Friday’s MLB DFS main slate features 10 games on DraftKings and FanDuel, starting at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Underdog player props are also from those games.
Friday’s Top MLB DFS Picks & Player Props
Friday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings (8/14)
Gavin Williams is the first of the two hot pitchers featured in this piece. According to FanGraphs, in the righty’s previous five starts spanning 31.1 innings, he’s logged the following numbers:
- 1 win
- 2 quality starts
- 2.59 ERA
- 1.68 xERA
- 1.61 xFIP
- 1.48 SIERA
- 0.64 WHIP
- 3.5% walk rate
- 45.1% strikeout rate
- 18.2% SwStr%
- 32.6% CSW%
- 107 stuff+
- 109 location+
- 117 pitching+
Williams’ matchup isn’t ideal, but his betting info is favorable. The Padres are tied for 18th in wRC+ (99) with a 21.9% strikeout rate versus righties and 13th in wRC+ (98) with a 22.5% strikeout rate on the road in 2026.
In addition, they’re hot, ranking tied for first in wRC+ (125) with an 18% strikeout rate in the previous 30 days and fifth in wRC+ (114) with a 19% strikeout rate in the last 14 days. Regardless, the Guardians are -130 favorites, and the game’s total is a pitcher-friendly 7.5 runs.
Gerrit Cole is also cooking with gas. He’s tallied the following marks in his previous five starts, totaling 31.2 innings:
- 3 wins
- 4 quality starts
- 2.27 ERA
- 3.31 xERA
- 2.85 xFIP
- 2.75 SIERA
- 0.88 WHIP
- 4.9% walk rate
- 32.8% strikeout rate
- 12.8% SwStr%
- 30.2% CSW%
- 100 stuff+
- 107 location+
- 105 pitching+
Cole has a plus-matchup and good betting info tonight. The Blue Jays are tied for 20th in wRC+ (97) with an 18.9% strikeout rate versus righties and tied for 23rd in wRC+ (96) with a 20.3% strikeout rate at home.
Toronto is also tied for 26th in wRC+ (82) with a 19.3% strikeout rate in the previous 30 days and 23rd in wRC+ (85) with a 20.4% strikeout rate in the last 14 days. As a result, the Yankees are -155 favorites, and the game’s total is eight runs.
Landen Roupp‘s home splits and his salary make him a compelling SP2 selection on DraftKings, but he’s unappealing on FanDuel, where gamers shouldn’t venture away from Williams and Cole. In 10 home starts spanning 54 innings, Roupp has a 4.00 ERA, 4.00 xFIP, 1.19 WHIP, 11% walk rate and 24.2% strikeout rate.
The righty’s matchup is appealing, and his betting info is adequate. The Rockies are tied for 22nd in wRC+ (95) with a 21.6% strikeout rate versus righties and tied for 18th in wRC+ (94) with a 23.7% strikeout rate on the road this season.
Colorado is also 22nd in wRC+ (87) with a 21.7% strikeout rate in the previous 30 days and 16th in wRC+ (99) with a 19.4% strikeout rate in the last 14 days. The Giants are -125 favorites, and the game’s total is eight runs.
Suggested Lineup Stacks
The Orioles haven’t announced a starting pitcher for tonight, but it appears Chris Bassitt could toe the slab, and the Rays would have explosive potential against Bassitt in his first start off the injured list (IL).
The 37-year-old righty has a 5.27 ERA, 5.06 xERA, 4.98 xFIP and 4.91 SIERA in 10 starts and two relief appearances this season. The veteran righty has allowed a .305 wOBA to 104 right-handed batters and coughed up an eye-popping .407 wOBA to 157 left-handed batters this year, too.
Brandon Pfaadt is outkicking his peripherals, and stacking the Braves is a bet on the other shoe dropping. Pfaadt is reliant on batted balls finding gloves, as evidenced by his 15.2% strikeout rate in 11 starts and 10 relief appearances this season and his 10.4% strikeout rate in his last five starts.
Atlanta’s projected lineup features six hitters who will bat left-handed against Pfaadt. Even while running pure this season, he’s surrendered a .314 wOBA to 197 left-handed batters.
Core Studs
- Jonathan Aranda has hit 15 home runs with 58 runs, 73 RBI, a .373 on-base percentage (OBP), .146 ISO, .353 wOBA, .354 expected wOBA (xwOBA) and 127 wRC+ in 512 plate appearances this season.
- Liam Hicks has wrecked righties in a breakout campaign, smashing 15 homers with a .391 OBP, .196 ISO, .387 wOBA and 145 wRC+ in 345 plate appearances against them.
- Junior Caminero has drilled 35 dingers with 76 runs, 77 RBI, two stolen bases, a .370 OBP, .274 ISO, .390 wOBA, .374 xwOBA and 152 wRC+ in 525 plate appearances in 2026.
Value Plays/Punts
- Dominic Canzone has drilled 19 dingers with 42 runs, 50 RBI, one stolen base, a .328 OBP, .239 ISO, .351 wOBA and 133 wRC+ in 357 plate appearances this season.
- Chandler Simpson is on fire. In his previous 95 plate appearances, he’s hit zero home runs with 10 runs, eight RBI, 11 stolen bases, a .409 OBP, .046 ISO, .375 wOBA and 142 wRC+.
- Richie Palacios is the person to cut from the featured Rays in the core studs and values/punts section on FanDuel, where gamers can only stack four players from the same team. He’s an appealing value selection on DraftKings, though. Palacios has hit 11 homers with a .351 OBP, .114 ISO, .318 wOBA and 107 wRC+ in 563 plate appearances against righties since 2024.
Friday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props
Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet 
Robert Stock missed bats in the minors this year, and he’s been thrust into New York’s rotation. The 36-year-old righty has lasted only eight innings across two starts for the Mets, but he struck out eight batters in those turns.
Stock has a 14.6% SwStr% and 28.5& CSW%, and he struck out precisely four batters in each of those turns, one of which was an unmitigated disaster. Stock should clear the low bar of 3.5 strikeouts against the Nationals.
Landen Roupp fell short of 17.5 outs recorded in three straight starts after eclipsing that mark in three straight. He’s cleared that threshold in five of his last nine. As noted above, Roupp has a favorable matchup, which should allow him to surpass 17.5 outs recorded tonight.
Kyle Freeland has cleared 18.5 outs only three times in 21 starts this season. All three times he did so were at home. The veteran lefty has been pummeled to the tune of a 7.81 ERA on the road this season.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn
Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
