The 2026 MLB regular season is heating up. With the All-Star break and trade deadline in the rear-view mirror and playoff races taking shape, there is no better time to dive right into the Daily Fantasy 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 have my own DFS rankings for the top 10 starting pitchers in the seven-game Monday night contest that locks at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Rally Cap [$50K to 1st]
MLB DFS Pitcher Rankings — Monday, August 17
| Rank | Name | Team | Opponent | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Blake Snell | Los Angeles Dodgers | Colorado Rockies | $9,000 |
| 2. | Shota Imanaga | Chicago Cubs | Chicago White Sox | $8,500 |
| 3. | Nolan McLean | New York Mets | San Diego Padres | $9,800 |
| 4. | Michael Wacha | Kansas City Royals | Athletics | $8,800 |
| 5. | Martin Perez | Atlanta Braves | Minnesota Twins | $7,300 |
| 6. | Luis Castillo | Chicago White Sox | Chicago Cubs | $7,800 |
| 7. | Framber Valdez | Detroit Tigers | Pittsburgh Pirates | $7,500 |
| 8. | Brayan Bello* | Boston Red Sox | Arizona Diamondbacks | $6,800 |
| 9. | Tomoyuki Sugano | Colorado Rockies | Los Angeles Dodgers | $5,500 |
| 10. | Walker Buehler | San Diego Padres | New York Mets | $6,500 |
*Probable Long Reliever
Best MLB DFS Value Picks, Pitchers
LHP Shota Imanaga, CHC (vs. CHW)
Salary: $8,500
2025 Stats: 25 G, 25 GS, 144.2 IP, 9-8, 3.73 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 117 K, 26 BB, 0.9 WAR
2026 Stats: 24 G, 24 GS, 137.1 IP, 8-9, 3.74 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 130 K, 29 BB, 1.3 WAR, 16.3 FPPG
2026 FanGraphs ROS Projections: 7 G, 7 GS, 41.0 IP, 3-2, 3.99 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 39 K, 9 BB, 0.6 WAR (Steamer)
LHP Martin Perez, ATL (@ MIN)
Salary: $7,300
2025 Stats: 11 G, 10 GS, 56.0 IP, 1-6, 3.54 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 44 K, 22 BB, 0.8 WAR
2026 Stats: 23 G, 19 GS, 106.1 IP, 8-6, 2.96 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 80 K, 43 BB, 1.1 WAR, 12.5 FPPG
2026 FanGraphs ROS Projections: 5 G, 5 GS, 27.0 IP, 2-2, 4.54 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 21 K, 11 BB, 0.2 WAR (Steamer)
RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (@ NYM)
Salary: $5,500
2025 Stats: 30 G, 30 GS, 157.0 IP, 10-10, 4.64 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 106 K, 36 BB, 0.1 WAR
2026 Stats: 21 G, 21 GS, 113.2 IP, 12-5, 4.43 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 66 K, 26 BB, 0.4 WAR, 11.1 FPPG
2026 FanGraphs ROS Projections: 6 G, 6 GS, 36.0 IP, 2-3, 5.77 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 22 K, 9 BB, 0.2 WAR (Steamer)
More MLB DFS Content & Picks
Check out more MLB daily fantasy content throughout the season on DraftKings Network.
- MLB DFS Picks Today: Top DraftKings Targets, Values for Monday 8/17/26
- Best MLB Parlays Today: Top Picks for Monday, August 17
- MLB NRFI Tracker
Good luck with your MLB DFS lineups today!
