Welcome to Fantasy Alarm's MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy playbook for Wednesday, September 23rd. 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 quality hitters in Hunter Goodman, Corbin Carroll, Mike Trout, Yordan Alvarez, and Pete Crow-Armstrong all digging into the box. This MLB DFS playbook covers every key position on DraftKings and FanDuel with our best MLB DFS picks for today.

Slate: 10-Games on DK, 12-Games on FD | Lock Time: 7:05 pm ET on DK, 6:40 pm ET on FD, Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026

Vegas Totals: ARI/COL (highest-projected game), LAA/ATH (second-highest game total), CWS/KC (third-highest game total)

Highest K-Projections: Chris Sale 7.5 O/U (+101), Yoshinobu Yamamoto 6.5 O/U (+100), Ian Seymour 6.5 O/U (+114)

MLB Weather Today, 9/23

Rays vs Yankees - 15 MPH winds blowing in. Good pitching weather.

Guardians vs. Red Sox - 10-15 MPH winds blowing in w/ 50 degree weather. Great pitching weather.

Marlins vs Cubs - 10-15 MPH winds blowing in in the most wind sensitive park in the game. Great pitching weather.

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

MLB DFS Top Pitchers

Chris Sale (ATL)

Analysis: Sale's final start before the Wild Card round comes today. He's the best pitcher on the slate and as long as he's not limited, is likely the highest scorer. Sale is just three games removed from a 47 DKP outing. Since the ASB, the Reds have a 26% K-rate and 85 wRC+ vs. LHP.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)

Analysis: Since the ASB, Yamamoto is on a short-list of most dominant pitchers in baseball. He has pitched to a 1.98 ERA, .160 BAA, and 28% K-rate, which are all significantly better than his first-half numbers. Yamamoto has a tough spot, but spot hasn't mattered with how well he's throwing the ball.

Nolan McLean (NYM)

Analysis: The one thing we need to pay attention to is the pitch count. He got through six innings last time out, but only threw 82 pitches and before that, he had tossed 92+ pitches in five straight. He's been awesome for the entire second half and gets a good matchup vs. TEX who ranks 24th in wRC+ and have a 24.6% K-rate vs. RHP since the break.

MLB DFS Value Pitchers

Kevin Gausman (CHC)

Analysis: Massive winds blowing in at Wrigley Field again today and it's chilly, which means it's impossible to hit there and it's fantastic pitching weather. The Cubs still threw Shota Imanaga out for 91 pitches last night and Gausman will likely get a full workload as well. Miami's been slightly better than league average since the break but are striking out over 23% of the time.

Walbert Urena (LAA)

Analysis: Our last Walbert Urena bump day of the year. We're going to miss you, Walby. The way you can conquer Sutter Health is keeping the ball on the ground and missing bats and Urena is coming off a career-high 9 Ks and has 10+ GB outs in four straight starts. This is an elite pitcher that should be higher owned but because of the ballpark he's in, has no ownership today.

Seth Lugo (KC)

Analysis: This is not an ironclad strategy, but it's a bad list of value arms today and Lugo is in a decent spot. The White Sox dominate lefties, but they aren't great vs. RHP. They have a 92 wRC+ and strike out over 25% of the time since the break. Lugo has a good ceiling at his price (19 DKP twice over his last five outings) and a very low floor (-12.4 DKP).

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:

Logan Henderson: 30.7% K% (10.3 K/9)

Chris Sale: 30.3% K% (10.9 K/9)

Ian Seymour: 29% K% (11 K/9)

Nolan McLean: 26.2% K% (9.9 K/9)

Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 26.1% K% (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

MLB DFS Value Hitters

MLB DFS Top Stacks

Primary Stack: Arizona Diamondbacks vs Mason Adams (COL RHP)

Targets: Nolan Arenado, Corbin Carroll, Gabriel Moreno, Geraldo Perdomo, Lars Nootbaar, Pavin Smith

Primary Stack: Los Angeles Angels vs Jeffrey Springs (ATH LHP)

Targets: Mike Trout, Zach Neto, Jose Siri, Vaughn Grissom, Denzer Guzman, Christian Moore

Primary Stack: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Robbie Ray (SDP LHP)

Targets: Teoscar Hernandez, Shohei Ohtani, Tommy Edman, Mookie Betts, Andy Pages, Will Smith

“Contrarian” Stack: Boston Red Sox vs Foster Griffin (CLE LHP)

Targets: Ceddanne Rafaela, Adley Rutschman, Trevor Story, Caleb Durbin, Jahmai Jones

“Contrarian” Stack: Kansas City Royals vs Bryan Hudson/Erick Fedde (CWS LHP/RHP)

Targets: Vinnie Pasquantino, Carter Jensen, Maikel Garcia, Bobby Witt, Nick Loftin

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters & Pitchers

The "Chalk" (Popular)

The "Pivot" (Low

Owned)

Sale (SP, chalk)Urena (SP, lower owned)
Diamondbacks (Chalk)Angels (pivot stack)
Marte + Nootbaar (chalk)Trout + Siri (lower owned)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

  1. Chris Sale (SP1)
  2. Walbert Urena (SP2)
  3. Corbin Carroll (Core Bat)
  4. Mike Trout (Core Bat)
  5. Nolan Arenado (Core Bat)
  6. Denzer Guzman Core Value Bat)
  7. Pavin Smith (Core Value Bat)

Player Pool

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Stacks

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