Welcome to Fantasy Alarm's MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy playbook for Tuesday, May 26th. 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 10-game main slate has multiple different directions to go with some elite pitching arms such as Cam Schlittler, Chase Burns, Kyle Harrison, and Joe Ryan and we have a Sutter Health Field game. This MLB DFS playbook covers every key position on DraftKings and FanDuel with our best MLB DFS picks for today.

Slate: 10-Game Main  |  Lock Time: 7:07 PM ET, Tuesday May 26, 2026

Vegas Totals: SEA/ATH (highest-projected game), COL/LAD (second-highest), NYY/KC (third-highest)

Highest K-Projections: Chase Burns 6.5 O/U (-111), Kyle Harrison 6.5 O/U (+110), Joe Ryan 5.5 O/U (-159), Cam Schlittler 5.5 O/U (-158) 

MLB Weather Today, 5/26

Nothing to worry about for today's main slate.

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

MLB DFS Top Pitchers

Cam Schlittler (NYY)

Analysis: Schlittler's been arguably the best pitcher in baseball this year and faces off against a middling Royals offense. The Royals have the third-lowest implied total of the day and Schlittler is -118 to outright get a win today, which is a staggering number.

Chase Burns (CIN)

Analysis: Nobody on the slate has a higher implied strikeout total than Chase Burns today. He also draws a Mets offense that is basically last in every offensive category against right-handed pitching this year. We'll see if Juan Soto returns from his illness because without him, Burns' matchup gets even better.

Joe Ryan (MIN)

Analysis: What elbow injury? Since leaving his start on 5/3 with elbow soreness, Ryan has thrown 18 innings, has 3 QS, has allowed 3 ER, and has a 21:4 K:BB ratio. The White Sox have the second-highest K-rate in the league against right-handed pitching and are slightly below league average in everything other than home runs. Ryan has only allowed 3 HR all year.

MLB DFS Value Pitchers

Jack Leiter (TEX)

Analysis: Leiter has pitched extremely well at home this year and the Astros offense has definitely struggled in May. They rank 9th in OPS on the year but in May, they're 25th in OPS and wRC+ and 26th in wOBA against righties. They're also striking out 25% of the time against righties.

Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI)

Analysis: Although the strikeouts are way, way down, ERod continues to just get outs and has a great matchup against the Giants. The Giants rank 18th or worse in every category against left-handed hurlers and Rodriguez gets a HUGE park upgrade in San Fran to boot.

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:

Kyle Harrison: 32.2% K% (11.6 K/9)

Cam Schlittler: 29.6% K% (10.2 K/9) 

Chase Burns: 28.2% K% (9.8 K/9)

Joe Ryan: 26.7% K% (9.7 K/9)

Emerson Hancock: 26.2% K% (9.2 K/9)

Jack Leiter: 25.2% K% (9.9 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 carry K-prop lines worth noting alongside their DFS value at reduced ownership relative to the top tier.

• Cam Schlittler -118
• Kyle Harrison +103
• Chase Burns +126
• Eric Lauer +136

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Stacks & Hitters

MLB DFS Top Hitters

Aaron Judge (OF, NYY)

Analysis: Judge has crushed both handedness's and that's what he's going to get today. The Royals are sending out Falter first and Avila next and he has a .300 ISO against both splits. 

Julio Rodriguez & Randy Arozarena (OF, SEA)

GAGE JUMP IS STARTING, NOT LUIS SEVERINO. HE PITCHES FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PLATE. STILL VERY INTERESTED IN BOTH RODRIGUEZ & AROZARENA

Analysis: Luis Severino struggles at home and especially against right-handed bats. Right-handed bats have 3.18 HR/9 and righties at home have allowed a .318/.348/.659 slash to boot. The ballpark is as good as it gets.

Elly De La Cruz (SS, CIN)

Analysis: David Peterson has really struggled against right-handed hitters this year as they're hitting .298 with a .334 wOBA against him. De La Cruz has raked from the right side of the plate this season posting a .345 ISO and .412 wOBA.

Andy Pages & Shohei Ohtani (OF/1B, LAD)

Analysis: Kyle Freeland has been bad against both splits this year and Ohtani and Pages have raked against left-handed pitchers. Ohtani has a .222 ISO and .374 wOBA while Pages sits at .262 ISO and .381 wOBA against southpaws.

MLB DFS Value Hitters

Spencer Steer & Blake Dunn (1B/OF, CIN)

Analysis: The Reds look great against left-handed pitching this year and we should see both Dunn and Steer in the top half of the Reds lineup. Dunn should leadoff and he has a .349 wOBA vs. LHP and Steer has dominated against lefties posting a .318 ISO against them. Righties are hitting nearly .300 vs. David Peterson today.

Will Smith (C, LAD)

Analysis: Will Smith is really cheap in a great spot. He has a great history against left-handed pitching despite his 40 at-bat sample this season. Smith is very popular but for good reason, the Dodgers look elite today.

MLB DFS Top Stacks

Primary Stack: Seattle Mariners vs Gage Jump (ATH LHP)

Why: Things have changed a bit as the Athletics are throwing rookie left-hander Gage Jump and not Luis Severino. Jump has big time upside, but he has struggled with right-handed bats at the minor league level. Righties have a .296/.386/.491 slash against him and have belted four bombs. Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, Mitch Garver, Victor Robles, Rob Refsynder, and Patrick Wisdom are all the righties in the lineup.

Primary Stack: New York Yankees vs Bailey Falter (KC LHP)

Why: The Yankees appeal is the home runs. They have a good matchup and a big-time implied team total against Bailey Falter and Luinder Avila. Falter has had a control issue and the Yankees offense walks a LOT and Avila is nearly 5 BB/9 as well. Aaron Judge, Ben Rice, Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr are the ideal five pack.

Primary Stack: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Kyle Freeland (LAD LHP)

Why: Both righties and lefties are hitting north of .300 against Freeland and he's been awful on the road, not just in Coors Field. The Dodgers are popular, but they have so much thump in their lineup with Shohei Ohtani, Andy Pages, Enrique Hernandez, Kyle Tucker, Teoscar Hernandez, and Will Smith look great.

"Contrarian" Stack: Cincinnati Reds vs David Peterson (NYM LHP)

Why: The Reds offense is rolling against left-handed pitching and David Peterson has struggled a bunch. Righties are batting .298 with a .334 wOBA against Peterson this year. The Reds have a .350 wOBA or higher in four of their top five projected hitters today (Sal Stewart, Blake Dunn, Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz) and Eugenio Suarez has a .255 xISO against lefties.

"Contrarian" Stack: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Tyler Mahle (SF RHP)

Why: The Diamondbacks have two of the hottest hitters in the league in Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll and send Tyler Mahle to the mound and he's struggled mightily. Mahle has allowed a .196 ISO and .326 wOBA to lefties and a .196 ISO and .422 wOBA to righties. Nolan Arenado, Ryan Waldschmidt and Tommy Troy round out the DBacks stack well, especially because they're cheap and Mahle struggles more with righties.

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters & Pitchers

The foundation for every MLB DFS lineup you build today. These are the core MLB DFS picks by position across DraftKings and FanDuel.

1. Chase Burns (SP1)
2. Jack Leiter (SP2)
3. Shohei Ohtani (Core Bat)
4. Julio Rodriguez (Core Bat)
5. Elly De La Cruz (Core Bat)
6. Spencer Steer (Core Value Bat)
7. Will Smith (Core Value Bat)

Player Pool

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Stacks

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