MLB DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Stacks Today: Wednesday Playbook

Published: Jun 18, 2025
Welcome to the Fantasy Alarm MLB DFS Playbook for Wednesday, June 18th!
Let’s start the week on the right foot with some winning lineups today. We have an 11-game main slate in store for us this evening on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:05 PM ET. Today, we have plenty of talent on the diamond and many different ways to build your lineup. Our expert analysis is here to guide you through the top pitchers, value plays, and stackable offenses to target.
Whether chasing big GPP prizes or grinding cash games, we’ve got you covered with insights tailored to today’s matchups. Let’s jump right 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 are favorite lineups stacks for the day and which players we would look to include in those stacks based on matchups and pricing.
Check out the MLB DFS Show to get an initial outlook on the day's MLB DFS slate to 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: Wednesday, 6/18
Los Angeles Angels @ New York Yankees
There's rain in the forecast. The rain is hard enough to potentially cause a delay or even a late start.
Minnesota Twins @ Cincinnati Reds
There is definite risk here because the rain is going to be going on for a WHILE. They could also just simply start late tonight.
St. Louis Cardinals @ Chicago White Sox
UPDATE - PPD.
Milwaukee Brewers @ Chicago Cubs
UPDATE - PPD.
Houston Astros @ Athletics
It's going to be nearly 100 degrees at game time. In a minor league ballpark. Offense, offense, offense.
Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers
Let's get into today's core pitching plays for our DFS lineups
Core MLB DFS Pitchers
Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves
Over Chris Sale's last 10 starts, he's notched a 1.61 ERA, while striking out 83 batters over 61.2 IP. He's averaged 25.5 DKP/game over that span and has arguably been the best pitcher in the league over that span. The Mets are good, but I have no issue using a pitcher against a good lineup when he's THIS good.
Kris Bubic, Kansas City Royals
You know who's been really bad against left-handed pitching? Texas. They rank 28th in OPS, 27th in wOBA, 25th in ISO, 26th in wRC+, and have a 26% K-rate. Bubic, outside of his last start against the Yankees, has been one of the best pitchers in the league this year. Bubic himself has a near 26% K-rate and 15% SwStr rate too. He's my favorite pitcher of the day.
Patrick Corbin, Texas Rangers
The Royals have struggled against left-handed pitching this year and do actually have some strikeout in their lineup when it comes to lefty pitchers. KC is 26th in OPS, 27th in wRC+, 25th in wOBA, and 30th in ISO. Corbin has been solid of late and has really just been solid as a pitcher this year. He could be a solid SP2 if you don't have money to spend up on other pitchers.
Ryan Yarbrough, New York Yankees
Outside of his first start against the Red Sox, Ryan Yarbrough has been quite good as a starter. He has a fantastic matchup against an Angels offense that strikes out a LOT. The Angels are 25th in wOBA, 29th in wOBA, and have the leagues highest K-rate at 28.8% against left-handed pitching. The strikeouts have actually been surprising for Yarbrough and at 6.5K, it's not a bad play if he can keep the ball in the yard.
ADDING - Framber Valdez. A's lineup looks bad.
Recommended MLB DFS Hitters
Let's check out today's core plays to build our lineups around.
Core MLB DFS Hitters
ASTROS! LOTS OF EM!
I don't hate Luis Severino, but when this game starts, it's going to be nearly 100 degrees in Sacramento. Sutter Health doesn't need any help, especially weather related help. Severino has pitched horribly at home this year pitching to a 7.10 ERA, 2.91 ERA, .356 wOBA, and a 40% HH rate.
All 6 HR Sevvy's allowed have come in Sac and righties are hitting .308 against him at home, which the Astros have a LOT of.
The Astros look good over their last 30 at-bats against RHP, as FIVE players projected in their lineup have an OPS of at least .815. Only Isaac Paredes and Jeremy Pena have at least an .800 OPS for the entire season against righties.
The five of .844 OPS or better L30 days vs. RHP: Isaac Paredes - Jose Altuve - Yainer Diaz - Christian Walker - Cam Smith
I'd have no issue playing anyone who is in the lineup including Jake Meyers, Victor Caratini & Cooper Hummel.
