Welcome to the Fantasy Alarm MLB DFS Playbook for Wednesday, August 27th! 

We have a 10-game main slate in store for us this evening on DraftKings and FanDuel starting at 7:07 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: Wednesday, 8/27

All clear around the league tonight. 

 

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers

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

Core MLB DFS Pitchers

Framber Valdez, Houston Astros 

Astros lefty Framber Valdez has by far the best track record of any starting pitcher on the slate, but his recent form leaves something to be desired. Over his last four starts, Valdez has allowed 31 hits and 21 runs, while recording just 12 strikeouts in 23.1 innings. Not great.

What is great for Valdez is the matchup against the Rockies at home. The Rockies own a .176 ISO and .331 wOBA in Coors Field this season, but those numbers fall to .131 ISO and a league-worst .267 wOBA on the road. They strike out a little less against lefties, but still go down at the 9th-highest rate in the league when facing southpaws. 

If Valdez were in better form, he would be the no doubt SP1 today. He is still the top option on the slate, but recent struggles leave him only slightly ahead of the pack. 

Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals 

Sonny Gray gets a great spot against the Pirates and has pitched far better than his 4.33 ERA this season suggests. Estimators like SIERA (3.18) and xFIP (3.00) still have he Cardinals ace as a well above average pitcher. Gray owns a healthy 26.9% strikeout rate and an elite 4.2% walk rate. His matchup today comes against the Pirates, who have been the worst offense in the league against right-handed pitching. They rank dead last in both ISO and wOBA, and they also strike out at the 7th-highest clip versus righties.

Gray has had some hiccups in the second half, but he has also mixed in some gems. An elite matchup gives him a great shot at another gem today. 

Nolan McLean, New York Mets 

The second MLB start for Nolan McLean went just about as well as his electric debut, as the Mets rookie held the Braves to two runs in seven strong innings and recorded seven strikeouts. His power sinker and two plus breaking balls have translated extremely well to the big leagues, helping him to an elite 32.6% strikeout rate and 73.1% groundball rate. Both of those rates will likely regress, but he figures to be well above average in both of those important categories.

Tonight he gets another tough matchup against the Phillies. They don’t strike out much against righties, but McLean has aced his first two tests, and the shift to a less hitter-friendly park should help keep Philly’s power in check.

Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers 

MVP frontrunner Shohei Ohtani has struggled in his last two starts, but there was unique context around each of those outings. One came in Anaheim, where he spent his first six seasons and had all the emotions that come with returning, and the other was in Denver, the best hitting environment in baseball. I’m giving him a pass, because outside of those outings he’s been electric this season.

On the season, Ohtani owns an elite 30.2% strikeout rate and 4.3% walk rate, while averaging a career-best 98.2 mph on his fastball. Tonight’s matchup sets up well, too, as he faces a Reds lineup that’s been below average against righties (98 wRC+) and strikes out at the 6th-highest rate. The only real concern is his workload, as he hasn’t gone five innings in any of his 10 starts. That said, Manager Dave Roberts mentioned he was lined up for that last time before getting pulled after taking a comebacker off his thigh. If he gets through five innings on roughly 80 pitches today, that should be plenty to return value at his discounted price.

Ryan Bergert, Kansas City Royals 

If you caught last Friday’s playbook, I broke down the big changes Ryan Bergert has made since joining Kansas City – changes that make him a sneaky DFS target while his price catches up. The short version is he’s leaning on his slider a lot more, and it’s leading to more strikeouts. That trend showed up again in his last outing, where he threw the slider 45.6% of the time and notched an 11.1% swinging-strike rate.

Through four starts with the Royals, Bergert has posted a 25.3% strikeout rate and a 6.9% walk rate. That’s a really strong skill set for a pitcher priced under $7,500.

The main concern today is the matchup. The White Sox have surprisingly been an offensive force since the All-Star break, ranking top 10 in all of ISO, wOBA, wRC+ and strikeout rate during the second half. Despite the tough matchup, Bergert is still one of the top point-per-dollar pitchers on the slate, offering both a salary and ownership discount compared to Eric Lauer.

 

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Hitters

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

Core MLB DFS Hitters

Riley Greene and Detroit Tigers in Sutter Health Park 

The Tigers once again benefit from a huge park upgrade for offense as they continue their series in West Sacramento against rookie righty Luis Morales. While Morales is coming off back-to-back solid outings, his elevated walk rate (12.7%) and heavy fly-ball profile (45%) could spell trouble in this hitter-friendly environment.

