Welcome to the Fantasy Alarm MLB DFS Playbook for Saturday, April 26th!

We’re diving into the action with a 5-game night slate on DraftKings and 5-game main slate FanDuel, kicking off at 6:10 PM ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. We also have included the cheatsheet and a few core plays for the 10-game main slate on DraftKings.  With a packed day of baseball ahead, our expert analysis is here to guide you through the top pitchers, value plays, and stackable offenses to target.

Whether you’re hunting for GPP glory or locking in cash game success, we’ve got tailored insights to help you conquer today’s matchups. Let’s dive into the key plays and strategies to dominate the slate!

 

 

 

This season's MLB DFS picks and playbook will consist of a pitcher and hitter core players section with written analysis, player pool grid and core stacks section.

The core player section should be used as a starting point for all lineups, you may not be able to use all players in the same lineup, but those players should be the building blocks for you on a given night.

The player pool grid will feature both players from the core player section along with additional plays to help you build a complete lineup. The grid will be broken into top priced players, mid-priced players and value tier players.

The stacks section will bring you our favorite lineups stacks for the day and which players we would look to include in those stacks based on matchups and pricing.

There will also be a daily MLB DFS Show with a variety of hosts ranging from myself, Jon Impemba, Howard Bender, and James Grande. The MLB DFS Show will give you an initial outlook on the day's MLB DFS slate and should give you a good base for the start of your research each day! 

Make sure you subscribe to the Fantasy Alarm YouTube channel so you never miss a show! Also, join the Fantasy Alarm Discord to get your DFS lineup questions answered by our MLB DFS team! Plus, as always, be sure to check in with our MLB DFS Tools, with the Daily MLB Projections, MLB DFS Rostership Projections, and our MLB DFS Lineup Generator when building those lineups today to help you decide which players you should be targeting.

 

MLB DFS Picks & MLB Playbook

MLB Weather: Saturday, 4/26

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Small chance of rain with the wind blowing out towards right field.

Toronto Blue Jays vs New York Yankees

  • Postponed due to weather

Chicago White Sox vs Athletics

  • Chance of rain throughout the afternoon.  Delays could be possible.

New York Mets vs Washington Nationals

  • Chance of rain/thunderstorms throughout the afternoon. Delays or postponement is possible.

 

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers

It is an interesting 5-game slate in terms of pitching today.  We do not have a ton of past history to go off in terms of pitcher vs hitter matchups.  It will be a great day to mix and match on both sites!

We also have a lack of true high-end aces on today’s slate which is headlined by Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez and Luis Castillo.

For the 10-game main slate on DraftKings, there a quite a few pitching options.  Spend-up options include Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle.  Solid mid-priced pitchers with upside in Clay Holmes and Jeffrey Springs.  Quinn Priester is an interesting pay down option as well.

Core MLB DFS Pitchers

Framber Valdez, Houston Astros - DraftKings $8,800 | FanDuel $8,600

Valdez has been a little hit or miss to start the 2025 season.  He enters Saturday with 4.50 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 26 Ks in 28 IP.  We will be buying the dip on his price tag today.

He enters this matchup with the Kansas City Royals with good history against their hitters in the past.  This includes his lone start against them in 2024, where he put up 46 FanDuel points and 27.4 DraftKings points.

Luis Castillo, Seattle Mariners - DraftKings $8,600 | FanDuel $9,000

Castillo is typically a pitcher who struggles early on in this season and with colder weather.  He enters Saturday with 4.44 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 23 Ks in 26.1 IP.  However, he gets to pitch in Miami today where the weather is expected to be in the high 70s/low 80s.  I fully expect to see a solid start out of Castillo at a reduced price tag.

Castillo enters this matchup against the Miami Marlins with good, but limited history against their hitters in the past.  He did not pitch against the Marlins during the 2024 season.

Grant Holmes, Atlanta Braves - DraftKings $6,200 | FanDuel $8,200

Holmes is my favorite value pitcher on Saturday’s slate.  He enters Saturday with 3.22 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 22 Ks in 22.1 IP.  He is coming off a solid start against the Twins where he posted 5.2 IP 1 ER 4 BB and 7 Ks.

He faces a Arizona Diamondbacks lineup that he has fared well against in the past, although it is a small sample size.  If Holmes can limit the walks, expect him to have another solid performance on Saturday.

