Fantasy Baseball Picks Today: Top DraftKings MLB DFS Targets, Values for August 26

The final Saturday of August is another busy day of fantasy baseball with games scheduled throughout the day. The main featured slate on DraftKings gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET and includes the final eight games of the day. Of those games, only one is a divisional matchup and two are interleague contests. The rest of the games are matchups of teams from the same league but different divisions.

Whenever you are playing DFS fantasy baseball contests, it’s vital to keep up with all the latest injury, weather, and lineup news. One way to do that is by installing the DK Live app and following DraftKings Network on X (@DKNetwork). I’m also on X (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the regular season races play out and we get geared up for what should be an outstanding postseason.

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]

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PITCHER

Stud

Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers vs. San Diego Padres ($10,800) – There are two great options at the top of the salary structure on the mound on Saturday night. Based on form and matchup, I give Peralta the slight edge over Max Scherzer ($12,000), and I’ll definitely take the additional salary savings as well. Peralta has been dialed in over his last five starts, allowing just a total of five runs in 30 ²⁄₃ innings while piling up 50 strikeouts. He had over 20 DKFP in each of those five starts and averaged 31.9 DKFP over that stretch.

Peralta’s only real rough outing came against the Atlanta Braves juggernaut, but other than that outing he has looked like an Ace since the All-Star break. On the season, he has been better at home, where he has a 12.49 K/9 rate compared to a 9.96 K/9 rate on the road. Peralta has reached double-digit strikeouts and over 33 DKFP in three of his last five outings, so he definitely brings a high ceiling to this home matchup with the Padres. San Diego’s offense has plenty of recognizable names but has struggled to find consistency this season. While they aren’t an ultra-cushy matchup, they're definitely not one to avoid either. Given Peralta’s production and upside, I think he’s the best SP1 anchor to build around.

Other Options – Max Scherzer ($12,000), Kyle Bradish ($9,000)

Value

Chase Silseth, Los Angeles Angels at New York Mets ($6,600) – Silseth will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing home start against the Tampa Bay Rays in his last start. He only lasted 3 ²⁄₃ innings in that no-decision, gave up five runs and only produced 0.9 DKFP. However, the 23-year-old prospect had been rolling before that letdown and should be able to bounce back on the road against the Mets.

In his four starts before last Saturday’s letdown, Silseth impressed with a 1.59 ERA, 3.49 FIP and 12.3 K/9 rate. He got three wins in that stretch including road victories over the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves. Silseth showed a high ceiling with double-digit strikeouts and over 30 DKFP in two of those outings. With that high of a ceiling and matchup with the Mets, Silseth is a steal at under $7K. There’s always risk when using young starters since they can be inconsistent, but the upside is worth it on Saturday.

Other Options – J.P. Sears ($7,700), Dakota Hudson ($6,800)

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INFIELD

Stud

Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals ($6,000) – Could the Phillies be setting themselves up for another extended postseason run? They’ve climbed to the top spot in the Wild Card race and Harper is starting to carry the offense. He had multiple hits in each of his last four games and went 27-for-79 (.342) in his first 21 games this month. He had seven home runs and a wOBA well over .450 during that span. More recently, he went 14-for-38 (.467) over his past eight games while averaging 17.5 DKFP per game. Cardinals probable starter Dakota Hudson ($6,800) hasn’t been awful but has struggled with allowing home runs. In just 43 ¹⁄₃ innings, he has given up six home runs and has a .399 wOBA against him on the road. Harper has a good chance to continue his power production with another big game on Saturday.

Stud

Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles vs. Colorado Rockies ($5,200) – Henderson has established himself as a great option at the top of the O’s order and can slot into either 3B or SS in your Saturday night lineup. He comes into today with a 10-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 17-for-43 (.375) and eight of those hits have gone for extra bases. He had four doubles, three homers, 13 RBI and a stolen base to average 13.8 DKFP per contest over those 10 games. He gets a great matchup on Saturday against Chris Flexen ($5,000), who is 1-5 with a 7.18 ERA, 6.72 FIP and 1.79 WHIP in his 22 games this season. The Orioles should be flying high, and whenever the offense soars, Henderson is usually right in the middle producing plenty of fantasy points.