Blue Jays Look Good Against ERod
There's a lot of stuff that looks good under the hood for Eduardo Rodriguez, but surface level numbers look awful. Both righties and lefties are hitting over .300. He has elevated flyball rates to both splits and allows a bunch of homers.
The Blue Jays have been a top-10 offense against left-handed pitching this year. They have some good numbers against lefties;
- Ernie Clement - 1.172 OPS, .319 ISO, .494 wOBA
- Vladimir Guerrero - .970 OPS, .217 ISO, .414 wOBA
- Alejandro Kirk - .809 OPS, .351 wOBA
- George Springer - .784 OPS, .255 ISO, .338 wOBA
Reds go Ober Their Implied Runs Total
UPDATE - This game is incredibly risky and could very well rain out. PPD risk is very high.
Bailey Ober was a really good pitcher a year ago and has not been that good for any stretch of this season. In fact, his numbers under the hood look worse than his surface level stuff. His FB rate is awfull high and although he's been decent against lefties, they have 1.77 HR/9 and he has a 5.08 FIP and 5.26 xFIP. NOW, he has to navigate Great American Ballpark.
There's a lot to like about the Reds against righties.
- Elly De La Cruz - .966 OPS, .267 ISO, .411 wOBA
- TJ Friedl - .878 OPS, .166 ISO, .385 wOBA
- Will Benson - .859 OPS, .274 ISO, .363 wOBA
- Gavin Lux - .814 OPS, .362 wOBA
- Christian Encarnacion-Strand - .782 OPS, .250 ISO, .332 wOBA
Over the last 30 days vs. RHP: Matt McLain has posted a .938 OPS & .230 ISO. Tyler Stephenson similarly has been good posting a .936 OPS & .179 ISO.
Jose Caballero, Junior Caminero & Yandy Diaz
The Rays are not great against left-handed pitching. That's first. We can just admit it. They're not, but they do have multiple good looking bats against southpaws. The interest is led by Yandy Diaz, Junior Caminero, and Jose Caballero. Diaz and Caballero both have .200 ISO or higher while Caminero sits at .178.
Trevor Rogers takes the mound for the Orioles and he's been bad at Triple-A and in the minors in general this year. On the year, righties have hit .282 against him and he's allowed three of his four bombs to RHH. Rogers, at the major league level last year, allowed a .182 ISO and .345 wOBA to righties.
Yankees Break Out of Slump?
This spot against Jack Kochanowicz, like Kyle Hendricks yesterday, is a good one in theory. They haven't scored in 29 innings, but Kochanowicz can't get lefties out. Lefties have a .509 SLG%, .377 xwOBA, .227 ISO, and just a 16% K-rate.
Trent Grisham, Jazz Chisholm, Ben Rice & Jasson Dominguez are all over a .789 OPS against righties. All of those players outside of Dominguez have a .200+ ISO against right-handed pitching.
Obviously playing Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in a Yankees stack works, too.
Stephen Kolek Can't Dodge(rs) LA Lefties
Although Kolek has a massive groundball rate, he really struggles against lefties and he's been unable to keep the ball out of the stands because of it. Lefties have a .286/.392/.488 with 5 HR, .384 wOBA, 2.2 HR/9, 43.8% HH, and 26.3% HR/FB.
The Dodgers have elite lefties in Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Max Muncy. They have other lefties in Michael Conforto (who's been very unlucky this year) and Tommy Edman / Hyeseong Kim.