Tyler Mahle, Texas Rangers - DraftKings $8,800

Mahle has been excellent to start the 2025 season.  He enters Saturday with 0.68 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 25 Ks in 26.2 IP.  

He faces a San Francisco Giants lineup that he has fared well against in the past.  Giants have also posted 23.6% strikeout rate to start the season.  Mahle offers high-end upside once again on Saturday.

Clay Holmes, New York Mets - DraftKings $7,800

The transition to starter has been a mixed bag early on for Clay Holmes. However, he has started to pitch better and deeper in games as of late.  He enters Saturday with 3.16 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 34 Ks in 25.2 IP.  

He faces a Washington Nationals lineup that he has limited history against in the past.  If Holmes can limit the walks, expect him to have another strong performance on Saturday.

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Hitters

As mentioned on the pitchers side, there is not much in terms of past history for hitter vs pitcher matchups for today’s slate.  Feel free to mix and match quite a bit today.  Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers should be the front runners in terms of top teams to stack.

For the 10-game main slate on DraftKings my focus would be getting to bats from the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers and New York Mets.

Core MLB DFS Hitters

Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers - DraftKings $5,400 | FanDuel $3,600

It has been a slower start to the year for Freddie Freeman coming off injury.  However, he has collected at least one hit in 6 of his last 9 games.  He also has 4 multi games and 2 HRs during that time span.

Freeman is 8 for 15 with 1 HR against Mitch Keller, the expected starting pitcher for the Pirates.  Look for another solid day out of Freddie Freeman and this Dodgers team once again on Saturday.

Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves - DraftKings $4,900 | FanDuel $3,400

Riley has really started to turn it up as of late.  He is currently on a 6 game hitting streak.  He also has 3 multi hit games and 1 HR during this stretch.

Riley is 4 for 9 with 1 HR against Diamondbacks expected starting pitcher Merrill Kelly.  He looks like a solid one-of play for Saturday’s slate!

Christian Walker, Houston Astros - DraftKings $3,700 | FanDuel $2,700

After a slow start to the season, Christian Walker appears to be turning the corner as of late.  He has 2 multi hit games in his last 3 games played.  Walker has also hit a HR in 2 of his last 5 games.

He has done well against Royals expected starting pitcher Michael Wacha in the past.  He is 4 for 5 with 1 HR against Wacha in his career.  Look for another strong performance out of Walker on Saturday!

Jorge Polanco, Seattle Mariners - DraftKings $4,000 | FanDuel $3,100

Polanco is one of my favorite values for Saturday’s slate.  He is on a modest 3 game hitting streak.  This includes 2 HRs during that stretch.  Polanco offers some versatility as he is eligible at 3B and SS on DraftKings and 3B and 2B on FanDuel

He is off to a strong start to the season posting .344 Average 5 HRs and 16 RBI.  Polanco has no history in the past against expected Marlins starting pitcher Connor Gillispie.  Look for Jorge Polanco to continue his strong start to the season on Saturday! 

Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates - DraftKings $5,700 | FanDuel $3,800

Cruz is one of my favorite spend-up options for Saturday’s slate.  He is currently on a 4 game hitting streak.  This includes 3 multi hit games and 2 HRs during that stretch.  Cruz offers some versatility on FanDuel as he is eligible at both SS and OF.

The one downside is that he has no history in the past against expected Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki.  However, I fully expect Oneil Cruz to continue his hot streak and offer high-end production for our lineups once again!

Kerry Carpenter, Detroit Tigers - DraftKings $3,900

Carpenter is off to a solid start to the season once again.  He has hit safely in 5 of his last 6 games.  He also has 2 multi hit games in that stretch.  He will be hitting leadoff for the Tigers on Saturday.

Carpenter has no history in the past against expected Orioles starting pitcher Brandon Young. However, he should be a solid value alongside a Detroit Tigers stack today.

Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox - DraftKings $5,000

Bregman has been a key contributor for the Boston Red Sox.  He is currently on a 5 game hitting streak.  He also has 3 multi hit games and 1 HR during that stretch.  He will be hitting third for the Red Sox on Saturday.

Bregman has no history in the past against expected Guardians starting pitcher Ben Lively. However, he should be able to continue his hot stretch on Saturday.  You can play him as either a solid one-off or in a Boston Red Sox stack.

