Josh Shepardson | Fri, Apr 3rd 2026, 8:14am EDT

MLB DFS Picks & Underdog Player Props: Friday (4/3)

Friday’s MLB DFS main slate at DraftKings has 10 games, starting at 1:05 p.m. ET. FanDuel’s main slate doesn’t align with DK’s, so the salaries in the forthcoming tables are from their all-day slate. The Underdog pick ’em selections are also from the afternoon’s games.

Friday’s Top MLB DFS Picks & Player Props

Friday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings (4/3)

Dylan Cease (SP – TOR) at Chicago White Sox

Dylan Cease opened his first season with the Blue Jays in dominant fashion. He allowed just one run on three hits and two walks with a dozen strikeouts in 5.1 innings against the Athletics. Per FanGraphs, Cease recorded a 26.7 SwStr%, 43.3 CSW%, 112 stuff+, 102 location+ and 114 pitching+ in that start.

Cease was a regression candidate after he had a 4.55 ERA that was markedly higher than his 3.45 xERA, 3.56 xFIP, and 3.58 SIERA in 32 starts for the Padres last year. Cease has elite stuff, strikes out batters in bunches, and started the year on a high note.

He can build on that in a plus matchup with fantastic betting info on Friday. Only two of the players the White Sox have shuffled among 10 hitters in their starting lineups against righties this year have had a wRC+ above 97 against righties since 2024, and one is Munetaka Murakami, who’s playing his first season in MLB. Thus, the Blue Jays are -200 favorites, and the game’s total is 7.5 runs. Cease is the top pitching option across all game types today.

Framber Valdez (SP – DET) vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Framber Valdez had a stellar 2025 campaign, logging the following stats in 31 starts spanning 192 innings for the Astros.

15 wins
20 quality starts
3.66 ERA
3.77 xERA
3.34 xFIP
3.55 SIERA
1.24 WHIP
8.5 BB%
23.3 K%
58.6 GB%
11.5 SwStr%
28.5 CSW%
106 stuff+
100 location+
111 pitching+

The 32-year-old lefty got off to a fast start this year in his first turn for the Tigers. Valdez rattled off a quality start, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts in six innings against the Padres. Valdez had a 47.4 GB%, 12.0 SwStr%, 30.1 CSW%, 116 stuff+, 113 location+ and 127 pitching+. Valdez’s pitch-modeling data supported his impressive start against the Friars.

Valdez has an unimposing matchup against the Cardinals today, as only four of their projected starters have had a 104 wRC+ or higher against lefties since 2024, and five have had an 81 wRC+ or worse. Valdez’s betting info is also encouraging. The Tigers are -170 favorites, and the game’s total is 8.0 runs.

Joey Cantillo (SP – CLE) vs. Chicago Cubs

Joey Cantillo split his time in 2025 between the bullpen and the rotation, working his way up the ladder from the pen to the rotation as the season went along. He made 22 relief appearances before closing the season with 13 starts.

The lefty tallied the following stats in his 13 starts last season.

4 wins
2 quality starts
2.96 ERA
3.51 xERA
3.78 xFIP
4.01 SIERA
1.21 WHIP
10.1 BB%
25.9 K%
12.7 SwStr%
31.4 CSW%
100 stuff+
101 location+
101 pitching+

Cantillo didn’t post jaw-dropping numbers. Still, they exceed the quality of pitching gamers should expect from one with a sub-$7,000 DK salary. Cantillo wasn’t sharp in his first start in 2026, but if he can pitch to last year’s work as a starter, he can provide excellent point-per-dollar value today.

Suggested Lineup Stacks

Road (Coors Field)
Game Total/Moneyline: 10.0 Runs/PHI -205

DraftKings didn’t seem to get the memo that the Phillies are at Coors Field today, as their hitters didn’t get the customary Coors Field bump. Additionally, Philadelphia’s offense has a plus matchup against Michael Lorenzen.

