MLB DFS Playbook: Lineup Picks, Stacks & Strategy for Sunday, August 23

Sunday's ten-game slate is loaded, and the headliner is a legit Cy Young arm. Cristopher Sanchez has been the NL's best pitcher for stretches of this season and he's on the bump against a Cardinals lineup that's suddenly caught fire against lefties. Yordan Alvarez is having a Triple-Crown-caliber year and gets a rookie making his first real big-league impression. And Coors Field hosts the highest total on the board with two offenses that have gone ice cold over the last two weeks. Here's the full Fantasy Alarm DFS lineup picks for Sunday, built off real matchup data, the last two weeks of team splits, and the weather. Swing by the Fantasy Alarm DFS tools hub once you've built out your pool and want help optimizing.

MLB Weather Today, August 23, 2026

Nothing on today's slate carries serious postponement risk. The Giants-Red Sox game at Fenway has the highest rain chance at 20%, worth a glance late in the day, and everywhere else ranges from dry to a small pop-up shower chance. Texas will be brutally hot at 103 degrees, but Globe Life's roof keeps that a non-issue for ball flight. Coors Field should play warm and open for the Guardians-Rockies game, which already carries the highest total run expectation on the board.

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

Top Pitchers

Cristopher Sanchez (PHI) vs. STL

Sanchez has spent chunks of this season as the outright Cy Young favorite, and the numbers back it up: a 2.51 ERA and 187 strikeouts across 26 starts, with a 2.61 FIP and a 27.8% strikeout rate that both sit near the top of the league. His walk rate is filthy too, just 5.6%, which keeps his floor sky-high even on nights the punchouts don't pile up. Here's the wrinkle worth knowing: St. Louis has actually caught fire against lefties over the last two weeks, an eye-opening 137.1 wRC+ that's a world away from their tame 99.6 mark for the season. That's real, recent heat, not just noise, so don't treat this as an auto-smash start. Sanchez's overall body of work still makes him the top arm on the board, just know the Cardinals aren't the pushovers their season line suggests right now.

Nolan McLean (NYM) vs. CWS

McLean has been one of the best stories in baseball this year, a rookie with legitimate Cy Young buzz sitting on a 3.34 ERA and 162 strikeouts over 25 starts. His 10.22 K/9 and 27.3% strikeout rate are elite, and his FIP (3.61) tracks close to his ERA, a sign this is the real deal and not smoke and mirrors. Chicago's lineup has actually gone quiet against right-handers over the last two weeks (80.6 wRC+) after grading out above average for the season (103.5 wRC+), so the recent trend line is bending in McLean's favor even in what looked like a tougher matchup on paper. Strikeout equity like this travels well regardless.

Jose Soriano (TOR) vs. NYY

Soriano has quietly put together a strong season across two organizations, a 3.23 ERA and 136 strikeouts over 25 starts with an 8.78 K/9 and a 3.78 FIP. Control is the one blemish, a 10.7% walk rate that can create traffic against a patient lineup. The good news: the Yankees have gone cold against right-handers over the last two weeks, a 67.5 wRC+ that's well down from their season mark near league average. A fair matchup on paper just got a little friendlier thanks to recent form.

Value Pitchers

Cristian Javier (HOU) vs. ATH

Javier's return from Tommy John surgery and a follow-up shoulder strain has been genuinely rocky, a 6.44 ERA and a 5.50 FIP over just 11 games and 36 innings this year, with his walk rate (10.2%) still elevated compared to his pre-injury form. He bounced through the bullpen earlier this season before working back toward a starting role, so there's real uncertainty in both his workload and his sharpness night to night. Oakland has actually faded against right-handers over the last two weeks (72.0 wRC+), which helps the case some, but this is still a price-driven dart rather than a stable floor play given everything Javier's been through.

Kyle Leahy (STL) vs. PHI

Leahy has quietly been effective this year, a 3.24 ERA and 111 strikeouts across 24 outings, with a tidy 3.52 FIP and a 21.5% strikeout rate. Here's the catch: Philadelphia has been scorching against right-handers over the last two weeks, a 102.9 wRC+ that's a real jump from their already-solid season number (122.3 wRC+ vs. RHP on the year, if we're being honest, was never soft to begin with). Leahy's peripherals are legitimately good, but this Phillies lineup is not the place to bank on a shutdown outing right now.

Cal Quantrill (TEX) vs. LAA

Quantrill has been steady all year, a 3.13 ERA and 54 strikeouts over 26 outings, with a strong 1.15 WHIP even though the strikeout rate (16.7%) is modest. The Angels have been one of the weaker offenses in baseball against right-handers all season (91.4 wRC+), and they've actually gotten worse over the last two weeks, dipping to 65.5 wRC+. That's about as green a light as a value arm gets on this slate.

