Welcome to today's MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy baseball playbook for the main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Sunday's 11-game slate is headlined by Jacob Misiorowski's video-game peripherals on FanDuel, a scorching Coors Field afternoon pushing 100 degrees, and a genuine disaster start brewing from Max Scherzer in Toronto. For the sharpest MLB DFS projections, run your build through the DFS Optimizer, track live ownership trends, and check confirmed lineups at FantasyAlarm.com. Let's build some winning rosters.

MLB Weather Today, 8/2

Phillies vs Orioles – Clouds, 83°F, 41% precip, 11 mph wind at Camden Yards. The rain looks likely to hold just far enough west for the game to play, but it's close enough to warrant a second look closer to lock.

Nationals vs Braves – Partly cloudy, 85°F, 19% precip, 8 mph wind at Truist Park. Storms are expected to pop east of Atlanta and clear the area.

Diamondbacks vs Guardians – Rain, 76°F, 64% precip, 9 mph wind at Progressive Field. A delay looks decently likely here, though the game should still get in one way or another.

Pirates vs Reds – Partly cloudy, 77°F, 34% precip, 3 mph wind at Great American Ball Park. Some smaller showers are around, so a delay is possible, but the park is more likely to avoid direct rain than not.

Marlins vs Mets – Mostly cloudy, 82°F, 5% precip, 11 mph wind at Citi Field. Winds are blowing out to left-ish at around 15 mph, a real lift for anyone pulling the ball.

Yankees vs Cubs – Drizzle, 72°F, 16% precip, 13 mph wind at Wrigley Field. Winds are blowing in at around 20 mph today, meaning any home runs here will have to be earned rather than cheap.

Royals vs Rockies – Clear, 100°F, 0% precip, 7 mph wind at Coors Field. Roughly 100 degrees at altitude is a strong combination for the ball to carry.

Brewers vs Angels – Clear, 86°F, 0% precip, 6 mph wind at Angel Stadium.

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

MLB DFS Top Pitchers

Jacob Misiorowski (MIL, FanDuel Only)

These are video-game numbers: a 1.575 ERA across 20 starts, backed almost exactly by a 2.02 FIP and 1.97 xFIP, so there's no hidden inflation anywhere in this profile. His 13.875 K/9 is comfortably the best rate of any pitcher on today's slate, and a 0.823 WHIP with a .149 average allowed shows hitters simply are not finding barrels against him. Milwaukee is a massive favorite (-228) at home against the Angels today, and even his walk rate (2.1 BB/9) is tame relative to the strikeout upside. Only available on FanDuel today, but this is the clearest smash play on either site.

Zack Wheeler (PHI)

Locked into a heavy Phillies favorite spot (-135) on the road against Baltimore. A 2.53 ERA is backed up by a 3.08 FIP and an even better 2.74 xFIP, meaning the results may actually be a touch conservative relative to his true talent level right now. His 10.75 K/9 and tidy 2.01 BB/9 give him one of the cleanest strikeout-to-walk profiles in this pool, and a 0.923 WHIP is elite. The one real caveat today is Camden Yards weather, a 41% precip chance that's close enough to warrant a second look before lock, though the rain is expected to hold just far enough west for the game to play.

Gavin Williams (CLE, Weather Watch)

The stuff here is outstanding: an 11.34 K/9 and a 3.55 FIP that's actually running behind a much better 2.87 xFIP, a real signal that positive regression could be coming even from an already-solid 3.71 ERA. Pitching for Cleveland against Arizona, with a 2.565 BB/9 and 1.07 WHIP rounding out a strong overall profile despite a slightly elevated 1.42 HR/9. The real flag today is entirely about the forecast: Progressive Field is sitting at a 64% rain chance, and a delay looks decently likely, even though the game should still ultimately get in. Treat this as a correct roster if you're comfortable with some in-game delay risk.

