MLB DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Stacks Today: April 17th, 2026

Happy Friday, April 17th. We have a full main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel locking at 7:05 PM ET. The headlining environment tonight is Coors Field, where the Dodgers travel to Colorado - but the weather creates a meaningful caveat. Snow clears by gametime but temperatures stay in the 30s with winds blowing in, which suppresses the typical Coors ceiling. It is still Coors, but it is not the free-upside environment it usually is. Beyond Coors, there is an excellent collection of pitching matchups to exploit and some individual hitter stories that are building toward breakouts. For the most up-to-date MLB DFS projections, lineup optimizer, ownership projections, and daily MLB DFS lineups, visit FantasyAlarm.com. Let's get into it.

⚡ THE SLATE DASHBOARD

• Slate: DraftKings and FanDuel Main | 7:05 PM ET lock
• Top Game Totals: LAD/COL at Coors Field (highest environment on the slate)  •  SEA/TEX (Gilbert vs deGrom pitching duel)  • HOU/STL
• Weather: LAD/COL at Coors Field (8:40 PM): Snow in morning clears by gametime but temps stay in the 30s with winds blowing IN at 10mph. It is still Coors but this is not ideal hitting weather - downgrade the Dodgers stack from a top environment play to a moderate one. CIN/MIN at Target Field (8:10 PM): Cold 40s with winds out to right at 15mph - the cold outweighs the wind effect, bump DOWN to bats in this game. DET/BOS at Fenway Park (7:15 PM): Low 50s, winds gently blowing in, nothing notable. KC/NYY at Yankee Stadium (7:05 PM): Few sprinkles early, doubt there is enough for a delay, manageable conditions.
• SP Ownership Tier: Glasnow (highly owned, Coors)  • Gilbert (moderately owned)  •  deGrom (moderately owned)  • Soriano (low-to-moderate)  •  Soroka and Civale (extremely low)
• Top Park Environments: Coors Field (LAD/COL) - every hitter in that game benefits from altitude and carry
• Top Expected Ownership: Glasnow (Coors ceiling)  •  Pages, Ohtani, Tucker (LAD hitting)  • Alvarez (HOU)  •  Trout (Angels momentum)

💎 PITCHING COACH

Top Tier

Logan Gilbert (SEA | vs TEX  |  DK $9,500 / FD $9,100)

Analysis: Gilbert's surface ERA of 4.18 is hiding one of the better underlying pitching profiles on the slate. His xERA sits at 2.48 and his FIP is 2.65 - the gap between results and process is almost entirely driven by sequencing and hard luck rather than a real change in stuff quality. He is striking out hitters at a strong rate with a 117 Location+ that ranks among the best command profiles on the mound today. Texas brings a .250 average and 22.7% K-rate against right-handed pitching this season. Gilbert is the right arm at moderate ownership for a cash game anchor and a legitimate strikeout ceiling play in tournaments.

Jacob deGrom (TEX | vs SEA  |  DK $9,200 / FD $9,600)

Analysis: deGrom looks like his vintage self. His 2.87 ERA is paired with a 2.69 xERA and a 12.6 K/9 - when deGrom is healthy and pitching like this, the results and the underlying numbers are pointing in the same direction. Seattle comes in with a .225 average and 25% K-rate against right-handed pitching, which gives deGrom the matchup to rack up strikeouts. He is a tick below Gilbert in ownership but a legitimate two-ace build with Gilbert is one of the more defensible constructions on this slate.

Tyler Glasnow (LAD | vs COL at Coors  |  DK $8,900 / FD $9,800)

Analysis: Glasnow at Coors with cold weather and winds blowing in is a meaningfully better pitching spot than a standard warm Coors night. Temperatures in the 30s and inward winds suppress offense and give the pitcher back some of the edge the altitude typically takes away. His 11.1 K/9 this season and Colorado's .229 average and 26.3% K-rate against right-handed pitching were already a strong combination - the weather makes it better. The risk is still real because Coors is Coors, but the cold conditions lower the variance. He remains the most popular arm on the slate and the case for him is stronger tonight than it would be in July.

