Welcome to Fantasy Alarm's MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy playbook for Friday, July 14th. 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. 

Today's slates have multiple different directions with some quality pitchers in Chris Sale, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Gavin Williams, and Gerrit Cole all taking the mound. This MLB DFS playbook covers every key position on DraftKings and FanDuel with our best MLB DFS picks for today.

Slate: 10-Games | Lock Time: 7:10 pm ET, Friday, August 14th, 2026

Vegas Totals: TEX/ATH (highest-projected game), WAS/NYM & KC/LAA (tied for second-highest game total)

Highest K-Projections: Gavin Williams 7.5 O/U (+121), Yoshinobu Yamamoto 6.5 O/U (-142), Chris Sale 6.5 O/U (+103), Gage Jump 6.5 O/U (+124), Landen Roupp 5.5 O/U (-126)

MLB Weather Today, 8/14

Diamondbacks vs Braves - It's summers in Atlanta and there's an outside chance at some rain, but everything should be fine.

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

MLB DFS Top Pitchers

Chris Sale (ATL)

Analysis: Few pitchers have the ceiling/floor combination as Chris Sale. This isn't a particularly easy spot, but Sale can dominate any lineup around the major leagues.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)

Analysis: Yamamoto isn't the most consistent strikeout arm but does have two 10 strikeout games on his resume. Milwaukee is a tough offense (107 wRC+ vs. RHP) and only strike out 21.4% of the time. He could get through eight innings of one-run baseball and nobody would be surprising.

Gavin Williams (CLE)

Analysis: The last time Gavin Williams didn't have at least six strikeouts in a start happened on June 17th. He's had 7+ in six straight and 10+ in five of those six. He has as high of a ceiling as any other pitcher on the slate. He's put up 30+ DKP in four of six. SD has a 21.9% K-rate vs. RHP this year, which ranks 12th in baseball.

Gerrit Cole (NYY)

Analysis: The Blue Jays offense is really bad they just don't strike out a lot. They have a 97 wRC+ against righties but have a 18.9% K-rate. Cole looks ALL the way back as he's put up 20+ DKP in five straight games and six of seven overall.

MLB DFS Value Pitchers

Landen Roupp (SF)

Analysis: The thing that gets in Landen Roupp's way often is his control. He walks too many batters and that gets him in trouble. The Rockies don't walk a ton at 8.6%, which is the 19th-highest mark in the league. Roupp has pitched better than his numbers suggest this season.

Gage Jump (ATH)

Analysis: It's unfortunate for Gage Jump that Sutter Health Park is so bad for pitchers because his splits are incredibly drastic from home to road. He's been elite on the road and he's allowed a .390 BABIP and has a 6.16 ERA at Sutter Health. Here's the thing; that luck could turn and Jump's the one pitcher down in this range that has a GPP winning ceiling. He has the third-highest K-rate on the main slate and the Rangers, although good against lefties, have a very elevated 25.1% K-rate (4th-highest).

Seth Lugo (KC)

Analysis: The Angels have been a pathetic offense against right-handed pitching this year. The Angels are 28th in wRC+, 30th in OPS, and 29th in wOBA while striking out 25.1% of the time vs. RHP. Lugo has scored double-digit fantasy points in five of six and has twice put up 17+ DKP over his last four games.

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 9-game slate.

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

Gavin Williams: 32.3% K% (11.5 K/9)

Chris Sale: 30.6% K% (11.1 K/9)

Gage Jump: 26.7% K% (10.4 K/9)

Gerrit Cole: 26.4% K% (9.7 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

Bobby Witt SS, KC) & Jac Caglianone (1B/OF, KC)

Analysis: The Royals profile pretty good here against Grayson Rodriguez. Lefties have a .222 ISO and .403 wOBA while righties have a .238 ISO, .262 xISO, .349 wOBA, and .383 xwOBA. Cags has been one of the league's hottest hitters lately and has a .229 ISO and .367 wOBA while Witt simply is one of the league's best hitters and has a .191 xISO and .370 xwOBA against righties.

Liam Hicks (C, TB) & Jonathan Aranda (1B, TB)

Analysis: Once again, left-handed bats are giving Chris Bassitt fits as he comes off the IL to make this start. Lefties are slashing .328/.408/.537 against him along with a .208 ISO. Both Hicks and Aranda have .185+ ISOs against righties this year while posting .375+ wOBAs too.

