RADIO
Casey Wilson's top DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks for today, Monday, 8/17/26. His favorite daily fantasy baseball lineup sleepers and value picks for DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Hey there, RotoBallers. I am officially back from vacation and will be with you all for the rest of the season. The end of July and early August is the busiest time of the year, but now that we're past that, it's time to get back to baseball. The models are dialed in and are ready to finish the season in the green.
If you have not had a chance to check out my model, I will refer to it throughout this article. To get a better sense of where I am, not only on today's slate but on every slate, please give it a look. My plays are solely based on numbers, and this model is the brain behind the operation. I have also created a hitter model that is not public, but I will reference it in this article.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 8/17/2026, with the slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET on DraftKings and 6:40 p.m. ET FanDuel. The lineup picks will showcase elite players, mid-priced options, and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is always essential.
Top MLB DFS Pitcher for DraftKings, FanDuel
Cristopher Sanchez, SP - PHI (N/A DK/$11.1K FD)
Cristopher Sanchez is the clear SP1 on tonight's slate. He is the top spend-up option and will be the top play in cash tonight. He has a 28.9% projected K% and 7.46 strikeouts in my model tonight. The Marlins have the lowest implied total at 3.3 runs. He's expensive but worth every penny.
Sanchez has been in tremendous form. He's been pitching like a Cy Young all season. Over the last month, he has a 2.43 xFIP, 30.6% K%, 1.24 WHIP, and a 0.32 HR/9. The Marlins have struggled during that time against southpaws. They have a 22.9% K%, a .621 OPS, and a 73 wRC+. Play Sanchez in all formats tonight.
Top MLB DFS Stack for DraftKings, FanDuel
Kansas City Royals (Model-Projected IRT of 6.9 runs) vs. Mason Barnett
The Royals are grading out higher for me tonight than the Dodgers in Coors. They will square off against Mason Barnett at Kauffman Stadium, where their 6.9 implied run total is second-highest on tonight's slate. Their 690 stack grade is the top in my model.
Barnett has struggled as of late, allowing a 6.83 xFIP, 1.92 WHIP, 6.58 HR/9, and a 59.3% FB% over his last two starts. The Royals have a .707 OPS and a 95 wRC+ this season against RHP. They are a much better team at home, and both the lefties and righties stand out. Load up on Royal bats tonight.
Favorite Targets: Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, Tyler Tolbert, Jac Caglianone, Nick Loftin, Carter Jensen
Top MLB DFS Hitter for DraftKings, FanDuel
Max Muncy, 3B - LAD ($5.7K DK/$3.7K FD)
Muncy stands out as the top hitter on tonight's slate as he will face Tomoyuki Sugano in Coors. He has a .364 wOBA, .305 ISO, and a .859 OPS over his last 69 ABs against RHP. Sugano has allowed a .357 wOBA, .333 ISO, and a .948 OPS to LHH during that span. Muncy is my first click tonight.