Jose Soriano (LAA | vs SD  |  DK $8,200 / FD $10,000)

Analysis: Soriano has been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball to open the season. He has allowed just one run through 27 innings with a 66% ground-ball rate that leads all qualified starters since 2025. His Stuff+ and Location+ both sit above 105, and he is 113 Location+ specifically - precision command at premium velocity. San Diego is not an easy opponent at .241 average and 19.1% K-rate against right-handed pitching, but the individual quality of Soriano's performance makes this a legitimate low-owned play. He is the correct pivot off Glasnow on FanDuel where his salary difference is most significant.

Value Plays

Michael Soroka (ARI | vs TOR  |  DK $7,900 / FD $9,300)

Analysis: Soroka comes off a start where he allowed four runs on five hits across 5.2 innings but struck out 10 batters - a line that looks worse than the actual pitch quality behind it. He is inducing swing-and-miss at a rate that supports K upside going forward. Toronto brings a .235 average and 20.3% K-rate against right-handed pitching. At extremely low ownership with a double-digit strikeout outing in his most recent start, Soroka is the definition of a tournament dart where the floor is limited but the ceiling is legitimate.

Aaron Civale (ATH | vs CWS  |  DK $7,400 / FD $8,100)

Analysis: The White Sox are carrying a .191 average and 25.5% K-rate against right-handed pitching, which is one of the weakest offensive environments available for any pitcher on the slate. Civale is not an arm who generates excitement, but he limits damage, keeps the ball in the park, and gets through innings efficiently. He is extremely low rostered and a salary-relief option that unlocks the premium construction elsewhere. The matchup does the heavy lifting here.

💎 HITTING COACH

Elite Bats

Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field (Full Lineup, LAD)

Analysis: The Dodgers are at Coors Field tonight but weather is a real factor - snow clears by gametime but temperatures sit in the 30s with winds blowing in at 10mph. This suppresses the typical Coors ceiling. It is still Coors and the altitude effect still applies, but this is not the free-upside environment you normally get. With that said, the lineup is too talented to fully fade. Ohtani ($7,000 DK / $4,500 FD) is hitting .254 with five home runs and a .393 wOBA. Tucker ($6,400 DK / $4,300 FD) is at .239 with two home runs. Freeman ($5,500 DK / $4,000 FD) is hitting .270 with three home runs and a 12.5% K-rate. Pages ($5,200 DK / $4,300 FD) leads the lineup at .409 with five home runs. Hernandez ($5,400 DK / $4,100 FD) is at .310 with four home runs. Tomoyuki Sugano takes the mound for Colorado - a right-hander who has allowed hard contact consistently this season. Stack this lineup with the weather caveat in mind - moderate the depth compared to a warm Coors night.

Yordan Alvarez (OF, HOU  |  DK $6,300 / FD $4,400)

Analysis: Alvarez is one of the best pure hitters in baseball and his 2026 numbers back it up - .328 average, seven home runs, a .489 wOBA, and a .529 expected wOBA through 89 plate appearances. His 19.2% barrel rate and 93 mph average exit velocity confirm the contact quality is elite. Tonight he gets Kyle Leahy, a converted reliever making his way through a rocky first full season in the rotation. Leahy carries a 5.40 ERA, a 5.01 FIP, and a 8.29 xERA - his underlying metrics are significantly worse than his already-bad surface numbers. He has struggled to command a six-pitch arsenal as a starter and Alvarez makes right-handed pitchers pay. Alvarez anchors the HOU primary stack and this is one of the better individual matchups on the slate.

Mike Trout (OF, LAA  |  DK $5,700 / FD $4,000)

Analysis: Trout slugged five home runs in four games against the Yankees this week and is carrying as much momentum as any player in baseball heading into tonight. His 2026 Statcast profile is elite: .481 expected wOBA, 28.3% barrel rate, and 92.8 average exit velocity - all confirming the underlying production is real. Tonight he faces Matt Waldron at Petco Park, a right-hander who is not an easy matchup but gives a bat this talented a legitimate opportunity. Trout is the individual anchor of the LAA contrarian stack regardless of the pitcher.