Other Options – Corey Seager ($6,600), Zack Gelof ($5,700), Ryan Mountcastle ($4,500)

Value

Nolan Schanuel, Los Angeles Angels at New York Mets ($3,100) – Schanuel continues to look just fine at the top of the Angels’ lineup despite being drafted just a few months ago. He was billed as an “MLB-ready” bat but no one expected him to arrive in the majors so quickly. Since joining the Angels seven games ago, he has gone 8-for-23 (.348) with seven walks and an average of 8.0 DKFP per contest. He doesn’t have an extra-base hit or a stolen base yet, so he has the potential to get even better as he starts bringing that production as well. He’s a very solid value play at 1B from the leadoff spot for the Angels and will continue to provide plenty of run production potential—as long as he hits ahead of Shohei Ohtani ($6,500) and the rest of the heart of the Halos’ order.

Value

Elvis Andrus, Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland Athletics ($3,100) – Andrus is a solid option to consider at either middle infield spot and has been one of the few bright spots for the White Sox lately. The veteran has had a strong August and gone 25-for-71 (.352) over his past 18 games with three home runs, five stolen bases and a solid 10.5 DKFP per contest. He will likely get the start against lefty JP Sears ($7,700) on Saturday and brings a good ceiling with both power and speed potential.

Other Options – Ezequiel Durán ($3,900), Noelvi Marte ($2,800), Masyn Winn ($2,500)

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OUTFIELD

Stud

Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cincinnati Reds ($5,700) – Carroll didn’t even need a hit on Friday night to put up 13 DKFP on three walks, a stolen base and a run scored. He now has double-digit DKFP in five of his past six contests and seems to have re-discovered his groove at the plate after a little midseason slump. The 22-year-old All-Star went 19-for-68 (.279) over his past 20 games also while showing good plate discipline—having 10 walks, three doubles, a home run and six stolen bases. He brings a good ceiling as the Diamondbacks look to stay hot against a combination of Ben Lively ($7,200) and Brett Kennedy ($5,200), who are expected to tag team the start for Cincinnati. Carroll’s multi-category potential always gives him a high ceiling when Arizona is in a good scoring situation.

Stud

Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates ($4,400) – Happ is a very solid mid-range target who has been bringing elite-level production at a reduced rate lately for the Cubs. He hit safely in nine of his past 10 games, going 10-for-40 (.250) with two stolen bases, two triples, two home runs, a .347 wOBA and an average of 9.8 DKFP per contest. He should be in a good spot to put up solid production in Pittsburgh and comes at an attractive salary of just under $4.5K.

Other Options – Cody Bellinger ($6,400), Christian Yelich ($5,300), Charlie Blackmon ($4,200)

Value

Brandon Marsh, Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals ($3,200) – Marsh missed part of the month with a bruised knee, but he has been very productive when available for the Phillies. He hit safely in each of his four games since being activated, going 5-for-12 (.417) with two walks, a stolen base, a double and three runs scored to average 9.0 DKFP per contest. Even before the injury, he was starting to heat up a bit and has hit .308 with a .383 wOBA in his 31 games since July 1. Marsh is a good play with a solid upside at barely over $3K.

Value

Alek Thomas, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cincinnati Reds ($2,500) – It hasn’t been a straight line to success for Thomas this season, but the 23-year-old lefty has been much better after returning to the minors for a month this summer. Since August 1, he has gone 15-for-49 (.306) in 21 games (15 starts) with two stolen bases, two doubles and a home run. He has hit safely in each of his past six games with an at-bat and gone 9-for-20 (.450) during that short span with an average of 10 DKFP per start. He’s a great cheap bat to put into an Arizona stack along with Carroll, and you can add in Ketel Marte ($5,200) and Christian Walker ($5,100) as more expensive options in the infield—or Tommy Pham ($3,800) and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ($4,200) if you want to stay cheaper and in the outfield.

Other Options – Matt Wallner ($3,400), Mark Canha ($2,800), Nick Martini ($2,300)

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Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.