DFS MLB

By Kreighton Rahn
Updated: October 29, 2023

Hottest MLB DFS Pitchers in the 2023 World Series

Here's a peek at the best pitchers for the 2 remaining teams in the MLB Playoffs: the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks. The following table shows these pitchers' 2023 postseason stats ranked by their FanDuel fantasy points accrued in the Wild Card, Division, and League Championship Rounds, as well as the first 2 games of the World Series.

Need to refresh yourself on FanDuel's MLB DFS scoring guide? Here it is:

• Inning pitched (3 points)
  Strikeout (3 points)
  Win (6 points)
  Quality start (4 points)
  Earned run allowed (-3 points)

Drafting Your MLB DFS Roster on FanDuel

Selecting a DFS MLB Starting Pitcher

MLB DFS games on FanDuel require drafting only one starting pitcher. Astute DFS players often choose to allocate a significant portion of their salary on said pitcher, typically opting for the one with the best projections.

Some casual fans label baseball as random or unpredictable, not realizing there is far less variation in a pitcher's start-to-start performance than a position player's single-game numbers due to an increased sample size of pitches.

A daily fantasy baseball hitter will generally have only 4 at-bats, maybe five, while pitchers will get many more opportunities in a game—say, 90 to 100 pitches—to hit their projections. Even if a pitcher has a few bad at-bats in a row, he might give up a couple of runs but still has the rest of the game to make up for it.

You may have noted above that strikeouts for pitchers in FanDuel's MLB DFS games are worth 3 points. Thus, it is a sound strategy to choose a daily fantasy baseball pitcher whose projections forecast high strikeout numbers. Earned runs can fluctuate a bit from start to start as a 3-run homer changes everything. High-strikeout pitchers, though, are far less likely to see dips in their numbers as their floor is raised from the strikeouts. A high-strikeout pitcher is generally a safer fantasy baseball selection on FanDuel precisely because of that higher floor.

High-strikeout fantasy pitchers are often worth paying extra money for, as even with a higher ERA, getting those extra 3-spots from each Ks will really add up. Several extra strikeouts easily offset 1 or 2 extra runs per night.

Fantasy pitchers are also awarded 3 points for each inning pitched. Thus, a premium is placed on DFS MLB pitchers who go deep into games. These days, very few pitchers last past the 5th or 6th inning, making it worthwhile to pay extra for those select few pitchers that are allowed to pitch 7 or 8 innings per game. Like the strikeout, an extra inning or two can help offset a couple of runs allowed.

If a fantasy pitcher records a win, they receive an additional 6 points. This makes it critical to select pitchers from teams that have a good chance of winning the game. Pitchers who face weak lineups not only have a greater chance to dominate and accumulate significant fantasy stats against weak hitters but also of being the winning pitcher of record and grabbing that extra 6 points

What to Look for in MLB DFS Hitters

Because home runs are the most valuable stat a FanDuel fantasy hitter can accrue, owners should be loading their DFS MLB lineups with home run hitters. DFS players refer to a 2-homer game as a "double dong." One or two double dongs from your lineup almost guarantees a cashing score.

Of course, players prone to going yard are very high-priced on FanDuel. You'll quickly run out of money by selecting big bopper after big bopper. You're going to need to find a way to accrue points in different fashions. Enter the stolen base.

Stolen bases are much more frequent this season due to new rule changes in the MLB, which have enlarged the bases and put restrictions on a pitcher's pickoff attempts. Despite an increase in prevalence, FanDuel is still awarding the same 6 points for a steal that they were last season.

Steals are worth 6 fantasy points, the same number of points a batter gets for hitting a double. Not bad at all when you consider that a batter must first reach base before stealing, so you can add that 6-point steal to his hit or walk that he reached on.

Here's a little pro tip: steals are far more predictable than home runs. The old adage is that speed never goes in slumps. While power hitters may be stymied by a tough pitching matchup, many of the league's best pitchers, especially high-leverage relievers, are actually terrible in holding runners on base and allow speed demons to fly around the bases undeterred.