Value Bats (Salary Savers)

• Hyeseong Kim (2B/SS, LAD  |  DK $3,300 / FD $3,100):  Coors Field access at minimum-adjacent pricing. Weather tonight lowers the ceiling but not the floor - Kim provides salary relief and multi-position eligibility regardless of conditions. The cold and winds-in suppress the park's most extreme upside, but this is still Coors and the Dodgers are still the Dodgers.
• Alex Freeland (2B, LAD  |  DK $3,600 / FD $2,900):  Another Coors access bat at the low end of the LAD salary range. Cold weather and winds in tonight reduce the ceiling play here - Freeland hitting .196 in warm Coors conditions is one thing, but in 30-degree weather it is more of a salary-relief decision than an environmental-upside play. Use him if the construction demands it, but prioritize the better bats higher in the order.
• Dalton Rushing (C, LAD  |  DK $3,800 / FD $3,500):  Check lineup before lock. If Rushing is in the starting lineup tonight, he is a must-roster catcher at $3,800. The cold weather at Coors tempers the environment upside but the ownership floor is still zero - in any Coors game at any temperature, a Dodgers bat with no projected roster rate is a tournament differentiator.
• Carlos Cortes (OF, ATH  |  DK $3,300 / FD $2,400):  Cortes gets Davis Martin tonight. Martin has a 5.07 xERA through his first three starts this season and has faced Kansas City, Toronto, and Miami - not exactly a gauntlet. He is a right-hander who has consistently been more hittable to left-handed batters throughout his career. Cortes at minimum-adjacent pricing is an extremely low rostered bat in a good individual spot.
• Sam Antonacci (2B/3B, CWS  |  DK $2,000 / FD $2,000):  Minimum salary on both platforms. Check lineup and weather before lock. If he is in the starting lineup and the game is clear to play, he is the cheapest bat on the entire slate in a favorable individual spot.
• Jose Fernandez (1B, ARI  |  DK $3,400 / FD $3,000):  Fernandez is hitting .306 with two home runs and a .776 OPS in his rookie season. Tonight he faces Eric Lauer, a left-hander, which is the favorable platoon matchup for a right-handed hitter. Lauer has shown command issues in recent starts. Fernandez at low rostered pricing in a good handedness spot is a legitimate salary-relief play.

