Welcome to Fantasy Alarm's MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy playbook for Thursday, July 20th. 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 elite pitchers in Gavin Williams, Ian Seymour, Gage Jump, and George Kirby 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: 6-Games | Lock Time: 12:40 pm ET, Thursday, July 20th, 2026

Vegas Totals: STL/CIN (highest-projected game), ATL/CWS (second-highest game total), ATH/KC & SEA/MIL (tied for third-highest game total)

Highest K-Projections: Gavin Williams 7.5 O/U (-111), Ian Seymour 5.5 O/U (-115), Robert Gasser 5.5 O/U (+121)

MLB Weather Today, 8/20

Nothing of note.

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

MLB DFS Top Pitchers

Gavin Williams (CLE) 

Analysis: There's nobody on the slate that has the floor/ceiling combination that Gavin Williams has. He has 7.5 O/U K prop on DK and has the best win odds of the day. The Giants offense is in disarray since the trade deadline.

Ian Seymour (TB)

Analysis: Seymour has put up 19.9+ DKP in five straight games and now faces arguably the worst team in the league against left-handed pitching. Toronto has a 78 wRC+ against southpaws along with a .629 OPS, they just don't strike out a ton.

MLB DFS Value Pitchers

Robert Gasser (MIL)

Analysis: Seattle has struggled against lefties quite horribly this season. Seattle is 27th in wRC+ with an 88 mark and the .640 OPS is 29th. They've also struck out 24.1% of the time against southpaws. Gasser has pitched well since the break posting 16.8+ DKP in four of five games.

Gage Jump (ATH)

Analysis: Jump has been two different pitchers on the road and at home. At home, he's pitched to a 6.02 ERA and 10.3 DKP/game. On the road, Jump has a 2.6 ERA and is averaging 20.8 DKP/game and this game is played in Kansas City. KC is a 94 wRC+ on the year and that ranks 19th in baseball.

Michael McGreevy (STL)

Analysis: The Reds are the worst offense in the league against right-handed pitching and it's pretty close. They're 30th in wRC+, 29th in OPS, and have the highest K-rate in the league against righties. McGreevy keeps the ball on the ground and has been really lucky all year, but I'm willing to take a shot on him at this price.

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: 31.8% K% (11.5 K/9)

Ian Seymour: 28.8% K% (10.7 K/9)

Gage Jump: 25.1% K% (9.8 K/9)

Landen Roupp: 23.4% K% (8.9 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

Junior Caminero (3B, TB)

Analysis: Caminero has a .278 ISO, .238 xISO, .379 wOBA, and .356 xwOBA against right-handed pitching this year. He's hit 29 bombs against them and Shane Bieber has allowed a .178 ISO and .227 xISO.

Ronald Acuna (OF, ATL) & Ozzie Albies (2B, ATL)

Analysis: Two Braves that crush lefties here. Acuna has a .198 ISO, .224 xISO, .335 wOBA, and .356 xwOBA while Ozzie Albies has a .187 ISO and .330 wOBA against lefties. Anthony Kay struggles vs. RHP allowing a .190 ISO and .368 wOBA.

Munetaka Murakami (1B, CWS)

Analysis: Grant Holmes has struggled against lefties allowing .182 ISO and .201 xISO and Murakami has MASSIVE numbers against righties posting a .358 ISO and .419 wOBA.

Alec Burleson (1B, STL), JJ Wetherholt (2B, STL) & Jordan Walker (OF, STL)

Analysis: The ballpark is as good as it gets today and the Cardinals have one of the highest implied totals on the board. Burleson has a .255 ISO, .272 xISO, .421 wOBA, and .417 xwOBA, Walker is a .195 ISO, .189 xISO, .355 wOBA, and .333 xwOBA, and Wetherholt has a .155 xISO and .340 xwOBA against righties.

MLB DFS Value Hitters

Austin Riley (3B, ATL)

Analysis: Riley has had bad luck against lefties considering his .104 ISO is paired with a .173 xISO and .304 wOBA and .324 xwOBA. Riley faces a guy who struggles with righties.

Andrew Benintendi (OF, CWS)

Analysis: Mr. Biceps has been great off of righties this year. He has a .203 ISO, .328 wOBA, and 13 home runs against them. Lefties have given Grant Holmes issues all season long.

Joshua Baez (OF, STL)

Analysis: The price and upside stands out the most here. Baez stole two bags off the bench and has a three homer game on his resume too. I love the Cardinals spot here.

MLB DFS Top Stacks

Primary Stack: St. Louis Cardinals vs Brady Singer (CIN RHP)

Targets: Alec Burleson, JJ Wetherholt, Jordan Walker, Joshua Baez, Nathan Church, Blaze Jordan

Primary Stack: Atlanta Braves vs Anthony Kay (CWS LHP)

Targets: Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, Lane Thomas

Primary Stack: Tampa Bay Rays vs Shane Bieber (TOR RHP)

Targets: Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz, Chandler Simpson, Cedric Mullins, Liam Hicks, Jonathan Aranda

“Contrarian” Stack: Chicago White Sox vs Grant Holmes (ATL RHP)

Targets: Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery, Andrew Benintendi, Braden Montgomery, Sam Antonacci

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters & Pitchers

The "Chalk" (Popular)

The "Pivot" (Low

Owned)

The Winning Logic
Gasser (SP, chalk)Jump (SP, lower owned)Jump is great on the road & has the 3rd-highest K-rate of any SP on the slate. 1/2 the ownership of Gasser.
Royals (Chalk)Braves (pivot stack)Anthony Kay is struggling and the White Sox bullpen is beat up.
De La Cruz + Bleday (chalk)Murakami + Benintendi (lower owned)Reds can't hit righties and the White Sox lefties have massive upside against Holmes who has a .200+ ISO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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. Ian Seymour (SP2)
  3. Ronald Acuna (Core Bat)
  4. Alec Burleson (Core Bat)
  5. JJ Wetherholt (Core Bat) 
  6. Joshua Baez (Core Value Bat)
  7. Austin Riley (Core Value Bat)

Player Pool

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Stacks

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