Gerrit Cole (NYY)

Facing the Cubs at Wrigley today. His 3.57 ERA is a shade behind his peripherals (3.72 FIP, 3.70 xFIP), a fair representation without much hidden upside or downside either way. A 9.66 K/9 and 1.85 BB/9 remain a strong combination, and a 1.088 WHIP is solid if unspectacular for this price point. Wrigley Field winds are blowing in hard today, around 20 mph, meaning any home runs will have to be earned rather than cheap, good news for a fly-ball-prone start like this one.

MLB DFS Value Pitchers

Griffin Jax (TB)

Against the White Sox today. His 3.74 ERA is a bit worse than his 4.03 FIP, but a much better 3.47 xFIP suggests his underlying stuff plays better than either number alone. A 9.55 K/9 is a legitimate strikeout rate for this salary range, though a 3.12 BB/9 and 1.235 WHIP show real command variance that keeps this from being a completely clean profile. His 1.35 HR/9 is the one number worth watching against a White Sox lineup that can occasionally find some pop.

Sandy Alcantara (MIA)

A 3.82 ERA is roughly matched by a 3.96 FIP, so this is a fair read of where he's at, not a hidden gem or a hidden trap. His 6.87 K/9 is the lowest of today's featured pitchers, meaning the appeal here is much more about innings and contact management than swing-and-miss upside. A 2.33 BB/9 and 1.208 WHIP are both perfectly reasonable, and Citi Field's wind blowing out to left at 15 mph today is a modest but real homer-suppression concern given his 1.02 HR/9. Takes the ball for Miami against the Mets today.

Colin Rea (CHC)

The least inspiring peripheral profile of today's pitcher pool: a 4.67 ERA backed by a 4.85 FIP and 4.72 xFIP, all pointing to the same middling read rather than a hidden upgrade. His 6.69 K/9 is low, and a 3.22 BB/9 with a 1.397 WHIP round out a replacement-level looking arm on paper. The matchup is more favorable than the raw name recognition suggests, the Yankees have been struggling recently and are without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Cody Bellinger due to injury, a real dent in the middle of that lineup. Wrigley's wind blowing in hard today (about 20 mph) adds another layer of home-run suppression on top of that weakened lineup, but this is still a risky roster given Rea's own shaky peripherals, treat him as a cheap innings play in a favorable spot rather than a true ceiling piece.

Top Options For Strikeouts

Ranking by K/9 across today's featured arms:

Best Odds For A Win

The favorites among tonight's picks, by moneyline:

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Stacks & Hitters

MLB DFS Top Hitters

TJ Rumfield (1B, COL) (FanDuel Only)

Everything is lining up for a big day at altitude: a 138.3 wRC+ against right-handed pitching this year, well above average, in a Coors Field forecast pushing 100 degrees. That combination of extreme heat and elevation is exactly the recipe for the ball to carry. He faces a righty today in Seth Lugo, and Colorado is projected for the highest implied total of any team on the slate. A cheap price tag on a bat performing at a genuine middle-of-the-order level makes this one of the sharper value gaps on the board.

Yordan Alvarez (OF, HOU)

The single best number in today's entire player pool: a 209.6 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, built on a .334 ISO and a jaw-dropping .676 slugging percentage in that split. He faces a righty today in Kumar Rocker, and Houston's team-wide line against right-handers (108.8 wRC+) is comfortably the strongest offensive split of any team on the slate. An 18.3% walk rate against right-handers adds real on-base equity on top of the power. There isn't a cleaner top-of-the-pool bat on the board today.

CJ Abrams (SS, WSH)

Right behind Alvarez at the top of the pool: a 168.6 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, with a .303 ISO showing legitimate thump to go with a strong .393 on-base percentage in the split. He faces a righty today in JR Ritchie, and a 10.6% walk rate against right-handers shows the plate discipline holding up alongside the power. Washington is an underdog on the moneyline against Atlanta, but Abrams' own production doesn't depend on the Nationals winning the game outright. One of the clearest star-level bats on the slate regardless of site.

