Welcome to the Fantasy Alarm MLB DFS Playbook for Friday, September 4th! 

We have an 11-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, 9/5

Seattle Mariners @ Atlanta Braves 

Low chance of a pop-up storm landing over the ballpark, but most likely the game plays dry. 

Cleveland Guardians @ Tampa Bay Rays 

More risk than Atlanta, with similarly difficult to predict storms in the area. Monitoring radar up until first pitch is a good idea. 

San Francisco Giants @ St. Louis Cardinals 

Rain in the area looks like it will mostly miss the ballpark, but worth monitoring to be sure. 

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers

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

Core MLB DFS Pitchers

Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves

Braves ace Chris Sale returned from a lengthy IL stint and dominated the Phillies in his first outing since June. He needed just 78 pitches to cruise through six innings and rack up nine strikeouts. A solo home run was the only damage he surrendered in the outing. 

The pitch count should climb from here and Sale gets a high upside matchup against the Mariners. Although they have been an above average offense against lefties (104 wRC+) this season, they have also struck out at the third-highest rate in baseball against southpaws. 

Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies 

Phillies lefty Cristopher Sanchez has been among the best pitchers in baseball this season and currently owns the second-best odds in the NL Cy Young race. His strikeouts have ticked all the way up to 26.3% this season, while the walk and groundball rates have remained elite.

Sanchez gets a plus matchup as he heads into a pitchers park to face a Miami team that has been one of the worst in baseball against lefties. The Marlins have managed just a 76 wRC+ against LH pitching this season and they own the lowest ISO in all of baseball. They don't strike out a ton (21.5%) but Sanchez should be able to work efficiently and last deep into the game. He is backed by an elite offense and has an excellent chance to secure the win, giving him plenty of upside even if he doesn't pop far a huge strikeout game. 

Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners 

Logan Gilbert owns the highest strikeout rate on the slate (34.2%) and pairs that with an elite walk rate (6.2%). Length has been a bit of an issue this season, as he has averaged just a shade over five innings per start this season. The Mariners have preferred to keep him under the 90-pitch mark for most of the season, but he has exceeded that mark in each of his last two starts. Gilbert also completed six full innings in each of those outings. 

Gilbert gets a solid matchup against a Braves team that has been average (100 wRC+) against righties, while striking out at the ninth-highest rate (22.6%) in the league. If we are looking at 90+ pitches again, Gilbert has the upside to match Sale and Sanchez for the top arm on the slate. 

Tyler Glasnow, Los Angeles Dodgers (UPDATE)

The Dodgers Tyler Glasnow lacks the consistency and elite walk rate that the top three arms have displayed this season, but he is right up there with them in the strikeout department. There is a meaningful discount to be had if willing to take on the control risk from Glasnow. He has been solid, but less than elite, in difficult matchups over his last four outings. 

The matchup against Baltimore is definitively the best he has had since July. The Orioles are around league average against righties (103 wRC+) and strike out at the fourth-highest clip (23.3%). Glasnow has been allowed to work deep at times this season, reaching the 100-pitch mark three times in the second half of the season. 

UPDATE: Tyler Glasnow has been scratched and Shohei Ohtani will make the start for the Dodgers. Currently, Ohtani is still listed as a hitter on both DK and FD and does not appear to be available in either pitching pool. 

Jose Soriano, Los Angeles Angels 

The upside at the high-end of the salary range is excellent on this slate, so we need to be mindful of that if looking to save salary at pitcher. Jose Soriano stands out as an arm that is underpriced and could certainly match the point-per-dollar upside of the top pitchers. The righty is a groundball machine that should be able to limit the damage a powerful lineup like the A's can do. Soriano routinely works over 90 pitches and has completed seven innings in nine starts this season. That length can help him compensate for an average strikeout rate. 

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Hitters

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

Core MLB DFS Hitters

San Diego Padres in Coors Field

The Padres are clearly the top offense on the slate as they head into to Coors Field for a matchup with Kyle Freeland and the Rockies. Their implied team total is above six runs while only two other teams (Phillies and Dodgers) are even near five runs on this slate. Freeland owns just a 16.7% strikeout rate and righties have lit him up for a .194 ISO. 

Unfortunately, the Padres don't have a ton of right-handed power outside of Fernando Tatis and Manny Machado. Even Tatis has had far more power against righties in his career, which makes Machado the clear top option today. Ramon Laureano has also posted elite numbers against lefties and he is cheaper than Tatis, which puts him up there with Machado and ahead of Tatis for me. 

The full stack is in play thanks to the Rockies awful bullpen behind Freeland. They own the second-worst ERA and the lowest strikeout rate in the league. Lefties Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth get a huge boost for this reason. 

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Valente Bellozo 

The Phillies get a matchup against Valente Bellozo, who has been one of the luckiest pitchers in baseball this season. Do not be fooled by his respectable 3.91 ERA, as the underlying numbers tell a different story. SIERA (4.93) and xFIP (5.35) both have him as a below average pitcher. His strikeout rate is just 15.8% and lefties have torched him for a .203 ISO. 

Kyle Schwarber is one of the top hitters on the entire slate with an elite .323 ISO against righties, and Bryce Harper is not far behind with a .245 ISO. Trea Turner offers a power/speed combination that can be useful in any matchup, and Brandon Marsh is another standout from the left side with an above average ISO against righties. 

Los Angeles Angels vs. Mason Barnett 

The Angels will bring their power bats into a matchup with inexperienced righty Mason Barnett, who has made just one big league start in his career. The Rangers lit him up for five runs on eight hits in his MLB debut, and his season had not gone much better at the Triple-A level (6.13 ERA) up to that point. 

There are some very attractive prices on these Angels bats, with no one priced above $4,500 on DK. Yoan Moncada and Jo Adell have crushed right-handed pitching this season with each owning a .240 ISO, and Taylor Ward is right behind them at .233 ISO. Zach Neto and Mike Trout are also both a .200 ISO against righties. The combination of price and upside makes the Angels an incredibly intriguing stack today. 

Boston Red Sox vs. Eduardo Rodriguez 

The Red Sox have been an above average offense against lefties this season and get a matchup against Eduardo Rodriguez. The lefty owns a 5.40 ERA this season and has allowed loads of hard contact, including an ISO of at least .190 to both sides of the plate. 

Romy Gonzalez (.270 ISO) and Rob Refsnyder (.255 ISO) have destroyed left-handed pitching this season. Trevor Story has elite numbers in his career against lefties and an above average .169 ISO this season. Alex Bregman has stronger numbers against righties this season, but he also has strong numbers in a long, successful career against lefties. Ceddanne Rafaela (.212 ISO) has displayed strong power against righties and Carlos Narvaez (.167) has been above average. 

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Dean Kremer 

Dean Kremer has experienced a decline in strikeout rate this season and draws a brutal matchup against the Dodgers. Lefties have been a major problem for him, as he has allowed a .201 ISO to them this season. 

Obviously, that puts Shohei Ohtani as the top option on the entire slate. Freddie Freeman is the other standout lefty with a .201 ISO against righties this season. Dalton Rushing may draw the start behind the plate with Will Smith banged up. Michael Conforto and Hyeseong Kim also swing from the left side, but their numbers this season would leave them as options best left for a full stack. Andy Pages (.220 ISO) and Teoscar Hernandez (.190) both bring excellent power from the right side, and Mookie Betts remains an option despite significant struggles this season. 

Player Pool

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Stacks

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