Welcome to the Fantasy Alarm MLB DFS Playbook for Friday, September 19th! 

We have a 12-game main slate in store for us this evening on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:05 PM ET. Today, we have plenty of talent on the diamond and many different ways to build your lineup. Our expert analysis is here to guide you through the top pitchers, value plays, and stackable offenses to target.

Whether chasing big GPP prizes or grinding cash games, we’ve got you covered with insights tailored to today’s matchups. Let’s jump right into the key plays and strategies to dominate the slate!

 

 

This season's MLB DFS picks and playbook will consist of a pitcher and hitter core players section with written analysis, player pool grid and core stacks section.

The core player section should be used as a starting point for all lineups, you may not be able to use all players in the same lineup, but those players should be the building blocks for you on a given night.

The player pool grid will feature both players from the core player section along with additional plays to help you build a complete lineup. The grid will be broken into top priced players, mid-priced players and value tier players.

The stacks section will bring you are favorite lineups stacks for the day and which players we would look to include in those stacks based on matchups and pricing.

Check out the MLB DFS Show to get an initial outlook on the day's MLB DFS slate to give you a good base for the start of your research each day! 

Make sure you subscribe to the Fantasy Alarm YouTube channel so you never miss a show! Also, join the Fantasy Alarm Discord to get your DFS lineup questions answered by our MLB DFS team! Plus, as always, be sure to check in with our MLB DFS Tools, with the Daily MLB Projections, MLB DFS Rostership Projections, and our MLB DFS Lineup Generator when building those lineups today to help you decide which players you should be targeting.

 

 

MLB DFS Picks & MLB Playbook

MLB Weather: Friday, 9/19

San Diego Padres @ Chicago White Sox

Rain possible in the later innings, or maybe it holds off until after the game.  

Cleveland Guardians @ Minnesota Twins

Rain should be clearing by first pitch, but it's possible a late start is needed. 

Milwaukee Brewers @ St. Louis Cardinals

Rain in the area looks like it will miss the ballpark but worth monitoring. 

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers

Let's get into today's core pitching plays for our DFS lineups

Core MLB DFS Pitchers

Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox 

Crochet is in a tier of his own at the top of the board tonight. He has racked up 22 strikeouts over his last two starts and owns an elite 31.5% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate this season. The matchup against the Rays is strong, as they have struggled against left-handed pitching (84 wRC+). They also own the 8th-higest strikeout rate against southpaws (24.4%), and their best hitter (Junior Caminero) is battling back issues.  

Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners 

Bryan Woo is coming off a career-high 13 strikeouts against the Angels and gets a matchup against an average Houston offense. The strikeout upside is not as strong as Crochet, but Woo should be able to efficiently work deep into the game. He has thrown at least 95 pitches in each of his last two outings and he has completed at least six innings in 27 of his 29 starts this season. 

Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres

Cease has pitched better than his 4.59 ERA this season and has gotten the walks back to a reasonable place recently. His 29.8% strikeout rate gives him plenty of upside in his matchup with the White Sox. Cease has thrown over 100 pitches in both of his last two starts and finally worked past the 5th inning in his most recent outing. The White Sox offense has come back to earth after a scorching stretch coming out of the All-Star break that lasted more than a month. In September, the White Sox own a below average 91 wRC+ and have struck out at the 6th-highest rate (25.6%) in baseball. 

Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers 

Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski has intriguing upside for his price, but it is not an ideal spot. He faces the Cardinals for a second consecutive start and he was just mediocre in the last outing, allowing four runs on seven hits. Still, a 33% strikeout rate is pretty rare in baseball, and it is almost unheard of in this salary tier of the pitching options. The Cardinals have also struggled offensively in the second half. In September, the Cardinals own just a 76 wRC+ and they have struck out at the 5th-highest (25.6%) rate in baseball. 

Janson Junk, Miami Marlins 

Janson Junk has put together a solid season with a 4.48 ERA. He doesn't miss many bats (16.8% strikeouts) but he does have impeccable control (3.2% walks). There is plenty of risk here but I like his chances for useful outing at his salary. He gets a matchup against a Rangers offense that has cooled off after a hot month of August. In September, the Rangers own just an 87 wRC+. Junk is a reasonable option as an SP2 that allows you to spend up for SP1 and still get high upside bats on your roster.   

Recommended MLB DFS Hitters

Let's check out today's core plays to build our lineups around.

Core MLB DFS Hitters

Los Angeles Angels in Coors Field 

The Angels are in an elite spot as they bring their powerful bats into Coors Field for a matchup with Bradley Blalock and a bad Rockies bullpen. They rank 5th in baseball in home runs this season, but their league-leading strikeouts often limit their upside as a stack. Well, that shouldn't be a problem today against Blalock who owns a paltry 9.4% strikeout rate. He has also allowed a massive .242 ISO and 2.52 HR/9. 

Mike Trout, Taylor Ward and Jo Adell all own an ISO above .200 against right-handed pitching this season. Logan O'Hoppe also brings above average power, and Denzer Guzman hit 17 home runs with a .178 ISO in the minors this season. Anyone in the lineup is in play given the elite offensive environment. 

Colorado Rockies vs. Mitch Ferris 

The home team in Coors Field is also in an excellent spot today, as the Rockies get a matchup with Mitch Ferris. The lefty owns a 4.80 ERA and has allowed 1.80 HR/9 in three big league starts this season. 

Hunter Goodman is one of the top options on the slate with his .264 ISO against lefties. Jordan Beck, Brenton Doyle, and Braxton Fulford all own strong ISOs against left-handed pitching. Blaine Crim homered twice yesterday and hit 21 home runs at Triple-A this season.   

New York Mets vs. Andrew Alvarez 

The Mets get a matchup against inexperienced rookie Andrew Alvarez. The lefty has managed to post a 1.15 ERA in his only three big league starts, but there is no reason to believe that is sustainable. Both his strikeout and walk rates are below average, and he has allowed a ridiculously low .136 BABIP. The regression is going to hit hard eventually and it could begin as soon as today. 

Pete Alonso is one of the top bats on the slate. He has stronger splits against righties this season. but that is not the case for his career. Juan Soto, Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez are all above .200 ISO against lefties. Francisco Lindor has been better against righties this season, but he was elite against lefties last season. The Mets are an excellent pivot off Coors Field and they have as much upside as anyone on the slate. 

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Taijuan Walker 

The Diamondbacks are likely to face a piggy-back situation with Taijuan Walker and Walker Buehler. Neither of the Walkers miss bats and the D-backs have been elite against right-handed pitching. 

Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte are both elite spend-up options. Gerlado Perdomo, Gabriel Moreno and Blaze Alexander also bring above average power to the mix and add plenty of upside to the stack.  

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Michael Lorenzen

The Blue Jays have been one of the best offenses in baseball this season. They have cooled off a bit from their hottest stretch, but they get a good matchup against Michael Lorenzen. The righty owns a 4.91 ERA and has allowed a .204 ISO and 1.54 HR/9 this season. 

George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero, Addison Barger and Daulton Varsho have each been elite against RH pitching this season. Alejandro Kirk brings plus contact and on-base ability, and Davis Schneider has been very good in a small sample. 

Player Pool

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Stacks

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