Gavin Lux, Cincinnati Reds - DraftKings $4,200

Lux may finally be having his breakout season.  He is currently on a 9 game hitting streak.  He also has 4 multi hit games and 1 HR in that time span.  

Lux has good history in the past against expected Rockies starting pitcher Antonio Senzatela.  He is 8 for 20 against Senzatela in his career.  Consider him a key piece in your Cincinnati Reds stacks for today.

 

Player Pool

Stacks

Astros Jose AltuveBrendan RodgersChristian WalkerIsaac ParedesYordan Alvarez
DraftKings 48002600370039005100
Fanduel 31002600270030003200
Padres Xander BogaertsManny MachadoFernando TatisJose Iglesias
DraftKings 4100520062003000
Fanduel 2600350042002500
Dodgers Mookie BettsWill SmithTommy EdmanShohei OhtaniFreddie Freeman
DraftKings 58004100420064005400
Fanduel 38003000320044003600
Mariners Jorge PolancoRowdy TellezJ.P. CrawfordCal RaleighJulio Rodríguez
DraftKings 40002400280050005300
Fanduel 31002400270033003400
Astros Jose AltuveBrendan RodgersChristian WalkerIsaac ParedesYordan Alvarez
DraftKings 48002600370039005100
Fanduel 31002600270030003200
Padres Xander BogaertsManny MachadoFernando TatisJose Iglesias
DraftKings 4100520062003000
Fanduel 2600350042002500
Dodgers Mookie BettsWill SmithTommy EdmanShohei OhtaniFreddie Freeman
DraftKings 58004100420064005400
Fanduel 38003000320044003600
Mariners Jorge PolancoRowdy TellezJ.P. CrawfordCal RaleighJulio Rodríguez
DraftKings 40002400280050005300
Fanduel 31002400270033003400
Reds Spencer SteerElly De La CruzTJ FriedlNoelvi MarteJose Trevino
DraftKings 39006300490038004300
Fanduel -----
Orioles Jackson HollidayJordan WestburgAdley RutschmanCedric Mullins
DraftKings 3500440048005500
Fanduel ----
Tigers Spencer TorkelsonKerry CarpenterGleyber TorresZach McKinstry
DraftKings 4800390045004000
Fanduel ----
Athletics JJ BledayTyler SoderstromGio UrshelaBrent RookerJacob WilsonNick Kurtz
DraftKings 4000510027005600-2000
Fanduel ------
Mets Juan SotoFrancisco AlvarezFrancisco LindorJeff McNeilJesse WinkerPete Alonso
DraftKings 530030005000280032005500
Fanduel ------
Reds Spencer SteerElly De La CruzTJ FriedlNoelvi MarteJose Trevino
DraftKings 39006300490038004300
Fanduel -----
Orioles Jackson HollidayJordan WestburgAdley RutschmanCedric Mullins
DraftKings 3500440048005500
Fanduel ----
Tigers Spencer TorkelsonKerry CarpenterGleyber TorresZach McKinstry
DraftKings 4800390045004000
Fanduel ----
Athletics JJ BledayTyler SoderstromGio UrshelaBrent RookerJacob WilsonNick Kurtz
DraftKings 4000510027005600-2000
Fanduel ------
Mets Juan SotoFrancisco AlvarezFrancisco LindorJeff McNeilJesse WinkerPete Alonso
DraftKings 530030005000280032005500
Fanduel ------
Reds Spencer SteerElly De La CruzTJ FriedlNoelvi MarteJose Trevino
DraftKings 39006300490038004300
Fanduel -----
Orioles Jackson HollidayJordan WestburgAdley RutschmanCedric Mullins
DraftKings 3500440048005500
Fanduel ----
Tigers Spencer TorkelsonKerry CarpenterGleyber TorresZach McKinstry
DraftKings 4800390045004000
Fanduel ----
Athletics JJ BledayTyler SoderstromGio UrshelaBrent RookerJacob WilsonNick Kurtz
DraftKings 4000510027005600-2000
Fanduel ------
Mets Juan SotoFrancisco AlvarezFrancisco LindorJeff McNeilJesse WinkerPete Alonso
DraftKings 530030005000280032005500
Fanduel ------