Welcome to Fantasy Alarm's MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy playbook for Sunday, July 19th. 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 14-game have multiple different directions with some elite pitchers in Jacob Misiorowski, Dylan Cease, and Cristopher Sanchez all taking the mound. It's also a Coors Field slate and Wrigley wind as well. This MLB DFS playbook covers every key position on DraftKings and FanDuel with our best MLB DFS picks for today.

Slate: 14-Games | Lock Time: 7:05 pm ET, Monday, July 20th, 2026

Vegas Totals: WAS/COL (highest-projected game), DET/CHC (second-highest game total), SF/KC (third-highest game total)

Highest K-Projections: Jacob Misiorowski 8.5 O/U (-142), Dylan Cease 7.5 O/U (+114), Jacob deGrom 6.5 O/U (-144), George Kirby 6.5 O/U (-142), Braxton Ashcraft 6.5 O/U (-124), Cristopher Sanchez 6.5 O/U (-103), Ryan Weathers 6.5 O/U (+103)

MLB Weather Today, 7/20

Padres vs Braves - There could be a slight delay if storms pop but they're not expected to be overly concerning.

Giants vs Royals - It's really hot and humid and the ball carries out of the stadium more because of it.

Tigers vs Cubs - UPDATE - This game looks much better, which bodes well for offenses considering there are 10 MPH winds all night and even stronger gusts throughout the evening as well.

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

MLB DFS Top Pitchers

Jacob Misiorowski (MIL)

Analysis: Misiorowski was skipped in his final pre-break turn due to minor fatigue, meaning he comes into tonight on extended, fresh rest. That could cause a pitch count, but if he has a full workload, he's the best pitcher on the slate. He has the highest K-rate in the league and the Mets are 27th in wRC+. He's highly rostered, so if you take a stand against him thinking there's a pitch count, you could get a leg up on the field. 

Dylan Cease (TOR)

Analysis: Heading into this start, Dylan Cease has a 36.9% K-rate this year. When you pay up for pitching in DFS, you are chasing slate-breaking ceilings, and few provide it as consistently as Cease. He has already eclipsed 30+ DraftKings Points six times this season, proving he possesses the massive strikeout capability required to carry a lineup. He catches a Rays team that has lost five straight.

George Kirby (SEA)

Analysis: With his whiffs trending in the right direction and a date against the league's most strikeout-prone offense vs. righties, Kirby offers SP1 upside at what could be a very reasonable salary tier relative to his ceiling. The Reds also rank 29th in wRC+ and now have to hit in Seattle. Lock him in confidently.

Braxton Ashcraft (PIT)

Analysis: Don't let the pinstripes scare you off. The data tells us the post-Judge Yankees are a high-strikeout, low-efficiency offense against righties. Ashcraft provides elite velocity, pinpoint control, and unmatched roster leverage as a low-owned value play. He just needs to avoid home runs in the small ballpark.

MLB DFS Value Pitchers

Ryan Weathers (NYY)

Analysis: The Pirates carry a massive 25.8% strikeout rate against LHP, which ranks as the 3rd-highest K-rate in Major League Baseball. When they aren't striking out, they aren't creating meaningful offense either, generating a subpar 96 wRC+ against southpaws. Weathers has a high ceiling in this spot.

Emmet Sheehan (LAD)

Analysis: The Phillies rank 20th in OPS, 23rd in wOBA, and 26th in wRC+ against righties and Emmet Sheehan has been very unlucky all year long. Sheehan misses a LOT of bats and the Phillies strike out over 23% of the time against right-handers. Great way to be different off of Ryan Weathers.

Andrew Abbott (CIN)

Analysis: The Mariners rank dead last in baseball in both OPS and wOBA. Their run-creation efficiency is just as bleak, sitting at 28th in wRC+. They also strike out 24% of the time. What's interesting there is Abbott has missed more bats lately notching a 10.5% SwStr or better in six of his last eight games. That's where you get an increase in strikeouts. The ballpark upgrade can't be understated and with a lot bad pitching around him and under him, Abbott's a nice pivot away from Weathers.

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:

Jacob Misiorowski: 39.6% K% (13.5 K/9)

Dylan Cease: 36.9% K% (13.5 K.9)

Jacob deGrom: 30.4% K% (10.9 K/9)

Braxton Ashcraft: 27.8% K% (10.2 K/9) 

Cristopher Sanchez: 27.4% K% (10.2 K/9)

Ryan Weathers: 26.9% K% (10.1 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

James Wood (OF, WAS) & Curtis Mead (3B, WAS)

Analysis: The Nationals are going to run out Wood and Mead in their top-two tonight and they look like the bash brothers in Coors Field. Both guys have .250 ISO's or better against left-handed pitching this season and take those marks into Coors. Yes please.

Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF, CHC) & Michael Busch (1B, CHC)

Analysis: Jack Flaherty has been really good lately but is pitching in a wind game in Wrigley Field, his 48.6% FB rate is not going to fly. Speaking of flying, PCA and Busch could hit balls completely out of the ballpark in the wind tonight.