Notice that defensive stats do not count at all in FanDuel's MLB DFS games. Take care not to place too much stock in a player with good name recognition solely because of his name. Some players only have name recognition because of a non-hitting tool like their flashy glove or rocket arm.

How to Think Like the Pros in DFS MLB Contests

Treat Every Matchup Differently … Because They Are

You cannot overlook team matchups. Instantly clicking on a recognizable, superstar player without first checking to see who he's going against and where he's playing is such a rookie move. Batters against weak pitching staffs have excellent odds to be involved in a high-scoring game. High-scoring games are gold mines, as hitters will score extra runs and earn extra RBIs as everyone around them is mashing.

Pitchers against weak lineups have excellent odds to generate extra strikeouts, allow fewer runs, and have such an increased chance of earning the win and getting that 6-point bonus.

Don't Forget About the Weather in DFS MLB

Weather plays a crucial role in the results of outdoor MLB games. Pitchers have a major advantage when the air is heavy, or the wind is blowing the ball back into the park. Conversely, even big ball parks become a hitter's paradise when the air is thin or the wind is blowing out.

The most obvious example of weather affecting an MLB game is at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The wind direction and speed is in constant flux in the "Windy City." No one knows how the air will behave until right before first pitch.

As such, Vegas oddsmakers don't typically release totals for a Cubs home game until right before the game begins so they can get a read on the wind before setting their line. This is in stark contrast to other stadiums in which the line is set the night before.

Game Start Time is Important in DFS MLB

Take note of the start time of the game. In many parks, the sun casts shadows across the field from about 3:30-5:00 p.m. local time. These shadows will appear toward the end of 1 p.m. start time games or toward the beginning of 4 p.m. start time games.

When shadows run across the field, it becomes very difficult for hitters to pick up the ball out of the pitcher's hand. This gives pitchers the upper hand. Starting pitchers in 4 p.m. start time games will pitch the first few innings with a major advantage before the sun goes down behind the stadium line.

Let's say the New York Mets are hosting the Nationals in Citi Field in Queens. Max Scherzer is the Mets starter. The game is starting at 4 p.m. New York time. Scherzer—who's almost always good anyway—becomes a must-start in all DFS MLB formats as he is a high-strikeout pitcher from a decent New York team against a weak Nats lineup in a 4 p.m. start time game. This will make Mad Max even more unhittable for the young, inexperienced Nationals hitters.

Cash game lineups should definitely include Scherzer, as he is sure to have the highest upside of any pitcher that day. Only very deep tournaments might consider not using Mad Max as the starting pitcher. The logic here is that most players in the tournament will probably pick him. We can make a contrarian pick and jump above much of the field on the off-chance that Scherzer has a bad game.

A contrarian approach should only be used in very deep tournaments when you need to find a creative way to separate yourself from a giant field of other DFS MLB players. Employing contrarian strategies in too small of a field is a great way to shoot yourself in the foot.

FAQ

What is the Best MLB FanDuel Lineup for Tonight?

Creating the optimal lineup depends upon the game type. Cash game lineups require safe, high-floor options which are unlikely to lay a dud. Deep tournament lineups require high-upside, all-or-nothing picks with the potential to explode for a monster score.

Cash game lineups are all about minimizing risk. Tournaments are about going for gold.

Should I Use an MLB DFS Lineup Optimizer?

Optimizers are computer programs built to calculate the optimal MLB DFS lineup for a given slate. The beauty of optimizers is that they can perform calculations with lightning speed, saving time for the fantasy player.

If electing to use an optimizer to help with your DFS drafting, ensure your optimizer of choice evaluates the factors we touched on above. Some optimizers will use overly simplified projections which place greater weight on big names.

We suggest creating your own system of evaluation and choosing an optimizer which reflects your own results

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