Welcome to Fantasy Alarm's MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy playbook for Thursday, May 28th. 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. We have two three game slates we're breaking down as we'll have the player grid available for the early slate and entire playbook for main slate. This MLB DFS playbook covers every key position on DraftKings and FanDuel with our best MLB DFS picks for today.

Slate: 3-Game Early & 3-Game Main  |  Lock Time: 1:10 PM ET & 6:35 pm ET, Thursday May 28, 2026

Vegas Totals: LAA/DET (highest-projected game, early slate), TOR/BAL (highest-projected game, main slate)

Highest K-Projections: Chris Sale 7.5 O/U (-126, early slate), Paul Skenes 6.5 O/U (-106, main slate), Jack Flaherty 6.5 O/U (+114, early slate), Nathan Eovaldi 6.5 O/U (+122, main slate)

MLB Weather Today, 5/28

LAA vs DET (Early Slate) - Winds blowing out to right field for 10-15 MPH.

ATL vs BOS (Early Slate) - There's a chance at a delay because of the rain in the area, but the game should play fine.

TOR vs BAL (Main Slate) - Winds are blowing in at nearly 10 MPH. Slightly improved pitching conditions.

CHC vs PIT (Main Slate) - 10 MPH winds blowing out that improves hitting conditions a tad.

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

MLB DFS Top Pitchers (Early Slate)

MLB DFS Top Pitchers (Main Slate)

Top Options For Strikeouts

The three top strikeout targets in today's MLB DFS projections each carry a K/9 above 10.9 and favorable opponent strikeout splits. 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 nine-game slate.

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

Early Slate

Chris Sale: 29.9% K% (10.5 K/9)

Davis Martin: 27.4% K% (9.6 K/9) 

Jack Flaherty: 24.4% K% (10.5 K/9)

Main Slate

Paul Skenes: 28% K% (9.7 K/9)

Nathan Eovaldi: 23.8% K% (8.9 K/9)

Spencer Arrighetti: 22.9% K% (8.8 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 carry K-prop lines worth noting alongside their DFS value at reduced ownership relative to the top tier.

Early Slate

Main Slate

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Stacks & Hitters

MLB DFS Top Hitters (Early Slate)

MLB DFS Top Hitters (Main Slate)

MLB DFS Top Stacks (Early Slate)

Primary Stack: Chicago White Sox vs Kendry Rojas (MIN LHP)

Why: The White Sox top five in their lineup all have an ISO of .184 or better and they face Kendry Rojas, who's good, but the White Sox are better against left-handed pitching. Chase Meidroth, Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, Randal Grichuk, and Colson Montgomery are the primary top-five. Derek Hill and Sam Antonacci are options too.

Primary Stack: Detroit Tigers vs Grayson Rodriguez (LAA RHP)

Why: Through two starts, Grayson Rodriguez has really struggled against left-handed bats on the surface and under the hood. Lefties have a .286 ISO, .357 xISO, .528 wOBA, and .505 xwOBA against him. Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene stand out above everyone else and Colt Keith is the other lefty to target. From the right side, Dillon Dingler and Spencer Torkelson look good.

Contrarian Stack: Los Angeles Angels vs Jack Flaherty (DET RHP)

Why: I wish there were more lefties to use against Jack Flaherty, but he does struggle against righties too. Wade Meckler is the primary lefty, which says something. That doesn't take me off the power from Zach Neto, Mike Trout, Vaughn Grissom, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler. I like Logan O'Hoppe at a weak catcher spot too.

MLB DFS Top Stacks (Main Slate)

Primary Stack: Baltimore Orioles vs Patrick Corbin (TOR LHP)

Why: The Orioles have the second best implied run total on the board and are good from both the right and left sides of the dish here. Each of the Orioles top-five projected hitters have an ISO or xISO above .200 versus left-handed pitching this year. Taylor Ward, Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Pete Alonso, and Coby Mayo is the ideal five-man stack. Leody Taveras, Tyler O'Neill, and Blaze Alexander can be used as value options too. Patrick Corbin continues to be extremely lucky.

Primary Stack: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Collin Rea (PIT RHP)

Why: Collin Rea has a long history of struggling versus left-handed bats and this year, right-handed hitters have joined the party. Rea has allowing righties a .190 ISO, .261 xISO, .293 wOBA, .364 xwOBA while lefties have a .116 ISO, .176 xISO, .354 wOBA, and .350 xwOBA against him. Spencer Horwitz, Brandon Lowe, Oneil Cruz, Endy Rodriguez, Bryan Reynolds, and Konnor Griffin are the stand outs here.

Contrarian Stack: Texas Rangers vs Spencer Arrighetti (HOU RHP)

Why: Nothing under the hood says that Spencer Arrighetti is a good pitcher and yet, he has a 1.32 ERA on the year. His 1.32 ERA is met with a 4.75 xERA, 4.89 xFIP, 4.74 SIERA, .223 BABIP, and 43% FB rate. The Rangers have a healthy amount of power bats in their lineup and I'm willing to play a low-owned stack against a lucky pitcher any day of the week. I prefer the lefties, but definitely good with some righties too. Joc Pederson, Alejandro Osuna, Brandon Nimmo, Evan Carter from the left side and Josh Jung and Jake Burger from the right side.

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters & Pitchers (Main Slate)

The "Chalk" (Popular)

The "Pivot" (Low

Owned)

The Winning Logic
Nathan Eovaldi (Second-highest owned)Spencer Arrighetti (Pivot)Lower owned and has been one of the best pitchers in the league.
TOR + PITBAL + TEX (Pivot)Righties don't hit Bassitt & Arrighetti has been lucky.
Springer + Guerrero (Chalk)Nimmo + Pederson (Pivots)Spencer Arrighetti has been one of the league's luckiest pitchers 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.

Early Slate

  1. Chris Sale (SP1)
  2. Munetaka Murakami (Core Bat)
  3. Kevin McGonigle (Core Bat)
  4. Chase Meidroth (Core Value Bat)

Main Slate

  1. Paul Skenes (SP1)
  2. Gunnar Henderson (Core Bat)
  3. Brandon Lowe (Core Bat)
  4. Joc Pederson (Core Value Bat)

Player Pool

$ Tier {{pos.alias}}

Stacks

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