Welcome to Fantasy Alarm's MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy playbook for Saturday, July 11th. 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 6-game main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel has multiple different directions to go, including a few elite hitting spots and a challenging pitching pool. This MLB DFS playbook covers every key position on DraftKings and FanDuel with our best MLB DFS picks for today.

Slate: 6-Game Main | Lock Time: 7:05 pm ET, Saturday, July 11th, 2026

Vegas Totals: CHC/CIN (highest-projected game), KC/BAL - ARI/LAD (tied for second-highest game total), HOU/TEX (third-highest game total)

Highest K-Projections: Yoshinobu Yamamoto 5.5 O/U (-144), Kyle Bradish 5.5 O/U (+112), Trey Yesavage 5.5 O/U (+115), Noah Cameron 5.5 O/U (+120)

MLB Weather Today, 7/11

KC @ BAL - A late start might be necessary, or an early in-game delay could be in play.  

CHC @ CIN - Storms in the area could cause a delay if they wind up over the ballpark. 

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

MLB DFS Top Pitchers

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)

Analysis: Yamamoto is easily the top pitching option on the slate. He owns a 2.49 ERA through 16 starts to go along with an above-average 25.1% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate. He draws a plus matchup against a D-backs offense that ranks dead last with an 81 wRC+ against right-handed pitching. 

Kyle Bradish (BAL)

Analysis: Bradish has dealt with some inconsistency this year, but overall he's been solid. The walks have been a bit of an issue, but the strikeouts still clock in at an above-average 23.5%. His matchup is roughly neutral, with Kansas City owning a 98 wRC+ and 21.6% strikeout rate against righties. 

Trey Yesavage (TOR)

Analysis: Yesavage has been an above-average starting pitcher, posting a 3.31 ERA in 13 starts. He has posted a respectable 22.8% strikeout rate, but the real fantasy appeal comes in his potential. He was all the way up at 25.8% strikeouts in three starts last season, and then carried that into an incredible postseason. This year, his swinging-strike rate is up to a very healthy 13.2%, which indicates last season's strikeout numbers may be closer to his true talent level. 

MLB DFS Value Pitchers

Noah Cameron (TOR)

Analysis: Cameron has pitched to a 4.77 ERA this season, but there are some underlying numbers that suggest he's been a bit unlucky. First, he's allowed a .327 BABIP, which is well above the league-average of .289. Also, he has stranded just 67.5% of baserunners this season, which is well below the league's 72.1% average. If those two metrics regress to the mean, Cameron should put up better surface-level numbers going forward. He draws a great matchup today against an Orioles team that struggles with left-handed pitching. 

Walker Buehler (SD)

Analysis: Buehler is another pitcher who has dealt with some bad luck this season. Every ERA estimator has him as a better pitcher than his surface-level 5.07 ERA, with a 3.94 xFIP being the most optimistic for Buehler. His walks and strikeouts both sit around league average, and his groundball rate is well above average at 48%. Toronto owns just a 95 wRC+ against righties, but they also strike out less than 20% of the time, which hurts the upside for Buehler.  

Kumar Rocker (TEX)

Analysis: Value options are scarce on this slate, so why not go all the way down to Rocker? He has similar upside to any pitcher below Yesavage in salary, and his 11.3% swinging-strike rate suggests there may be even more upside to unlock. 

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 6-game slate.

Our model identifies these arms as the highest-ceiling plays for Alt-K lines today:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 25.1% K% (8.6 K/9)

Kyle Bradish: 23.5% K% (9.0 K/9) 

Trey Yesavage: 22.8% K% (8.4 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

Elly De La Cruz (SS, CIN) & Sal Stewart (1B/3B, CIN) 

Analysis: The Reds are in a great spot at home against the Cubs' Assad and a very banged-up bullpen. De La Cruz has actually hit lefties better than righties this season, but he has historically mashed righties. He offers a power/speed combo that gives him elite upside. Stewart owns an excellent .211 ISO against righties. Assad has a strikeout rate under 15%, while allowing a 49.1% hard-hit rate. 

