Josh Shepardson | Thu, Aug 6th 2026, 7:12am EDT

MLB DFS Picks & Underdog Player Props: Thursday (8/6)

Thursday’s MLB DFS slate includes five games, starting at 6:05 p.m. ET at FanDuel. It has four games, beginning at 7:10 p.m. ET at DraftKings. The Underdog player props are also from the night’s games.

Thursday’s Top MLB DFS Picks & Player Props

Thursday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings (8/6)

Cristopher Sanchez (SP – PHI) vs. Washington Nationals

Unfortunately, Cristopher Sanchez isn’t an option at DraftKings because his game isn’t on the slate. Still, he’s comfortably the top pitching option at FanDuel. According to FanGraphs, Sanchez has spun a 1.28 ERA, 2.48 xFIP, 1.00 WHIP, 6.2 BB%, and 28.9 K% in 84.1 innings at home this year.

The Nationals look like a challenging matchup for the southpaw tonight, ranking third in wRC+ (114) with a 23.5 K% versus lefties and third in wRC+ (108) with a 22.5 K% on the road in 2026. Washington is also tied for first in wRC+ (123) with a 20.7 K% in the previous 30 days and ninth in wRC+ (106) with a 20.0 K% in the previous 14 days.

However, gamers can mostly throw out the season-long and recent numbers, as the team traded Curtis Mead and Luis Garcia Jr., and James Wood is on the injured list (IL) as of August 4th. The betting markets understand how much less imposing the Nationals are now, as the Phillies are -350 favorites, and the game’s total is 8.5 runs.

Michael Wacha (SP – KC) vs. Minnesota Twins

Michael Wacha is the most palatable of a bad lot of pitchers on the main slate at DraftKings. Wacha has pitched completely acceptably at home this year, with a 3.03 ERA, 4.19 xFIP, 1.04 WHIP, 5.9 BB%, and 20.3 K% in 59.1 innings.

The righty’s matchup is OK. The Twins are tied for seventh in wRC+ (107) with a 21.1 K% versus righties and fifth in wRC+ (105) with a 23.1 K% on the road this year. However, they’re tied for 23rd in wRC+ (86) with a 20.0 K% in the previous 30 days and 23rd in wRC+ (83) with a 19.2 K% in the previous 14 days. So, the Royals are -120 favorites, albeit with a somewhat alarming total of 9.0 runs. That said, it’s the same total for all four games on the four-game main slate at DraftKings, so it’s not alarming within the context of this slate.

Janson Junk (SP – MIA) at Atlanta Braves

The Marlins are +135 underdogs, but, as I noted above, the game’s total, like all of the totals on DraftKings’ four-game slate, is 9.0 runs. The betting info shouldn’t dissuade anyone from Janson Junk.

The primary case for using Junk as an SP2 is his affordable salary. On a slate with flawed and unexciting pitchers with low ceilings, why not save some cap space for hitting? As for Junk, he’s logged the following numbers in 15 starts spanning 78.2 innings in 2026:

5 wins
2 quality starts
4.58 ERA
4.08 xERA
4.30 xFIP
4.43 SIERA
1.33 WHIP
6.5 BB%
18.1 K%
6.5 SwStr%
23.9 CSW%
101 stuff+
110 location+
110 pitching+

The bad news is that Junk has an ugly 4.58 ERA, uninspiring 18.1 K%, and ugly plate-discipline data. The good news is that he has stellar pitch-modeling data, and his ERA estimators are all better than his ERA. Sadly, Junk’s ERA estimators aren’t anything to write home about, either. Regardless, he can score within the vicinity of the other pitching options, and the salary relief he offers allows DFS gamers to invest more in their hitters.

Suggested Lineup Stacks

Home (Chase Field )
Game Total/Moneyline: 9.0 Runs/ARI -115

Walker Buehler has a disgusting 5.74 ERA in 47 innings on the road. His 3.89 xFIP on the road suggests he’s been unlucky. At the same time, Buehler also has a 5.18 ERA in 22 starts this season; his ERA estimators are better, but he hasn’t tallied an ERA below 4.90 in a season since 2022. It’s also beneficial for stacking the Diamondbacks that Buehler is a favorable matchup for righties and lefties, allowing a .324 wOBA to the former and a .348 wOBA to the latter this season.

Home (Citizens Bank Park)
Game Total/Moneyline: 8.5 Runs/PHI -350

The Phillies are only available to stack on FanDuel’s slate, but they’re an intriguing stack at that platform. Miles Mikolas has a 5.67 ERA, 5.38 xERA, 4.75 xFIP, and 4.77 SIERA across 10 starts and 13 relief appearances in 2026. He’s surrendered precisely a .355 wOBA to left-handed and right-handed batters this season. Washington’s bullpen is also putrid, ranking 27th in ERA (4.95) this year.

Core Studs

Corbin Carroll has hit 12 homers with 69 runs, 53 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, a .340 OBP, .225 ISO, .350 wOBA, and 120 wRC+ in 482 plate appearances this season.
Bobby Witt Jr. has clubbed 60 home runs with a .365 OBP, .228 ISO, .380 wOBA, and 145 wRC+ in 1,422 plate appearances against righties since 2024.
Jac Caglianone has hit 18 homers with 49 runs, 43 RBIs, four stolen bases, a .310 OBP, .201 ISO, .332 wOBA, and 109 wRC+ in 410 plate appearances this year.

Value Plays/Punts

Lars Nootbaar has mashed 22 taters with a .342 OBP, .151 ISO, .324 wOBA, and 109 wRC+ in 850 plate appearances against righties since 2024.
In Nolan Arenado‘s previous 119 plate appearances, he’s hit eight homers with 19 runs, 20 RBIs, a .361 OBP, .282 ISO, .386 wOBA, .319 expected wOBA (xwOBA), and 144 wRC+.
Isaac Collins has hit nine homers with a .375 OBP, .134 ISO, .345 wOBA, and 121 wRC+ in 562 plate appearances against righties since 2024.

Thursday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props

Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet

Cristopher Sanchez (SP – PHI): 6.5 Strikeouts — Higher

Cristopher Sanchez has a blistering 28.9 K% in 84.1 innings at home this season. He has also surpassed 6.5 strikeouts in three of his previous four starts and 15 of 23 starts in 2026.

Bryce Harper (1B – PHI): 2.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs — Higher

Bryce Harper has recorded 102 hits, including 24 homers, with 69 runs, 68 RBIs, a .252 batting average, .361 OBP, .244 ISO, .368 wOBA, and 131 wRC+ in 485 plate appearances this season. Conversely, Miles Mikolas has allowed 73 hits, a .293 batting average, .326 OBP, and .502 slugging to 264 left-handed batters this year.

Bobby Witt Jr. (SS – KC): 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs — Higher

Bobby Witt Jr. has amassed 106 hits, including 13 home runs, with 53 runs, 41 RBIs, a .281 batting average, .352 OBP, .170 ISO, .348 wOBA, and 121 wRC+ in 423 plate appearances in 2026. Meanwhile, Bailey Ober has coughed up 17 hits, a .309 batting average, .356 OBP, and .473 slugging to 59 right-handed batters faced on the road this 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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