Welcome to Fantasy Alarm's MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy playbook for Friday, July 31st. Our MLB DFS projections combine advanced pitching metrics, platoon splits, strikeout prop data, and ownership positioning to identify the sharpest plays on every slate. Whether you are targeting DFS Projections, running lineups through our DFS Optimizer, tracking ownership trends, or checking confirmed lineups, Fantasy Alarm has the tools to sharpen your edge. 

This MLB DFS playbook covers every key position on DraftKings and FanDuel with our best MLB DFS picks for today.

Slate: 13-Game Main | Lock Time: 7:05 pm ET, Friday, July 31st, 2026

Vegas Totals: KC/COL – DET/ATH (tied for highest-projected game), WAS/ATL – MIL/LAA (tied second-highest game total), PHI/BAL – MIA/NYM – CWS/TB – ARI/CLE – SF/SD – BOS/LAD (third-highest game total)

Highest K-Projections: Dylan Cease 7.5 O/U (-120), Hunter Brown 5.5 O/U (-155), Nathan Eovaldi 5.5 O/U (-148), Shane Drohan 5.5 O/U (-135), Bryce Miller 5.5 O/U (+100), Freddy Peralta 5.5 O/U (+115)

MLB Weather Today, 7/31

KC @ COL - Low chance of a delay or late start. 

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

MLB DFS Top Pitchers

Dylan Cease (TOR)

Analysis: Cease is easily the top pitcher on the slate. He is coming off a 12-strikeout performance in Boston, and he has as long of a leash as anyone in baseball. Matchups hardly matter for a pitcher of Cease's caliber, but St. Louis has been a below-average offense against righties this season. 

Bryce Miller (SEA)

Analysis: Miller has elite numbers on the season, but he hasn't been in great form recently. On the plus side, he has been a far better pitcher at home this season. It is a tough spot against a strong Minnesota offense, but the results at home keep him in play. 

Nathan Eovaldi (TEX)

Analysis: Eovaldi has been on an incredible run, allowing three earned runs or less and recording at least eight strikeouts in five of his last six starts. The matchup against Houston is not ideal, but Eovaldi has flashed major upside recently. His 15% swinging-strike rate is the highest of his career. 

Hunter Brown (HOU)

Analysis: Brown is coming off his best start in quite some time, with seven shutout innings and seven strikeouts against the White Sox. He had been dealing with major control problems, but he did not issue a single walk in that contest. If the control is fixed, Brown has the ability to be a frontline starter. 

MLB DFS Value Pitchers

Nick Martinez (TB)

Analysis: Martinez lacks upside, but he makes up for it with consistency. He owns a sparkling 2.45 ERA on the season, even if there is a little good fortune involved in the underlying numbers. The White Sox are not the easiest matchup, but they do swing and miss a fair amount. 

Shane Drohan (MIL)

Analysis: Drohan is the most exciting value pitcher of the slate. He has continued to miss bats since being inserted into the starting rotation. The lefty has recorded at least six strikeouts in each of his last three starts, and now he gets a plus matchup against an Angels team that strikes out at the highest rate in baseball against lefties. 

Tanner Bibee (CLE)

Analysis: Bibee has dealt with some inconsistency this season, but he has been mostly solid overall. He draws a plus matchup against a Diamondbacks offense that ranks second-worst with an 87 wRC+ against right-handed pitching. 

Top Options For Strikeouts

K-prop lines and value ratings are incorporated below for DFS and prop context. These are the arms building the highest strikeout ceilings on the 13-game slate.

Our model identifies these arms as the highest-ceiling plays for Alt-K lines today:

Dylan Cease: 36.5% K% (13.3 K/9)

Bryce Miller: 26.9% K% (9.3 K/9)

Nathan Eovaldi: 25.6% K% (9.6 K/9) 

Hunter Brown: 25.0% K% (9.6 K/9)

Best Odds For A Win

The following MLB DFS picks offer a combination of favorable win odds, sustainable ERA and xFIP metrics, and soft opponent matchups. Each carries K-prop lines worth noting alongside their DFS value at reduced ownership relative to the top tier.