Max Muncy (3B, LAD) & Kyle Tucker (OF, LAD) 

Analysis: Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman are elite options if you can afford them, but this slate is a bit salary sensitive with the lack of value options at pitcher. Going down the order to the more affordable Muncy and Tucker is a fine consolation prize and offers plenty of upside. Muncy has a .218 ISO against righties, while Tucker has turned his season around in July and posted a 168 wRC+. Pfaadt has been crushed by lefties this season, allowing a .263 ISO.  

Matt Olson (1B, ATL) & Drake Baldwin (C, ATL)

Analysis: Liberatore has struggled to limit lefty power this season, allowing a .259 ISO, and the Braves have some dangerous lefties. Olson has posted a .234 ISO, while Baldwin is at .211 ISO.   

Seiya Suzuki (OF, CHC)

Analysis: Suzuki has been red-hot for a long while now, but he has been overshadowed by the meteoric rise of his teammate PCA. Since June 1st, Suzuki has posted an elite 158 wRC+. He has crushed lefties for a .240 ISO this season. 

MLB DFS Value Hitters

JJ Bleday (OF, CIN) & Nathaniel Lowe (1B, CIN)

Analysis: This pair of Reds' lefties actually have better numbers against RHP than their more expensive teammates listed above. Bleday has crushed righties with a .256 ISO while Lowe is at .226 ISO. Assad has been crushed by lefty batters this season, allowing a .264 ISO. 

Carson Kelly (C, CHC) & Dansby Swanson (SS, CHC) 

Analysis: Kelly and Swanson have both been excellent against left-handed pitching in their careers, and this season is no different. Kelly is at .200 ISO this year and has been hitting clean-up against southpaws lately. Swanson has been on a tear and is up at a .231 ISO against lefties. 

Coby Mayo (3B, BAL) & Tyler O'Neill (OF, BAL)

Analysis: Mayo has smashed lefties his entire career. He owns a ridiculous .414 ISO against them this season, after posting a .184 ISO last year. O'Neill got off to a slow start, but he is back to his lefty-mashing ways and now owns a .217 ISO against southpaws.  

MLB DFS Top Stacks

Primary Stack: Cincinnati Reds vs Javier Assad (CHC RHP)

Targets: Elly De La Cruz, JJ Bleday, Nathaniel Lowe, Sal Stewart, Spencer Steer, Eugenio Suarez 

Primary Stack: Chicago Cubs vs Nick Lodolo (CIN LHP)

Targets: Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Carson Kelly, Alex Bregman, Dansby Swanson

Primary Stack: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Brandon Pfaadt (ARI RHP)

Targets: Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Kyle Tucker, Andy Pages, Dalton Rushing 

“Contrarian” Stack: Baltimore Orioles vs Noah Cameron (KC LHP)

Targets: Gunnar Henderson, Pete Alonso, Adley Rutschman, Taylor Ward, Tyler O'Neill, Coby Mayo

“Contrarian” Stack: Atlanta Braves vs Matthew Liberatore (STL LHP)

Targets: Matt Olson, Drake Baldwin, Ozzie Albies, Mauricio Dubon, Michael Harris 

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters & Pitchers

The "Chalk" (Popular)

The "Pivot" (Low

Owned)

The Winning Logic
Cameron (SP, chalk)Rocker (SP, lower owned)It's only a slight discount in salary and ownership, but options are lacking on the smaller slate and every bit counts.  
Dodgers (Chalk)Braves (pivot stack)The Dodgers are expensive on a slate that lacks value options at pitcher. The cheaper Braves have a bunch of intriguing lefty-lefty options against the reverse splits of Liberatore. 
Ohtani + Pages (chalk)Olson + Harris (lower owned)Save some salary with a pair of Braves lefties hitting back-to-back in the middle of the order. Liberatore has allowed a .259 ISO to lefties. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

  1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (SP1)
  2. Trey Yesavage (SP2)
  3. Elly De La Cruz (Core Bat)
  4. Sal Stewart (Core Bat)
  5. JJ Bleday (Core Bat) 
  6. Coby Mayo (Core Value Bat) 
  7. Carson Kelly (Core Value Bat)

Player Pool

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Stacks

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