Among today’s probable starters, Lorenzen had the fifth-highest ERA (4.64), the fourth-highest xERA (4.60), the eighth-highest xFIP (4.23), the ninth-highest SIERA (4.16), and tied for the sixth-highest WHIP (1.33) in 2025. He’s also coughed up a .339 wOBA to lefties and a .346 wOBA to righties since last year. The Phillies will also have a decent matchup when Lorenzen departs the contest. Colorado’s relievers have a 4.15 ERA and 4.52 xERA this season.

Home (Globe Life Field)
Game Total/Moneyline: 8.0 Runs/TEX -160

Brady Singer isn’t a punching bag, but his 4.03 ERA in 32 starts last year outkicked his 4.26 xERA, 4.25 xFIP, and 4.17 SIERA. The righty was also at his worst on the road last year, getting roughed up for a 4.88 ERA, 4.50 xFIP, and 1.39 WHIP in 79.1 innings in road starts. Singer stumbled out of the blocks this year, too, allowing three runs on five hits (one homer) and two walks in four innings against the Red Sox.

Core Studs

Kyle Schwarber has mashed 61 taters with a .355 OBP, .293 ISO, .370 wOBA, and 137 wRC+ in 903 plate appearances against righties since 2024.
Bryce Harper has launched 38 long-balls with a .364 OBP, .242 ISO, .367 wOBA, and 135 wRC+ in 767 plate appearances against righties since 2024.
Corey Seager has annihilated righties at home. In 327 plate appearances against right-handed pitching at home since 2024, Seager has hit 19 homers with a .413 OBP, .274 ISO, .412 wOBA, and 175 wRC+.

Value Plays/Punts

Owen Caissie hit 22 homers with a .386 OBP, .265 ISO, .410 wOBA, and 139 wRC+ in 433 plate appearances in Triple-A in 2025. He struggled in 27 plate appearances for the Cubs, but he’s finding his footing this year with the Marlins. In six games and 23 plate appearances this season, Caissie has hit one home run with three runs, eight RBI, one stolen base, a .391 OBP, .250 ISO, .422 wOBA, .435 expected wOBA (xwOBA), and 172 wRC+.
Willi Castro has a sub-$3,000 salary at DraftKings despite hitting third in Colorado’s lineup and playing at home today. He’s a roughly average hitter against righties, with a 98 wRC+ in 836 plate appearances against righties since 2024, and left-handed batters hammered Aaron Nola for a .376 wOBA since last season.
Justin Crawford is another piece of punt-priced exposure to Coors Field. The rookie outfielder broke camp with the Phillies after conquering Triple-A in 2025 to the tune of a 135 wRC+.

Friday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props

Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet

Bailey Ober (SP – MIN): 1.5 Earned Runs — Higher (0.82x)

Bailey Ober recorded a career-high 5.10 ERA in 27 starts last year, and his 4.34 xERA, 4.75 xFIP, and 4.51 SIERA were unimpressive as well. He yielded over 1.5 earned runs in 16 of 27 starts last year. The 30-year-old righty also allowed three earned runs in his first start this year, and his 89.8 mph average fastball velocity in his first start is down from his career-low 90.2 mph average fastball velocity in 2025.

Joey Cantillo (SP/RP – CLE): 14.5 Pitching Outs — Higher (0.78x Payout)

Cantillo recorded 10 outs and 12 outs in his first two starts last year after transitioning from the bullpen to the rotation. He’s recorded at least 15 outs in nine of 12 starts since then.

Owen Caissie (OF – MIA): 0.5 Hits + Runs + RBI — Higher

Caissie has recorded at least one hit, run, or RBI in four of his five starts as well as one appearance as a pinch-hitter. Will Warren is a favorable matchup for the left-handed-hitting outfielder, too. Warren has allowed a .269 batting average, .355 OBP, and .438 SLG to 405 left-handed batters since last season.

Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.

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