Josh Shepardson | Wed, Aug 12th 2026, 6:58am EDT

MLB DFS Picks & Underdog Player Props: Wednesday (8/12)

Wednesday’s MLB DFS main slates differ between FanDuel and DraftKings, with nine games starting at 6:40 p.m. ET on FanDuel and six starting at 7:05 p.m. ET on DraftKings. The Underdog player props are also for tonight’s games.

Wednesday’s Top MLB DFS Picks & Player Props

Wednesday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings (8/12)

Jose Soriano (SP – TOR) vs. Boston Red Sox

Jose Soriano is having a rock-solid 2026, albeit with some good fortune. According to FanGraphs, the 27-year-old righty has logged the following stats in 23 starts spanning 127.2 innings this year:

9 wins
8 quality starts
3.24 ERA
4.36 xERA
3.72 xFIP
4.10 SIERA
1.26 WHIP
11.3% walk rate
24.5% strikeout rate
51.8% groundball rate
13.2% SwStr%
29% CSW%
97 stuff+
105 location+
105 pitching+

Soriano’s matchup is mixed. The Red Sox are in good form, ranking sixth in wRC+ (114) with a 20.7% strikeout rate in the previous 30 days and second in wRC+ (128) with a 20.3% strikeout rate in the last 14 days.

Boston is also tied for fifth in wRC+ (104) with a 22.4% strikeout rate on the road in 2026, but they’re tied for 26th in wRC+ (93) with a 21.9% strikeout rate versus righties. The Blue Jays are slight underdogs (+105), but the game’s total is a pitcher-friendly 7.5 runs.

Tyler Mahle (SP – ATL) vs. New York Mets

Tyler Mahle is in good form. In his previous four starts, totaling 22.2 innings, the veteran righty has ripped off the following numbers:

1 win
2 quality starts
3.18 ERA
3.28 xERA
3.55 xFIP
3.47 SIERA
1.01 WHIP
10.3% SwStr%
27.6% CSW%
87 stuff+
110 location+
103 pitching+

Mahle has a decent matchup when viewed through the season-long lens, but it’s been tricky as of late. The Mets are tied for 26th in wRC+ (93) with a 22.4% strikeout rate versus righties and 22nd in wRC+ (93) with a 23% strikeout rate on the road this year.

However, New York is ninth in wRC+ (107) with a 25.9% strikeout rate in the previous 30 days and tied for seventh in wRC+ (102) with a 24.9% strikeout rate in the last 14 days. Still, the Braves are -160 favorites, and the game’s total is 8.5 runs. Mahle is far from perfect, but his salary and recent work are appealing.

Foster Griffin (SP – CLE) at Detroit Tigers

The Tigers are first in wRC+ (147) with an 18.7% strikeout rate in the last 14 days and fourth in wRC+ (118) with a 21% strikeout rate in the previous 30 days.

Detroit is also tied for ninth in wRC+ (100) with a 22.6% strikeout rate versus lefties and 12th in wRC+ (106) with a 22.6% strikeout rate at home this season. The risk is apparent for Foster Griffin, as he’s catching a white-hot offense that’s also above average by applicable splits over the course of the whole season.

Nevertheless, on slates with unappealing pitching options such as this, gamers must make some concessions. Instead of picking a lesser pitcher in a better matchup, I’d rather use Griffin in GPPs in a more challenging matchup. The 31-year-old lefty has logged the following stats in 23 starts spanning 133.1 innings this year:

12 wins
12 quality starts
3.31 ERA
4.08 xERA
3.74 xFIP
3.79 SIERA
1.11 WHIP
5.9% walk rate
22.4% strikeout rate
10.4% SwStr%
27.8% CSW%
98 stuff+
102 location+
98 pitching+

Griffin is having a rock-solid return stateside after thriving the previous three years abroad in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB). The betting info isn’t too terrifying for him, either. The Guardians are slight underdogs (+110), and the game’s total is eight runs. Griffin is a viable GPP pick at FanDuel.

Suggested Lineup Stacks

Road (Angel Stadium )
Game Total/Moneyline: 9.0 Runs/TEX -130

Stacking against George Klassen didn’t work out last week, but the rookie righty allowed four hits and walked four batters across just four innings, managing to escape with only one run allowed to the Marlins. That’s not sustainable.