Tyler Soderstrom (OF, ATH)

Analysis: Lefties have crushed Kumar Rocker this year to the tune of a .293/.367/.498 with a .205 ISO. Now he has to navigate a red hot Tyler Soderstrom in a minor league park. Soderstrom's been a .230 ISO & .367 wOBA player against righties this year.

Mike Trout (OF, LAA)

Analysis: Classic matchup between reverse splitsers. Trout hits righties better and Lugo struggles more with righties. A lot to like mano v mano. I like Lugo but I like Trout too.

Wyatt Langford (OF, TEX) & Jake Burger (1B, TEX)

Analysis: The Rangers have the highest-implied total on the board and Langford and Burger are two of the primary reasons as to why. Langford and Burger both have .200+ ISOs against southpaws this season. Jump's been awful at home, too.

MLB DFS Value Hitters

Victor Mesa (OF, TB)

Analysis: Victor Mesa has been a really good source of power against right-handed pitching this year. Mesa has a .262 ISO, .322 wOBA, and 9 HR against righties this season. Chris Bassitt struggles with lefties allowing a .537 SLG% and .208 ISO.

Lawrence Butler (OF, ATH) & Jeff McNeil (1B/2B, ATH)

Analysis: Since the second half started, Jeff McNeil is batting .377 and has swiped five bases. The A's have been using him as their leadoff man vs. RHP, too. Butler's been good since the break in the power department posting a .468 SLG%, .228 ISO, and .333 wOBA.

Spencer Jones (OF, NYY) & George Lombard (SS, NYY)

Analysis: Shane Bieber has had struggles against both sides of the plate and here lie two young rookies that are very cheap. Jones has a .213 xISO against righties and Lombard's crushed righties early on with a .273 ISO and .377 wOBA.

Abimelec Ortiz (1B, WAS)

Analysis: I heard my son use the word “monster” and that's what Abimelec Ortiz has been this year vs. RHP. It's a small sample, but he had a good year in the minors and is demolishing righties. He's posted a .417 ISO with a .466 wOBA and the expected stuff lines up with his seasonal numbers.

MLB DFS Top Stacks

Primary Stack: Texas Rangers vs Gage Jump (ATH LHP)

Targets: Wyatt Langford, Jake Burger, Corey Seager, Ezequiel Duran, Brandon Nimmo, Elias Diaz

Primary Stack: Tampa Bay Rays vs Chris Bassitt (BAL RHP)

Targets: Jonathan Aranda, Liam Hicks, Victor Mesa, Junior Caminero, Chandler Simpson, Yandy Diaz

Primary Stack: Athletics vs Kumar Rocker (TEX RHP)

Targets: Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler, Jeff McNeil, Carlos Cortes, Zack Gelof

“Contrarian” Stack: Washington Nationals vs Robert Stock (NYM RHP)

Targets: Abimelec Ortiz, CJ Abrams, Daylen Lile, Keibert Ruiz, Dylan Crews

“Contrarian” Stack: Atlanta Braves vs Brandon Pfaadt (ARI RHP)

Targets: Ronald Acuna, Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, Michael Harris, Mike Yastzemski, Austin Riley

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters & Pitchers

The "Chalk" (Popular)

The "Pivot" (Low

Owned)

The Winning Logic
Roupp (SP, chalk value)Jump (SP, lower owned value)The strikeout ceiling for Gage Jump is as high as anyone else on slate. 1 of 4 pitchers projected at 6.5+ Ks.
Rangers (Chalk)Athletics (pivot stack)Lower-owned stack in small ballpark in great matchup from left-side of plate.
Lindor + Robert Jr. (chalk)Soderstrom + McNeil (lower owned)A's have 4.9 implied runs & have two low-owned lefties that are rollin' & face an SP struggling vs. LHH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

  1. Gavin Williams (SP1)
  2. Landen Roupp (SP2)
  3. Wyatt Langford (Core Bat)
  4. Jac Caglianone (Core Bat)
  5. Tyler Soderstrom (Core Bat) 
  6. Jeff McNeil (Core Value Bat)
  7. Abimelec Ortiz (Core Value Bat)

Player Pool

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Stacks

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