Top Options For Strikeouts

• Cristopher Sanchez — 187 strikeouts in 26 starts with a 27.8% rate, both numbers that sit at the top of the league.
• Nolan McLean — 162 strikeouts with a 10.22 K/9, elite swing-and-miss stuff and a real Cy Young case as a rookie.
• Jose Soriano — 136 strikeouts and an 8.78 K/9 that's held up across two organizations this year.
• Kyle Leahy — 111 strikeouts and a 21.5% rate that's quietly one of the better marks among the value-priced arms.

Best Odds For A Win

• Cristopher Sanchez (PHI) — his season-long body of work makes him the safest bet on the mound today, even with the Cardinals trending hot.
• Nolan McLean (NYM) — elite strikeout stuff plus a White Sox lineup that's lost some thump recently gives him a strong floor.
• Cal Quantrill (TEX) — a real split edge against an Angels lineup that's gotten colder, not hotter, lately.
• Jose Soriano (TOR) — a fair matchup that just got easier with the Yankees cooling off against right-handers.

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Stacks & Hitters

Top Hitters

Jose Ramirez (CLE) vs. COL

Ramirez is having a down year by his own lofty standard, a .710 OPS and a 99.9 wRC+ through 96 games, though he's still swiped 29 bags and remains a threat on the bases even in a quieter offensive season. One honest caveat: his numbers against right-handers specifically have been rough (.620 OPS, 77.8 wRC+), so this isn't the split-friendly spot his name might suggest today. The saving grace is the venue: this game's at Coors Field, and the thin air gives every ball he squares up a little extra carry, which is exactly the kind of park boost that can bail out a hitter in a mixed matchup like this one.

Kevin McGonigle (DET) vs. KC

McGonigle has had a monster season and is squarely in the AL Rookie of the Year conversation, 13 homers, 12 steals and an .804 OPS with a 130.6 wRC+ across 125 games. Worth flagging honestly: he's actually been below average against lefties specifically this year (.663 OPS, 89.9 wRC+), so the split cuts against this particular matchup even though the season-long profile is excellent.

Yordan Alvarez (HOU) vs. ATH

Alvarez has been the best hitter alive this year and is squarely in the AL MVP driver's seat, 36 home runs, 90 RBI and a 1.047 OPS with a video-game 184.8 wRC+ through 128 games. He's a bit more human against lefties specifically (.828 OPS, 123.8 wRC+) than his overall RHP-driven line, but that's still an excellent number, and there's no version of this matchup where Alvarez isn't a premium building block.

Bobby Witt (KC) vs. DET

Witt continues to be a five-tool force back in the lineup after dealing with back and knee issues earlier this year, 16 homers and 34 steals with an .824 OPS and a 126.8 wRC+ through 112 games. He's actually been even better against left-handers specifically (.876 OPS, 134.4 wRC+), which lines up perfectly with today's matchup. Power, speed, and a favorable split all in one bat.

Value Hitters

Hao-Yu Lee (DET) vs. KC

Lee has been a solid everyday piece for Detroit, 7 homers and a .754 OPS with a 109.8 wRC+ across 79 games. His numbers against lefties specifically are a tier below his overall line (.692 OPS, 90.9 wRC+), so this isn't a split-driven case today. He's still a reasonable way to add a correlated Tigers bat without much salary commitment.

Abimelec Ortiz (WSH) vs. MIA

Ortiz is a small-sample story, just 19 games this year, but the early returns are loud, 5 homers and a .793 OPS with a 112.3 wRC+ already. His numbers against right-handers in that tiny sample are even better (.868 OPS, 132.8 wRC+ in 55 plate appearances), which lines up well with today's matchup. The sample size caveat is real, but the value here is about as good as this pool gets.

Steven Kwan (CLE) vs. COL

Kwan is a table-setter, not a power bat, just 2 homers on the year, but he gets on base at a healthy clip (.370 OBP, 105.1 wRC+) and makes a ton of contact. His numbers against right-handers specifically are solidly above average (113.6 wRC+), though the power upside remains minimal (.068 ISO in that split). A cheap, high-floor way into a Guardians lineup facing a hittable arm.

Jahmai Jones (BOS) vs. SF

Jones has had a quiet season across two organizations, a .644 OPS and an 81.4 wRC+ overall, but his numbers against lefties specifically are meaningfully better (.724 OPS, 104.7 wRC+), which fits today's look. Worth noting Boston as a team has actually slowed down against lefties over the last two weeks (80.4 wRC+ after an excellent 111.4 wRC+ for the season), but Jones's individual split still gives him a puncher's chance in this exact matchup.