The 24-year-old righty has a 7.27 ERA, 7.79 xERA, 7.44 xFIP and 7.81 SIERA in three starts for the Angels after posting a 3.96 ERA, 4.71 xERA and 5.03 xFIP in 19 Triple-A starts this season. The Rangers should smash him.

Home (UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium)
Game Total/Moneyline: 9.0 Runs/LAD -225

The Royals will start Daniel Lynch, who is projected to operate as an opener for Mason Black. The projected lineup bumps Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy down to increase the likelihood that they will face Black after he enters the contest.

Lynch has held left-handed batters to a .180 wOBA but allowed a .305 wOBA to righties this season, and he’s benefited from making 46 relief appearances and only one start. Black is due for a sizable regression, as evidenced by the gap between his 3.57 ERA and his 6.86 xERA, 5.98 xFIP and 5.39 SIERA in 13 relief appearances for the Royals.

Kansas City’s bullpen also ranks 29th in ERA. The combination of Lynch, Black and Kansas City’s bullpen is favorable for the Dodgers’ offensive outlook tonight.

Core Studs

Shohei Ohtani has hit 26 homers with 76 runs, 72 RBI, seven stolen bases, a .392 on-base percentage (OBP), .248 ISO, .390 wOBA and 148 wRC+ in 505 plate appearances this season.
Wyatt Langford has smacked 13 homers with 40 runs, 31 RBI, eight stolen bases, a .318 OBP, .213 ISO, .341 wOBA and 121 wRC+ in 292 plate appearances this season.
Corey Seager has drilled 46 dingers with a .376 OBP, .238 ISO, .375 wOBA and 146 wRC+ in 864 plate appearances against righties since 2024.

Value Plays/Punts

Brandon Nimmo has belted 13 bombs with 50 runs, 47 RBI, six stolen bases, a .344 OBP, .170 ISO, .346 wOBA and 124 wRC+ in 482 plate appearances in 2026.
Dominic Canzone has drilled 18 dingers with 41 runs, 49 RBI, one stolen base, a .328 OBP, .235 ISO, .350 wOBA and 132 wRC+ in 348 plate appearances this season.
Cole Young is having a breakout season, with 14 homers, 54 runs, 52 RBI, three stolen bases, a .321 OBP, .144 ISO, .320 wOBA and 111 wRC+ in 481 plate appearances.

Wednesday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props

Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet

Tyler Mahle (SP – ATL): 4.5 Strikeouts — Higher

Tyler Mahle has struck out precisely nine batters in back-to-back starts. He posted his second- and third-highest swinging-strike rates in starts in those two turns.

Meanwhile, the Mets rank 21st in strikeout rate (22.4%) versus righties and are tied for 19th in strikeout rate (23%) on the road this season. New York is also 26th in strikeout rate (25.9%) over the previous 30 days and 24th (24.9%) over the previous 14 days.

Zac Thornton (SP – NYM): 3.5 Strikeouts — Lower

Zac Thornton has struck out fewer than 3.5 batters in back-to-back starts and three of his last four. In his previous four starts, totaling 22 innings, Thornton has tallied 12 strikeouts, a 14% strikeout rate, 8.1% SwStr% and 23.4% CSW%.

Thornton also has a challenging matchup for strikeouts. The Braves rank tied for sixth in strikeout rate (21%) versus lefties and tied for 11th in strikeout rate (21.1%) at home in 2026.

Ranger Suarez (SP – PHI): 4.5 Strikeouts — Lower

Ranger Suarez hasn’t been the same pitcher since returning from the injured list (IL) on July 26th. In those three starts, he struck out six, two and three batters. The veteran lefty logged only 11.2 innings in those starts, with 11 strikeouts, a 22.9% strikeout rate, 7.55 SwStr% and 25.55 CSW%.

Suarez doesn’t have a get-right matchup for strikeouts, either. Instead, the Blue Jays rank tied for ninth in strikeout rate (21.6%) versus lefties and eighth in strikeout rate (20.5%) at home. They’re also fifth in strikeout rate (19.7%) in the previous 30 days and 12th in strikeout rate (20.1%) in the last 14 days.

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

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