownership projections and our dedicated MLB lineups page.

Combine everything seamlessly in the MLB DFS Lineup Generator, allowing you to secure your Core Plays and craft successful lineups in just seconds! Here's a sample lineup for today:

 

 

 

DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts

DraftKings cutting the slate shorter certainly makes today's MLB DFS picks interesting. I am focusing on the DraftKings slate for my favorite picks, but if you are playing on FanDuel, Paul Skenes, Logan Gilbert, Gerrit Cole, and Aaron Nola are all worth looking at (though watch the weather for that Pirates vs. Mariners game). 

I still love Corbin Burnes and think he is an ace, but in this format where strikeouts are so important, his lack of them keeps me from wanting to pay this price for him, especially in a matchup against the Red Sox, which can be brutal at times. Outside of my favorites, some other arms that intrigue me today are Jose Soriano, Gavin Williams, and Justin Wrobleski.

On the offensive side of MLB DFS projections, we do have Coors Field on the slate today, and with the Padres playing like they are, I have a hard time fading them today. Along with the Padres, some of my favorite lineups of the day include the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Guardians, Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, and the Houston Astros. 

 

 

 

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

Top Options For Strikeouts

Best Odds For A Win

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Pitchers

Spencer Arrighetti, Houston Astros

Spencer Arrighetti isn’t flawless, but he has been pitching incredibly lately. The last time he faced the Chicago White Sox, he only went 4.1 innings, giving up 3 runs and striking out 2. However, this is a much worse White Sox team, and Arrighetti is at peak performance right now. 

Over his last three starts, he has amassed 33 strikeouts through 19 innings, including back-to-back career-high performances in his previous two with 12 strikeouts against the Rays and 13 strikeouts against the Red Sox. The White Sox certainly give him a great shot at going three straight with double-digit strikeouts, and at this price, I don’t see how you don’t take the shot. 

Spencer Schwellenbach, Atlanta Braves

If you had told me a few months ago that I would be taking Spencer Schwellenbach as one of my favorite pitchers for MLB DFS picks even though he was the top-priced pitcher over Corbin Burnes and Garrett Crochet, I would have thought you were crazy, but here we are. 

Like Arrighetti, his strikeouts have been plentiful recently, with 36 in 26 innings over his last four starts, paired with a 0.88 WHIP. With his previous outing having to survive Coors, I see no reason why the Angels would be any roadblock for him to continue this incredible second half. 

Sean Manaea, New York Mets

Sean Manaea is a high-risk - high-reward play. The upside is legit, as we just saw with his two starts in a row against the Twins and the Cardinals, where he threw 14 straight scoreless innings while striking out 21 and only walking 1. He then follows it up with only 3 innings against the Mariners with 3 strikeouts and 5 walks. Even his last outing against the Marlins was terrible, giving up 5 earned runs in 5 innings and only striking out 1. 

On paper, this is an excellent matchup for Manaea, but he can squander great matchups. As a tournament play, he can be worth the risk for the upside, but if you don’t want to take on this kind of risk just roll with the Spencers. 

 

 

 

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Hitters

Highest Expected Run Totals 

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters

Pete Alonso, 1B New York Mets

There are a lot of great options at the top end of first base MLB DFS picks, but this discount on Pete Alonso is calling my name. If you look at his recent performances, it has been a bit boom or bust; over his last 7 games, he has 4 games without a hit, but he also has one with 4 hits, including a double and a homer, and another with 3 hits and 2 homers. 

Roddery Munoz is a guy who has always struggled with the long ball, even in the minor leagues. It has been a real problem so far in the majors, with a 2.53 HR/9 in 74.2 innings for the Marlins despite having a pitcher-friendly park in Miami. Given this matchup, I am taking the bet we get boom, not bust, for Alonso today, and you get him at one of the lowest prices he’s had all season. 

Gavin Lux, 2B Los Angeles Dodgers

I will quit talking about Gavin Lux when he starts getting some more respect. Since the all-star break, he has been slashing .364/.438/.623. Even with the return of Mookie Betts, he has still been batting 5th every day for the Dodgers, which has him batting between Teoscar Hernandez and Will Smith. 

The Dodgers are a great-looking stack against Miles Mikolas, but they can be hard to afford, given their studs being so expensive (rightfully). When you can get Lux batting 5th in their lineup for only $3,500, it makes building MLB DFS projections around a Dodgers stack much easier. 

Alex Bregman, 3B Houston Astros

Alex Bregman is looking like the star hitter we have seen so much from him in the past. He went 0-4 in his last start, but that was the end of an 8-game hitting streak and a 4-game homer streak. Over that 8-game hitting streak, he had 16 total hits, including 5 homers and 4 doubles. 

The Astros face Garrett Crochet today, but since the all-star break, Garrett Crochet has not looked the same. He has an 8.78 ERA, 2.03 WHIP, and 4.05 HR/9 through 13.1 innings. Even if Crochet bounces back from the disastrous 7 earned runs and 4 homers he gave up in his last outing, he likely only goes 3-4 innings, and then the Astros get to face the White Sox bullpen for the rest of the game. 

Gunnar Henderson, SS Baltimore Orioles

You don’t need me to tell you that Gunnar Henderson is a star. He has homered in back-to-back games and continues to be one of the best hitting shortstops in the league, batting third every day in one of the best lineups. 

The Orioles face Cooper Criswell today, who has been solid this season for the Red Sox but isn’t anyone you are shying away from. This is his first start since July 23rd as well, and if he doesn’t make it far into the game, you get to shift to the Red Sox bullpen, which has been the worst in baseball against lefties since the All-Star break with a 7.06 ERA and a 2.8 HR/9. 

 

 

 

Player Pool

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