Detroit ranks 9th in ISO vs right-handed pitching this season despite playing home games in spacious Comerica Park. Riley Greene (.300 ISO vs RHP) and Kerry Carpenter (.276) are the main power bats to target and stand out as two of the best plays on the slate. Colt Keith is a cheap leadoff option who adds salary relief without sacrificing upside, while Spencer Torkelson and Wenceel Perez have also produced well in the split, each sitting near a .200 ISO.

With power throughout the lineup and a matchup that plays right into their strengths, the Tigers are one of the top stacks today.

Vladimir Guerrero and Toronto Blue Jays vs. Simeon Woods Richardson 

The Blue Jays have been the best offense in baseball since the All-Star break, leading the league in wOBA and strikeout rate while sitting 4th in ISO. They’ll face Simeon Woods Richardson today, a pitcher with just a 19.8% strikeout rate, a 10% walk rate, and a 50% fly-ball rate—all numbers that set up well for Toronto’s bats.

Woods Richardson has shown reverse power splits since last season, making Vladimir Guerrero and George Springer elite options. Bo Bichette and Alejandro Kirk lack the power upside of the top two options, but both bring above-average wOBAs to the table. On the left-handed side, Daulton Varsho has been crushing righties with an absurd .433 ISO, and Addison Barger brings additional thump with a .243 ISO.

With the Twins’ bullpen weakened by multiple deadline trades, there’s little safety net behind Woods Richardson. All signs point to another big night for the Jays’ lineup.

Corey Seager and Texas Rangers vs. Jack Kochanowicz 

The Rangers get a great matchup tonight against Jack Kochanowicz, who comes in with a 6.19 ERA and just a 14.5% strikeout rate. Despite keeping the ball on the ground at a 53% clip, he’s still giving up 1.5 HR/9, and lefties have really done damage against him with a .213 ISO and 10.3% barrel rate.

The plan of attack is clear: target the left-handed bats with fly-ball upside. Corey Seager, Joc Pederson, and Rowdy Tellez all fit perfectly here. Josh Smith should lead off and brings solid numbers against righties, though his ground-ball tendencies do add some risk. On the right side, Wyatt Langford is playable in any matchup thanks to his power/speed blend, while Adolis Garcia’s extreme fly-ball profile and .180 ISO against righties should also play well in the matchup.

This sets up as a prime power spot for Texas, and with Kochanowicz also walking 11.3% of hitters, the Rangers make for a strong stacking option as well.    

Bobby Witt and Kansas City Royals vs. Aaron Civale 

The Royals have quietly been one of the league’s better offenses since the All-Star break, ranking 5th in ISO, 7th in wOBA, and 2nd in strikeout rate over the second half. They’ll take on Aaron Civale, who they already saw earlier this month—scoring three runs off him in a start where they also racked up eight hits, hinting at more upside this time around.

Bobby Witt remains the clear top fantasy option, bringing his elite mix of power and speed to the matchup. Vinnie Pasquantino has been on fire, homering in six of his last nine games, and both he and Salvador Perez carry an ISO around .230 against right-handed pitching. Trade deadline pickup Mike Yastrzemski has also been a huge boost, posting a monster .309 ISO and .378 wOBA since joining Kansas City. Add in Maikel Garcia’s steady .349 wOBA versus righties, and this lineup has multiple paths to damage.

All told, Kansas City looks like a strong stack with both star power and sneaky depth.

Yordan Alvarez and Houston Astros vs. Chase Dollander 

The Astros finally get Yordan Alvarez back in the lineup after he missed nearly four months with a hand injury, and his return comes just in time for a dream matchup against Chase Dollander. The rookie has been crushed by lefties, giving up a .217 ISO and a 13.8% barrel rate, which puts Alvarez in a smash spot. Jesus Sanchez is the other lefty power bat to target and makes for a strong play as well.

If you’re looking to stack, the righties are very much in play too. Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve, and Christian Walker all bring solid numbers against right-handed pitching.

Dollander’s rookie year has been rough, and while Coors Field has been the main culprit, he hasn’t exactly been sharp on the road either. His ERA away from Denver is nearly six runs better, but he still sports below-average strikeout and walk rates and has allowed 1.32 HR/9 outside of Coors. All in all, this is a great spot to load up on Astros bats. 

 

Player Pool

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Stacks

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