The 2026 MLB regular season is in full-swing. There’s a lighter slate on the books with a bunch of clubs traveling Thursday, but there is no better time to dive right into the action. Pitchers are already ranked by price, with the ones who are projected to perform better eating up more of your budget, but I am here to add my two cents. I’ll be sharing my own rankings for the top 10 starting pitchers for DFS in the six-game Thursday early afternoon contest that locks at 12:35 p.m. ET.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $30K Bat Flip ($10K to 1st)
1. LHP Max Fried, NYY (vs. LAA)
Salary: $9,500
2025 Stats: 32 G, 32 GS, 195.1 IP, 19-5, 2.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 189 K, 51 BB, 4.8 WAR
2026 Stats: 4 G, 4 GS, 28.0 IP, 2-0, 1.93 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 20 K, 5 BB, 0.9 WAR
2026 FanGraphs Projections: 27 G, 27 GS, 170.0 IP, 11-8, 3.36 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 160 K, 51 BB, 3.2 WAR (Steamer)
2. LHP Kris Bubic, KC (@ DET)
Salary: $9,000
2025 Stats: 20 G, 20 GS, 116.1 IP, 8-7, 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 116 K, 39 BB, 3.3 WAR
2026 Stats: 3 G, 3 GS, 18.0 IP, 2-1, 2.50 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 23 K, 7 BB, 0.4 WAR
2026 FanGraphs Projections: 32 G, 23 GS, 142.0 IP, 9-8, 3.79 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 142 K, 53 BB, 2.3 WAR (Steamer)
3. RHP Chase Burns, CIN (vs. SFG)
Salary: $8,700
2025 Stats: 13 G, 8 GS, 43.1 IP, 0-3, 4.57 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 67 K, 16 BB, 1.4 WAR
2026 Stats: 3 G, 3 GS, 16.1 IP, 1-1, 3.31 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 18 K, 8 BB, 0.2 WAR
2026 FanGraphs Projections: 24 G, 17 GS, 102.0 IP, 6-6, 3.70 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 116 K, 36 BB, 2.1 WAR (Steamer)
4. RHP Landen Roupp, SFG (@ CIN)
Salary: $8,000
2025 Stats: 22 G, 22 GS, 106.2 IP, 3.80 ERA, 7-7, 1.48 WHIP, 102 K, 45 BB, 1.1 WAR
2026 Stats: 3 G, 3 GS, 16.2 IP, 2-1, 3.24 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 18 K, 5 BB, 0.6 WAR
2026 FanGraphs Projections: 27 G, 20 GS, 116.0 IP, 3.95 ERA, 7-7, 1.36 WHIP, 110 K, 47 BB, 1.2 WAR (Steamer)
5. LHP Steven Matz, TB (@ CHW)
Salary: $8,500
2025 Stats: 53 G, 2 GS, 76.2 IP, 5-2, 3.05 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 59 K, 11 BB, 1.1 WAR
2026 Stats: 3 G, 3 GS, 16.0 IP, 3-0, 3.94 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 17 K, 5 BB, 0.5 WAR
2026 FanGraphs Projections: 29 G, 22 GS, 130.0 IP, 7-8, 3.99 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 115 K, 40 BB, 2.1 WAR (Steamer)
6. RHP Keider Montero, DET (vs. KC)
Salary: $7,500
2025 Stats: 20 G, 12 GS, 90.2 IP, 5-3, 4.37 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 72 K, 31 BB, 0.1 WAR
2026 Stats: 2 G, 2 GS, 10.1 IP, 1-1, 1.74 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 10 K, 2 BB, 0.5 WAR
2026 FanGraphs Projections: 31 G, 6 GS, 56.0 IP, 7-9, 4.28 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 49 K, 20 BB, 0.3 WAR (Steamer)
7. RHP Braxton Ashcraft, PIT (vs. WSH)
Salary: $7,800
2025 Stats: 26 G, 8 GS, 69.2 IP, 4-4, 2.71 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 71 K, 24 BB, 1.6 WAR
2026 Stats: 3 G, 3 GS, 17.0 IP, 1-1, 2.12 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 20 K, 5 BB, 0.7 WAR
2026 FanGraphs Projections: 40 G, 20 GS, 130.0 IP, 8-8, 3.89 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 117 K, 45 BB, 1.8 WAR (Steamer)
8. RHP Anthony Kay, CHW (vs. TB)
Salary: $7,300
2025 Stats: DNP (Japan)
2026 Stats: 3 G, 2 GS, 14.2 IP, 1-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 11 K, 8 BB, 0.0 WAR
2026 FanGraphs Projections: 29 G, 20 GS, 126.0 IP, 7-8, 4.20 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 99 K, 50 BB, 1.7 WAR (Steamer)
9. LHP Foster Griffin, WSH (@ PIT)
Salary: $6,800
2025 Stats: DNP (Japan)
2026 Stats: 3 G, 3 GS, 15.1 IP, 2-0, 1.76 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 12 K, 6 BB, 0.1 WAR
2026 FanGraphs Projections: 34 G, 23 GS, 144.0 IP, 8-9, 3.97 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 123 K, 44 BB, 1.9 WAR (Steamer)
10. RHP Brandon Sproat, MIL (vs. TOR)
Salary: $7,000
2025 Stats: 4 G, 4 GS, 20.2 IP, 0-2, 4.79 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 17 K, 7 BB, 0.6 WAR
2026 Stats: 3 G, 1 GS, 10.1 IP, 0-1, 10.45 ERA, 2.32 WHIP, 10 K, 10 BB, -0.4 WAR
2026 FanGraphs Projections: 27 G, 13 GS, 87.0 IP, 5-6, 4.35 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 72 K, 38 BB, 0.6 WAR (Steamer)