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Stacks & Hitters

MLB DFS Top Hitters

Dillon Dingler (C, DET) & Gleyber Torres (2B, DET)

Analysis: The Tigers have a higher implied team total than either team in Coors despite their lackluster numbers against lefties. Springs' 6.23 ERA and 2.34 HR/9 allowed are undoubtedly contributing to the highest total on the slate, as is Sutter Health Park. Dingler and Torres have the best combination of power and lineup spot, making them the most attractive options.  

Carter Jensen (C, KC) & Jac Caglianone (OF, KC) 

Analysis: I hate to double up at the catcher position since you can only play one on DK, but Jensen has the best power numbers against righties with his .207 ISO. Caglianone is right on his heels with a .202 ISO and also adds a .341 wOBA. Lefties have punished Sugano for a .314 ISO this season.  

Jackson Chourio (OF, MIL) & Jake Bauers (1B/OF, MIL)

Analysis: Milwaukee gets a matchup against an inexperienced righty with an ERA above 7.00. Chourio is an elite player with power and speed, and he has a .214 xISO against righties this season. Bauers has been awesome against righties with a .226 ISO. 

MLB DFS Value Hitters

Hao-Yu Lee (2B/3B, DET) & Spencer Torkelson (1B, DET)

Analysis: Lee might be the most obvious value play of the day, hitting in the middle of the Tigers order in Sutter Health. He also has premium positional eligibility at multiple IF spots. Torkelson has huge power in an elite home run spot. 

Kyle Karros (3B, COL)

Analysis: Karros lines up very well with the reverse splits of Wacha. He's tagged righties for a .187 ISO this season, and he has been even better recently after a slow start to the season. 

Salvador Perez (1B, KC) & Josh Rojas (SS/3B, KC)

Analysis: Salvy has certainly declined from his peak, but he is still at a very attractive price for this matchup in Coors. There is still legitimate power in the bat. Rojas' price and positional eligibility are both very useful to complete builds, and Coors gives him upside he otherwise might lack. 

MLB DFS Top Stacks

Primary Stack: Detroit Tigers vs Jeffrey Springs (ATH LHP)

Targets: Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle, Hao-Yu Lee, Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Javier Baez

Primary Stack: Kansas City Royals vs Tomoyuki Sugano (COL RHP)

Targets: Jac Caglianone, Carter Jensen, Salvador Perez, Michael Massey, Lane Thomas

Primary Stack: Milwaukee Brewers vs Ryan Johnson (LAA RHP)

Targets: Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, Jake Bauers, Christian Yelich, Garrett Mitchell, Luis Lara 

“Contrarian” Stack: Colorado Rockies vs Michael Wacha (KC RHP)

Targets:  Hunter Goodman, Mickey Moniak, Jake McCarthy, Kyle Karros, TJ Rumfield

"Contrarian" Stack: Cleveland Guardians vs Mitch Bratt (ARI LHP)

Targets: Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, Angel Martinez, Rhys Hoskins 

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters & Pitchers

The "Chalk" (Popular)

The "Pivot" (Low

Owned)

The Winning Logic
Drohan (SP, chalk)Bibee (SP, lower owned)Drohan has an elite matchup, but Bibee checks in with roughly half the ownership at a cheaper price tag. He also draws an elite matchup. 
Tigers (Chalk)Guardians (pivot stack)The Tigers are in an elite spot, but they own just a 92 wRC+ vs LHP this season. There are tons of options to outscore the chalk today.  
Torres + Greene (chalk)Ramirez + DeLauter (lower owned)The Guardians draw a matchup with an inexperienced lefty who owns a 6.32 ERA. They haven't posted good numbers against lefties this season, but getting J-Ram back in the lineup should certainly help. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The foundation for every MLB DFS lineup you build today. These are the core MLB DFS picks by position across DraftKings and FanDuel.

  1. Dylan Cease (SP1)
  2. Shane Drohan (SP2)
  3. Dillon Dingler (Core Bat)
  4. Jac Caglianone (Core Bat)
  5. Gleyber Torres (Core Bat) 
  6. Hao-Yu Lee (Core Value Bat)
  7. Kyle Karros (Core Value Bat)

Player Pool

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Stacks

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