🏗️ THE STACKING BLUEPRINT

• Primary Stack: Los Angeles Dodgers | Targets: Ohtani, Tucker, Freeman, Pages, Hernandez, Muncy, Smith | Opponent: COL / Colorado pitching staff at Coors | LAD implied
• Why: Weather caveat tonight: temps in the 30s with winds blowing in at Coors after morning snow. The altitude effect still applies and the park still plays big, but this is not the full Coors environment you normally bank on. Downgrade the stack depth compared to a standard warm-weather Coors game. Sugano takes the mound for Colorado - a right-hander who has allowed hard contact this season. The Dodgers lineup is too talented to fade entirely but adjust expectations accordingly.
• Primary Stack: Houston Astros | Targets: Alvarez, Altuve, Walker, Correa, Paredes, Smith, Diaz | Opponent: STL / Kyle Leahy | HOU implied
• Why: Alvarez anchors this stack with a .489 wOBA and .529 expected wOBA. Walker is hitting .294 with four home runs and has been one of the best RBI producers in baseball this month. Kyle Leahy takes the mound for St. Louis tonight with a 5.40 ERA, 5.01 FIP, and 8.29 xERA - his underlying numbers are worse than they look and he has struggled to get through lineups efficiently as a converted starter. Houston has been one of the better offenses in baseball when they get rolling, and with the full lineup available at low ownership tonight the HOU stack is the best value primary build on the slate. Paredes and Smith both bring salary relief at the bottom.
• Contrarian Stack: Oakland Athletics | Targets: Langeliers, Kurtz, Soderstrom, Butler, McNeil, Cortes, Wilson | Opponent: CWS / Davis Martin and CWS pitching | ATH implied
• Why: Martin has a 5.07 xERA through his first three starts this season and has yet to face a lineup capable of punishing him consistently. Langeliers, Kurtz, and Soderstrom have all shown hard-contact ability, and the full ATH lineup is available at extremely low ownership tonight. If you want maximum salary and maximum ownership differentiation on a Coors-dominated slate, this is the build.
• Contrarian Stack: Miami Marlins | Targets: Stowers, Edwards, Hicks, Marsee, Lopez, Ramirez, Caissie | Opponent: MIL / Coleman Crow | MIA implied
• Why: Coleman Crow is a right-handed pitching prospect making his MLB debut or one of his first major league starts tonight. He features a curveball-heavy approach with a fastball sitting 91-93 mph - the kind of inexperienced arm that can get hit hard when the stuff does not play up in a big league environment. Miami has been a top-five offense against right-handed pitching to start 2026, a fact the market consistently underweights. Edwards, Hicks, and Marsee all come in at near-zero ownership. This is a legitimate tournament differentiation build against an unproven arm.
• Contrarian Stack: Los Angeles Angels | Targets: Trout, Neto, Adell, Soler, Schanuel, Moncada, Peraza | Opponent: SD / Matt Waldron | LAA implied
• Why: Trout is the anchor here coming off five home runs in four games against the Yankees. Neto has been one of the most productive bats on the Angels with five home runs and a .915 OPS. Waldron is being activated for San Diego tonight and is likely to face rust coming off the IL. The combination of Trout momentum, Neto production, and an opener situation with a pitcher getting his first action back makes the Angels a legitimate contrarian stack. The entire LAA lineup draws single-digit ownership.
• Contrarian Stack: Boston Red Sox | Targets: Anthony, Duran, Abreu, Contreras, Story, Mayer | Opponent: DET / Casey Mize | BOS implied
• Why: Mize takes the hill for Detroit carrying a 3.94 ERA and 10.13 K/9 through three starts - he is a legitimate arm and this is an eyes-open play. The weather at Fenway tonight is low 50s with winds gently blowing in, mildly pitcher-friendly. The reason to consider the Red Sox anyway is the individual talent - Anthony, Duran, and Abreu are all legitimate bats who tend to be better at home in a hitter-friendly park. At essentially zero ownership this provides maximum separation on a Coors-dominated slate.

📈 THE LEVERAGE REPORT (GAME THEORY)

🎯 Heart of the Order

The core pieces for every lineup you build today.

1. SP1  Logan Gilbert (SEA) | 2.65 FIP and 2.48 xERA behind a 4.18 surface ERA. 117 Location+. The process is elite and the results are coming. SEA vs TEX at moderate ownership.
2. SP Pivot Jose Soriano (LAA) | One run in 27 innings. 66% ground-ball rate, 113 Location+. FD salary of $10,000 looks expensive but his quality backs it up. The correct low-owned pivot off Glasnow in tournament builds.
3. Core Hitter Andy Pages (LAD) | .409 average, five home runs, hitting the best of anyone in the Dodgers lineup. Gets Coors Field tonight with cold weather and winds in - still a strong play but temper the Coors expectations compared to a warm night.
4. Core Hitter Yordan Alvarez (HOU) | .328 avg, 7 HR, .489 wOBA, .529 xwOBA. Gets Kyle Leahy tonight - 5.40 ERA, 5.01 FIP, 8.29 xERA. The most underowned elite bat on the slate against one of the most hittable pitchers.
5. Core Hitter Mike Trout (LAA) | Five home runs in four games against the Yankees this week. .481 xwOBA, 28.3% barrel rate. Anchors the LAA contrarian stack at moderate ownership for a player this dangerous.
6. Value Hitter Dalton Rushing (LAD) | Check lineup before lock. If he starts, he is a value-salary catcher at Coors in the Dodgers lineup with zero projected ownership. If he plays, he is in every tournament lineup.
7. Value Hitter ATH bats | Davis Martin has a 5.07 xERA and has not faced a lineup this capable of making hard contact through his first three starts. The entire A's lineup is extremely low rostered and offers maximum salary flexibility at the bottom of the build.

Player Pool

$ Tier	{{pos.alias}}

Stacks

{{stack.team.name}}	{{player.name}}
DraftKings	{{player.fantasy.price.value[8]}}-
Fanduel	{{player.fantasy.price.value[6]}}-