Player Pool
$ Tier | SP | C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF |
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Low | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
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Stacks
Blue Jays | Alejandro Kirk | George Springer | Ernie Clement | Vladimir Guerrero |
![]() | 3700 | 4300 | 3500 | 4500 |
![]() | 2700 | 3100 | 2700 | 3000 |
Astros | Jose Altuve | Jake Meyers | Jeremy Peña | Christian Walker | Cam Smith | Yainer Diaz | Isaac Paredes |
![]() | 4200 | 4000 | 4800 | 3800 | 2400 | 3600 | 4300 |
![]() | 3200 | 2700 | 3300 | 2900 | 2200 | 2900 | 3400 |
Dodgers | Tommy Edman | Shohei Ohtani | Hyeseong Kim | Max Muncy | Freddie Freeman |
![]() | 3700 | 6500 | 4300 | 4100 | 5300 |
![]() | 3000 | 4700 | 2700 | 3100 | 3900 |
Blue Jays | Alejandro Kirk | George Springer | Ernie Clement | Vladimir Guerrero |
![]() | 3700 | 4300 | 3500 | 4500 |
![]() | 2700 | 3100 | 2700 | 3000 |
Astros | Jose Altuve | Jake Meyers | Jeremy Peña | Christian Walker | Cam Smith | Yainer Diaz | Isaac Paredes |
![]() | 4200 | 4000 | 4800 | 3800 | 2400 | 3600 | 4300 |
![]() | 3200 | 2700 | 3300 | 2900 | 2200 | 2900 | 3400 |
Dodgers | Tommy Edman | Shohei Ohtani | Hyeseong Kim | Max Muncy | Freddie Freeman |
![]() | 3700 | 6500 | 4300 | 4100 | 5300 |
![]() | 3000 | 4700 | 2700 | 3100 | 3900 |
Diamondbacks | Ketel Marte | Lourdes Gurriel | Eugenio Suárez | Randal Grichuk |
![]() | 5700 | 3600 | 4600 | 2800 |
![]() | 3800 | 2700 | 3300 | 2300 |
Yankees | Trent Grisham | Jazz Chisholm | Aaron Judge | Giancarlo Stanton | Jasson DomÃnguez |
![]() | 4000 | 5100 | 6600 | 3800 | 3700 |
![]() | 3100 | 3500 | 5100 | 2900 | 3000 |
Player News
Rays designated RHP Jacob Waguespack for assignment.
The Rays needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for the return of Jonny DeLuca on Friday and Waguespack became the unfortunate roster casualty. The 31-year-old hurler has spent the entire season at Triple-A Durham where he posted a scintillating 0.46 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and an 18/4 K/BB ratio over 19 2/3 innings of work before landing on the injured list with an undisclosed injury in late May.
Rays activated OF Jonny DeLuca from the 60-day injured list.
He’s active and in uniform for the Rays on Friday night, though he is not in the team’s starting lineup for their battle against the Reds in Cincinnati. DeLuca had been shelved since early April due to a right shoulder strain and suffered multiple setbacks along the way in his recovery. Jacob Waguespack was designated for assignment in a corresponding move on Friday to clear a spot on the Rays’ 40-man roster.
Rays placed INF Ha-Seong Kim on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 22, with a lower back strain.
Jonny DeLuca was activated from the 60-day injured list to take Kim’s place on the Rays’ active roster. The Rays tried to take things day-to-day with Kim but in the end it made more sense to just sit him down for a week and make sure that it gets right rather than risking further aggravation.
Kyle Stowers went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and blasted his 23rd home run of the season on Friday afternoon as the Marlins bested the Brewers 5-1.
The 27-year-old outfielder opened the scoring in the ballgame as he crushed a 2-2 changeup from Freddy Peralta for a 392-foot (103.1 mph EV) solo blast in the third inning. He also drew a walk in the seventh inning and scored on a double by Otto Lopez. Stowers has had an impressive season in the middle of the Marlins’ lineup, slashing .296/.376/.573 with the aforementioned 23 long balls and 62 RBI.
Otto Lopez went 3-for-5 with three doubles and a pair of RBI on Friday, helping to lead the Marlins to victory over the Brewers in Milwaukee.
Lopez broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run double off of Nick Mears in the seventh inning and then came around to score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Liam Hicks. He also doubled off of Cal Quantrill in the third inning and off of Aaron Ashby to lead off the sixth. With his three-hit attack, the 26-year-old infielder is now slashing .254/.326/.399 with 11 homers, 54 RBI and 10 stolen bases in what has been a very productive season offensively.
AgustÃn RamÃrez went 1-for-4 with a double, walk, run scored and a stolen base as the Marlins defeated the Brewers on Friday afternoon.
The hard-hitting 23-year-old backstop smacked a two-out double off of Freddy Peralta in the opening inning and swiped third base but the Marlins were unable to cash him in from there. He then worked Nick Mears for a walk in the seventh inning and scored on Otto Lopez’s two-run double. On the season, he’s now slashing .244/.289/.460 with 14 homers, 45 RBI and a pair of stolen bases in his first 332 plate appearances.