Quick Summary of Today’s Top Underdog MLB Picks: 

The 2026 MLB season rolls on with playoff races heating up across the league. We’ve seen plenty of highlights, storylines, and breakout players to watch. Let’s now focus on the Saturday, August 22nd slate of games with our top Underdog MLB Picks. We’ll break down a pair of MLB DFS projections to lock in as you enjoy today’s action. 

 

 
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Underdog Fantasy MLB Picks: Saturday, 8/22

Patrick Sandoval MLB Underdog Fantasy Pick: Higher Than 5.5 Strikeouts

Patrick Sandoval has had a mixed bag of results since joining the Boston Red Sox rotation in July. He has a 4.76 ERA and 1.85 WHIP over seven starts. Even so, the southpaw has some upside in Saturday’s home matchup against the San Francisco Giants – particularly in the strikeout department. 

The Giants are striking out at a 27.1% clip against left-handed pitching in August, which is the fourth-highest mark in the majors. They’re also batting just .186 with a 5.9% walk rate in the split this month. Those rank 29th and 28th in the league, respectively, during this stretch. 

In this matchup, Sandoval should be on the higher end of his strikeout potential. He’s averaging just five punchouts per start with a subpar 21.9% strikeout rate. However, the Giants’ swing-and-miss issues elevate his ceiling today. Plus, San Francisco’s league-low 6.5% walk rate vs. lefties this season will help Sandoval avoid some of his control problems. 

Isaac Paredes MLB Underdog Fantasy Pick: Higher Than 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI

The Houston Astros offense gets a favorable home matchup today against Athletics starter Jacob Lopez. Let’s back one of those hitters as we focus on Isaac Paredes. The Astros’ third baseman has multiple trends and splits working in his favor. 

Paredes has been swinging a hot bat lately. He’s hitting .366 with a .947 OPS over his last 11 games. He’s also batting .280 with an .824 OPS across his past 27 contests. On top of that, Paredes has been particularly effective against left-handed pitching this season, posting a .290 batting average in the split. 

Lopez, meanwhile, has struggled overall. He carries a 5.22 ERA and 1.53 WHIP into this outing. Though the Athletics’ left-hander has shown improvement over the past month, facing Houston on the road is a tall task. Right-handed hitters have also had success against Lopez, batting .280 with an .849 OPS against him this season.