Top Stacks

Guardians vs. Tomoyuki Sugano (COL)

Why: Sugano has been homer-prone all year, 26 allowed with a 4.70 ERA and a 5.50 FIP that both point to a pitcher who's beatable, and his 13.9% strikeout rate is well below average for a starter. Cleveland's own numbers against right-handers have actually come back down to earth recently, down to 84.4 wRC+ over the last two weeks after grading out closer to league average for the season, so this isn't the smash spot it looks like on the surface. Still, a homer-prone arm at altitude in Coors Field is exactly the kind of setup that can produce a big day regardless of a quiet couple of weeks.

Targets: Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, Steven Kwan, Nathaniel Lowe

Red Sox vs. Matt Wilkinson (SF)

Why: Wilkinson has thrown all of two innings in the majors this year, so there's essentially no track record to lean on, just a wide range of outcomes for a pitcher making his first real impression. Boston's season-long number against lefties is excellent (111.4 wRC+), though the Red Sox have actually eased off over the last two weeks (80.4 wRC+), worth knowing before you pay up for this stack. Even with the recent dip, a deep, opportunistic lineup against a pitcher with a two-inning big-league resume is the kind of spot that can get out of hand quickly.

Targets: Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Willson Contreras, Caleb Durbin, Adley Rutschman

Tigers vs. Daniel Lynch (KC)

Why: Lynch has actually been sharp this year, a 2.83 ERA and a 3.53 FIP with a 41:16 K:BB across 54 innings, mostly in relief work rather than as a traditional starter. Detroit's numbers against lefties have been ice cold over the last two weeks (57.3 wRC+) after grading out close to league average for the season, so there's no split gift here at all right now, and Lynch's own performance makes this a tougher matchup than the team name recognition might suggest. Worth flagging that this Tigers stack is already drawing heavy ownership on the slate, so even if you like the roster spot, don't expect much leverage from it. This works better as a volume, contact-oriented build than a pure smash spot.

Targets: Dillon Dingler, Eduardo Valencia, Gleyber Torres, Kevin McGonigle, Hao-Yu Lee

Astros vs. Brady Basso (ATH)

Why: Basso has thrown just 23 innings across 16 appearances this year, almost entirely in relief, with a 3.91 ERA but a much sharper 2.95 FIP and a tiny 3% walk rate in that small sample. Houston's numbers against lefties have been brutally cold over the last two weeks (48.7 wRC+), a real red flag worth knowing about before you load up here, even against a pitcher with this little track record. The case leans almost entirely on Basso's inexperience in a starting-type role and Alvarez sitting at the top of this lineup rather than a hot recent trend for the Astros as a team.

Targets: Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes, Jose Altuve, Christian Walker

Contrarian Stacks

Rockies vs. Foster Griffin (CLE)

Why: Griffin's ERA (3.18) looks tidy, but he's allowed 23 home runs across two organizations this year and his FIP (4.23) tells a much less flattering story than the ERA does. Colorado's own numbers against lefties are already well below league average this season (79.3 wRC+), and they've gotten even colder over the last two weeks (46.3 wRC+), so the team split argues hard against this stack right now. This one is built entirely on Griffin's homer-prone track record and the Coors Field backdrop, so treat it as a real contrarian, lower-probability swing rather than a confident play.

Targets: Jake McCarthy, Cole Carrigg, Willi Castro, Kyle Karros, TJ Rumfield

Marlins vs. Jackson Kent (WSH)

Why: Kent has made just two big-league appearances this year, a 9.39 ERA and a 5.56 FIP across 7.2 innings with a concerning 19.5% walk rate in that tiny sample. Miami's own numbers against lefties are close to league average both for the season (93.5 wRC+) and over the last two weeks (87.4 wRC+), so the team-level split isn't the driver here. It's Kent's complete lack of a track record and his control issues that make this a sneaky source of value at what should be low ownership.

Targets: Esteury Ruiz, Heriberto Hernandez, Xavier Edwards, Otto Lopez, Agustin Ramirez

Rangers vs. Yusei Kikuchi (LAA)

Why: Kikuchi is being activated off the 60-day injured list for this exact start, his first big-league outing since early May after a shoulder inflammation issue. His rehab work was shaky down the stretch, including an 8-run, 4-inning blowup in his final Single-A tune-up, so treat his readiness with real skepticism regardless of what the season-long line says. Texas has hit lefties well as a team all season (107.8 wRC+), though that's actually lost a little steam over the last two weeks (90.1 wRC+), so temper expectations slightly versus the full-season number. Even with that dip, a rusty pitcher making his first start back from a long injury layoff against a lineup that still handles lefties fine makes the Rangers a sneaky source of value that most of the field will overlook.

Targets: Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford, Brandon Nimmo, Ezequiel Duran, Jake Burger

For lineup builds and updates as news breaks throughout the day, check the Fantasy Alarm MLB DFS hub.

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