Salvador Perez (C/1B, KC, FanDuel Only)

A spot in the Royals lineup against a lefty in Kyle Freeland, and his 111.5 wRC+ against left-handed pitching is a strong mark at the catcher position on any slate. A .192 ISO against lefties shows real pop, and Freeland has been one of the worst starters in baseball this season, a 7.34 ERA with a 1.55 WHIP and a .562 slugging percentage allowed. This is as much a pitcher-exploit case as it is a Perez-specific platoon smash, but both point in the same direction. FanDuel only today, worth prioritizing there given the catcher scarcity.

Jose Ramirez (3B, CLE)

Worth the honest framing up front: Ramirez's 83.1 wRC+ against right-handed pitching this year is actually below league average, a real surprise for a hitter of his caliber and reputation. He faces a righty today in Merrill Kelly, so this isn't the platoon side where his track record has traditionally shined. A 13.0% walk rate against right-handers is still a strength, keeping some floor intact even with the modest overall production. In Cleveland's lineup today, but this is a name-value inclusion more than a data-backed smash spot.

MLB DFS Value Hitters

Troy Johnston (1B/OF, COL) (FanDuel Only)

Part of the same Coors Field heat wave as Rumfield, and his 112.1 wRC+ against right-handed pitching is a solid, above-average mark to go with a strong 10.2% walk rate in the split. He faces the same Seth Lugo that the rest of this Rockies stack is attacking, in a game with the highest implied total on today's slate. This kind of production at a rock-bottom salary is exactly the gap a lineup builder wants to find. A clean way to double up on the Coors Field environment without paying premium salary.

Luis Urias (2B, TOR)

Urias's 82.9 wRC+ against left-handed pitching is below average, and the sample is tiny, just 28 plate appearances in that split this year, so treat the exact number with real caution either way but note he's been better against lefties over his career. The appeal is almost entirely about batting order rather than a platoon smash: he's in the leadoff spot for Toronto, which is projected for the highest implied total of any team on the board (4.9 runs). More plate appearances at a rock-bottom salary is the case here, not a strong underlying split.

Lars Nootbaar (OF, STL)

Facing a righty today in Max Scherzer for St. Louis, and his 110.0 wRC+ against right-handed pitching is a solid, above-average mark on its own. But the real story is Scherzer: a brutal 9.49 ERA across seven starts this year, backed by an even worse 8.21 FIP and 6.18 xFIP, genuinely one of the worst pitching lines on the entire slate. A 13.4% walk rate against right-handers gives Nootbaar a stable floor even before factoring in how vulnerable this specific matchup is. The cheapest and clearest way into a start that looks like it could get out of hand quickly.

MLB DFS Top Stacks

Top Stack: Colorado Rockies vs Seth Lugo (KC RHP, FanDuel Emphasis)

Why: Lugo's season-long numbers are unremarkable rather than a disaster: a 4.22 ERA with a similar 4.24 FIP and 4.50 xFIP, so this is a fair pitcher rather than an obvious exploit. The real case is the ballpark and forecast: Coors Field is sitting at roughly 100 degrees today, and that combination of heat and altitude is a strong setup for the ball to carry. Colorado's team split against right-handers (94.7 wRC+) is only average, but the individual bats here run well ahead of that number: Rumfield and Johnston both get individual mention above, and Cole Carrigg (145.6 wRC+ in a smaller sample) and Jake McCarthy (99.4 wRC+) round out a lineup with real top-to-bottom upside in this heat.

Targets: TJ Rumfield, Troy Johnston, Cole Carrigg, Jake McCarthy

Top Stack: Kansas City Royals vs Kyle Freeland (COL LHP, FanDuel Emphasis)

Why: Freeland has been one of the worst starters in baseball this season: a 7.34 ERA, a 1.55 WHIP, and a .562 slugging percentage allowed, with a 4.92 FIP that confirms this isn't just an unlucky number. Kansas City's team split against left-handers (95.5 wRC+) is only middling, so this is much more of a pitcher-exploit stack than a case built on Royals' own platoon strength. Perez anchors the group with his strong 111.5 wRC+ against lefties, and Carter Jensen (93.0 wRC+) and Jac Caglianone (85.4 wRC+) round out the lineup at more modest but still rosterable levels for a cheap, volume-based build.

