The 2026 MLB regular season is coming to a head. With playoff races heating up, 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 five-game Thursday night contest that locks at 7:15 p.m. ET.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $70K Relay Throw [$20K to 1st]
MLB DFS Pitcher Rankings — Thursday, September 17
| Rank | Name | Team | Opponent | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sonny Gray | Boston Red Sox | Texas Rangers | $9,000 |
| 2. | Taj Bradley | Minnesota Twins | Los Angeles Angels | $9,500 |
| 3. | Walbert Ureña | Los Angeles Angels | Minnesota Twins | $8,500 |
| 4. | Nolan McLean | New York Mets | Philadelphia Phillies | $8,700 |
| 5. | Aaron Nola | Philadelphia Philleis | New York Mets | $7,500 |
| 6. | Framber Valdez | Detroit Tigers | Chicago White Sox | $6,800 |
| 7. | Seth Lugo | Kansas City Royals | Houston Astros | $6,500 |
| 8. | Erick Fedde | Chicago White Sox | Detroit Tigers | $7,000 |
| 9. | Ethan Pecko** | Houston Astros | Kansas City Royals | $5,500 |
| 10. | Cody Bradford* | Texas Rangers | Boston Red Sox | $6,000 |
*Probable Opener
**Probable Long Reliever
Best MLB DFS Value Picks, Pitchers
RHP Walbert Ureña, LAA (vs. MIN)
Salary: $8,500
2025 Stats: 28 G, 28 GS, 141.0 IP, 6-9, 4.34 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 125 K, 73 BB (AA, AAA)
2026 Stats: 27 G, 25 GS, 137.1 IP, 9-10, 2.88 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 131 K, 67 BB, 2.3 WAR, 15.4 FPPG
2026 FanGraphs ROS Projections: 2 G, 2 GS, 10.0 IP, 1-1, 4.30 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 8 K, 5 BB, 0.1 WAR (Steamer)
LHP Framber Valdez, DET (@ CHW)
Salary: $6,800
2025 Stats: 31 G, 31 GS, 192.0 IP, 13-11, 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 187 K, 68 BB, 4.0 WAR
2026 Stats: 29 G, 29 GS, 163.2 IP, 10-10, 4.01 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 121 K, 60 BB, 1.8 WAR, 12.5 FPPG
2026 FanGraphs ROS Projections: 2 G, 2 GS, 11.0 IP, 1-1, 3.76 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 10 K, 4 BB, 0.2 WAR (Steamer)
RHP Seth Lugo, KC (@ HOU)
Salary: $6,500
2025 Stats: 26 G, 26 GS, 145.1 IP, 8-7, 4.15 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 125 K, 55 BB, 0.5 WAR
2026 Stats: 30 G, 30 GS, 164.0 IP, 7-8, 4.99 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 126 K, 53 BB, 2.1 WAR, 10.7 FPPG
2026 FanGraphs ROS Projections: 2 G, 2 GS, 11.0 IP, 1-1, 4.59 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 9 K, 4 BB, 0.1 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 Thursday 9/17/26
- MLB Best Bets Today: Top NRFI props for Thursday 9/17/26
- MLB NRFI Tracker
Good luck with your MLB DFS lineups today!
