FanDuel MLB DFS Picks: Wednesday 6/18/25

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Let's check out the top options on today's main slate.

Note: All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

Top MLB DFS Picks

Pitcher Breakdown

Sonny Gray, Cardinals ($10,400)

There are a few top-notch options at the high end of the pitcher pool. Sonny Gray gets the SP1 nod for me thanks to a date with the Chicago White Sox. Gray has pitched to a 3.17 SIERA and 26.1% strikeout rate. He's coming off a bad outing against the Milwaukee Brewers last time out, but prior to that one, he'd gone for exactly 10 punchouts in two of his past four starts. He can tap into that upside against the Pale Hose.

Chris Sale, Braves ($10,800)

In addition to Gray, I think you can make a case for three other pitchers at a five-digit salary -- Chris Sale, Kris Bubic ($10,100) and Framber Valdez ($10,300). With so many quality arms on the slate, Sale could go a little overlooked due to a difficult matchup with the New York Mets, but he can still deliver the goods. After a slow start to the campaign, Sale has been excellent, recording a 2.90 SIERA, 31.7% K rate and 13.6% swinging-strike rate -- very similar numbers to his 2024 Cy Young campaign. He profiles as a fun pivot if it looks like the other high-salary pitchers will attract more attention.

Emmet Sheehan, Dodgers ($6,400)

Emmet Sheehan comes with plenty of risk, but given the lowly salary, he's an enticing dart throw. Sheehan is expected to make his return from injury today, and he's been lights out during his rehab, amassing a 39.0% K rate and 2.4% walk rate over a small sample of 9 1/3 innings at Triple-A. He didn't get more than 10 outs in any of his three Triple-A starts, so the leash will be short tonight. Plus, he has a tough matchup against the San Diego Padres. But if he can push for 20 FanDuel points -- we project him for 10.1 -- he can be worth it as his $6,400 salary gives you a chance to load up on tonight's high-salary stacks.

Stacks to Target

Los Angeles Dodgers

Players to Target: Shohei Ohtani ($4,700), Freddie Freeman ($3,900), Mookie Betts ($3,700) and Max Muncy ($3,100)

The Los Angeles Dodgers went for eight runs last night and should find a lot of joy again today in a home matchup versus Stephen Kolek, who has a 17.3% K rate and 4.42 SIERA this season. Lefties have mauled him to the tune of a .384 wOBA, which puts Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy in a great spot. Our MLB DFS projections have Ohtani as the slate's second-ranked bat. Muncy is torching righties for a .394 wOBA.

New York Yankees

Players to Target: Aaron Judge ($5,100), Jazz Chisholm ($3,500), Ben Rice ($3,200) and Giancarlo Stanton ($2,900)

The New York Yankees are going to be the slate's other chalk stack as they're at home against Jack Kochanowicz. A righty, Kochanowicz is really struggling to miss bats, posting a 15.8% strikeout rate and 8.9% swinging-strike rate. The Yankees are clearly in a funk right now, but they're going to bust out at some point. Tonight could be the night as they hold a slate-leading 5.72-run implied total. Ben Rice is one of my favorite point-per-dollar plays today. He owns a .357 wOBA and 40.7% hard-hit rate against RHP.

Tampa Bay Rays

Players to Target: Yandy Diaz ($2,900), Junior Caminero ($3,200), Christopher Morel ($2,500) and Jose Caballero ($2,800)

Trevor Rogers is making a start for the Baltimore Orioles, and that puts me on his opponent, the Tampa Bay Rays. Rogers has spent most of 2025 in Triple-A, and it hasn't gone super well as he's pitched to a 19.5% K rate and 5.46 ERA. That gives Tampa Bay a big ceiling in their hitter-friendly temporary home. The four players listed above will all hit from the right side against Rogers. Christopher Morel and Jose Caballero are eligible at multiple positions while Junior Caminero has a 40.0% hard-hit rate and .387 wOBA at home.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.