Targets: Salvador Perez, Carter Jensen, Jac Caglianone, Starling Marte

Top Stack: Miami Marlins vs Mets Bullpen Game

Why: The Mets are running a bullpen game today rather than a traditional starter, which typically means shorter individual pitcher outings and more total innings against relievers who haven't faced this lineup as many times. Miami's team split against right-handed pitching (103.8 wRC+) is solidly above average, and the individual numbers back it up across the board: Liam Hicks (140.2 wRC+), Kyle Stowers (132.5 wRC+), Otto Lopez (118.9 wRC+), and Xavier Edwards (114.2 wRC+) are all comfortably above average against right-handers. Citi Field's wind blowing out to left at 15 mph today adds a bit of extra lift on top of an already-appealing matchup.

Targets: Liam Hicks, Kyle Stowers, Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards

Top Stack: Cincinnati Reds vs Mitch Keller (PIT RHP)

Why: Keller's season-long line is middling rather than a disaster: a 4.83 ERA with a similar 4.27 FIP and 4.51 xFIP, a fair pitcher without an obvious exploitable gap. Cincinnati's team split against right-handers (84.9 wRC+) is actually the softest of any team referenced in today's playbook, so this isn't a smash spot on team quality alone. The individual bats change the picture considerably: JJ Bleday (122.3 wRC+), Sal Stewart (105.5 wRC+), Elly De La Cruz (106.8 wRC+), and Tyler Stephenson (105.2 wRC+) all grade out comfortably above average against right-handed pitching, well ahead of the team aggregate.

Targets: JJ Bleday, Elly De La Cruz, Tyler Stephenson, Sal Stewart

“Contrarian” Stacks

Contrarian Stack: St. Louis Cardinals vs Max Scherzer (TOR RHP)

Why: Scherzer's 2026 season has been genuinely brutal: a 9.49 ERA across seven starts, backed by an even worse 8.21 FIP and 6.18 xFIP, with a 1.824 WHIP that's easily the worst mark of any pitcher referenced in this playbook. St. Louis's team split against right-handers (93.2 wRC+) is only average, but this stack doesn't need the team aggregate to carry it given how bad the pitcher himself has been. Alec Burleson is the headline number here at a massive 159.9 wRC+ against right-handers, with Jordan Walker (122.6 wRC+), Nootbaar (110.0 wRC+, detailed above), and Ivan Herrera (102.6 wRC+) giving this stack real depth from top to bottom.

Targets: Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar, Ivan Herrera

Contrarian Stack: Houston Astros vs Kumar Rocker (TEX RHP)

Why: Rocker's season-long numbers are ordinary rather than a trap or a gem: a 4.03 ERA with a similar 4.13 FIP and 4.16 xFIP, so there's no hidden red flag here, just a fair pitcher. Houston's team split against right-handers (108.8 wRC+) is the strongest of any team featured in today's playbook, giving this stack a real foundation beyond just Alvarez's individual heroics. Jeremy Pena is a standout complement at 163.7 wRC+ against right-handers, with Isaac Paredes (129.9 wRC+) and Christian Walker (114.4 wRC+) rounding out a genuinely deep lineup from top to bottom.

Targets: Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker

Contrarian Stack: Atlanta Braves vs Cade Cavalli (WSH RHP)

Why: Worth being upfront that Cavalli is actually a quality pitcher this year, a 3.55 ERA backed by an even better 3.22 FIP and 10.03 K/9, so this isn't a pitcher-exploit case the way most of today's other matchups are. The appeal is Atlanta's own lineup depth: a 104.7 wRC+ team split against right-handers, with Ronald Acuna (142.4 wRC+) and Matt Olson (142.0 wRC+) both grading out as legitimately elite individual numbers against right-handed pitching. Mauricio Dubon (100.4 wRC+) adds a right-around-average complementary piece, while Ozzie Albies (90.5 wRC+) is the softest link in this specific group. Some rain risk is in the forecast at Truist Park, though storms are expected to pop east of the city and clear the area.

Targets: Ronald Acuna, Matt Olson, Mauricio Dubon, Ozzie Albies

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters & Pitchers

Player Pool

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Stacks

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