Riley Greene (OF, DET) & Kevin McGonigle (3B/SS, DET)

Analysis: It's hard to ignore what lefties have done to Jameson Taillon this year. He allows home runs to both splits, but lefties are at 3.38 HR/9 this year. McGonigle has a .203 xISO and .383 xwOBA against lefites and Riley Greene's at .260 xISO and .379 xwOBA.

Rafael Devers (1B, SF)

Analysis: Although Michael Wacha has been good against lefties, it's really hot in Kansas City and the ball is FLYING. Devers has decimated righties this year posting a .295 ISO and .383 wOBA.

Ketel Marte (2B, ARI) 

Analysis: Ketel Marte is historically good from the right side of the plate and crushes lefties. He has his entire career and the .289 ISO he sports this year is not changing that theory. He faces Jeffrey Springs who's allowed the MOST home runs in baseball this year and RHH have a .270 ISO against him.

MLB DFS Value Hitters

Harry Ford (C, WAS)

Analysis: If Harry Ford draws a start here, he's locked and loaded at 3.5K on DK. Freeland's allowed a .269 ISO and .403 wOBA to righties this year. Ford's been impressive in his first two games at the major league level.

Bryce Eldridge (1B, SF) & Willy Adames (SS, SF)

Analysis: Bryce Eldridge is on a heater and has been one of the better young players around MLB and has a .197 ISO, .236 xISO, and .367 wOBA against righties. I think Adames is one of the sneakiest plays of the day due to the reverse splits nature of both he and Wacha. Wacha's allowed a .200 ISO to RHH and Adames has a .200 ISO vs. RHP.

Spencer Torkelson (1B, DET) & Kerry Carpenter (OF, DET)

Analysis: These two guys are simply too cheap with the conditions here but they have MASSIVE power and each player has double dong upside. Tork has a .230 ISO vs. RHP and Carpenter has a .250 ISO against them as well.

Nolan Arenado (3B, ARI)

Analysis: The way Nolan Arenado is hitting right now takes ya back to his days in Colorado. He's raking. He's been decent against southpaws this year too posting a .179 ISO and he faces a pitcher in Jeffrey Springs who's allowed more homers than every other pitcher in baseball.

MLB DFS Top Stacks

Primary Stack: Washington Nationals vs Kyle Freeland (COL LHP)

Why: Freeland has been really bad against both splits this year as they've both hit at least .318 this year but righties have been elite in the power department. He's allowed a .587 SLG% and 16 HR vs. RHH. Washington has the highest wRC+ against left-handed pitching this year.

Targets: James Wood, Curtis Mead, CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, Harry Ford, Nasim Nunez

Primary Stack: Detroit Tigers vs Jameson Taillon (CHC RHP)

Why: This is what dreams are made of. There are heavy winds blowing out for a pitcher with a 50% FB rate. Lefties have hit 3.38 HR/9 and righties are at 2.02. I mean, how does Taillon survive this outing?

Targets: Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Colt Keith, Dillon Dingler, Zach McKinstry

Primary Stack: Chicago Cubs vs Jack Flaherty (DET RHP)

Why: It's a wind game at Wrigley Field and Flaherty's flyball rate this year is a smidge under 49%. With wind expected to be blowing out at nearly 20 MPH, there's going to be a LOT of flyballs that have extra carry behind it because of the wind.

Targets: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Alex Bregman, Michael Conforto, Dansby Swanson, Seiya Suzuki

“Contrarian” Stack: San Francisco Giants vs Michael Wacha (KC RHP)

Why: Michael Wacha has been reverse splits this year but under the hood, the numbers look pretty similar and he even gives up more flyballs to lefties, which is bad news in his ballpark on a hot day. Righties have a .200+ ISO and .452 SLG% and look great. I love the Giants power-hitting lefties to go with them.

Targets: Bryce Eldridge, Willy Adames, Rafael Devers, Casey Schmitt, Heliot Ramos

"Contrarian" Stack: Colorado Rockies vs Andrew Alvarez (WAS LHP)

Why: There are a lot of things at play here and it all brings me to one conclusion; the Rockies offense is appealing. Andrew Alvarez has actually been pretty good, but he doesn't pitch deep into games and the Nationals have the worst bullpen in baseball by a wide margin.

Targets: Hunter Goodman, Cole Carrigg, Willi Castro, TJ Rumfield, Kyle Karros, Tyler Freeman

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters & Pitchers

The "Chalk" (Popular)

The "Pivot" (Low

Owned)

The Winning Logic
Misiorowski (SP, chalk)Cease (SP, lower owned)We know nothing about Misiorowski's pitch count or if there is one. We know Cease has been one of the best SPs in the game and is half the ownership.
Tigers (Chalk)Cubs (pivot stack)There's two teams in the wind game and only one of them are getting any ownership.
Crews + Chaparro (chalk)Wood + Busch (lower owned)As good of a spot as Crews/Chaparro are in, it makes you wonder why nobody's playing James Wood and Michael Busch, who are as good as it gets today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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. George Kirby (SP2)
  3. Curtis Mead (Core Bat)
  4. James Wood (Core Bat)
  5. Kevin McGonigle (Core Bat) 
  6. Willy Adames (Core Value Bat)
  7. Spencer Torkelson (Core Value Bat)

Player Pool

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Stacks

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