Covering The Bases: MLB DFS Picks Today for Sunday 8/2

by Justin Van Zuiden (stlcardinals84) Last Updated 2026-08-02 14:20:43 Premium Content Part of the product MLB DFS

Long-time grinder Justin Van Zuiden (aka stlcardinals84) is here to cover the bases for the upcoming MLB DFS slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Whether you are looking for the top pitchers or the best stacks, Justin has you covered with an extensive deep dive into his favorite MLB DFS picks today on August 2, 2026.

Happy Sunday, Grinders! We have our normal Sunday main slate with a start time of 1:35 PM Eastern again today, but this is a day where things will look different depending on the site you are playing on. It is a relatively underwhelming 9-game slate on DK with very little to like for offense. However, FD has added the KCR/COL game (in Coors Field) and the MIL/LAA game (with Jacob Misiorowski pitching) to their slate, which makes things much more interesting over there. Kudos to FD for giving us those fun games since they only start 45 minutes after the latest game on the DK slate.

This is also a day where the MLB weather could be tricky. We have chances of rain in Cincinnati (where Chase Burns is pitching), Baltimore (where Zack Wheeler is pitching), and definitely in Cleveland (where Gavin Williams is pitching). Of course, those are some of the best arms available on today’s slate. We will need to monitor this as lineup lock gets closer, and I will be on GrindersLive today for updated thoughts just before lock. Tune in and check that out! For now, I will write the article assuming that every game plays without issue.

Let’s move along and see what this Sunday slate has to offer!

Sunday Pitching: MLB DFS Picks on DraftKings and FanDuel

FOUR ELITE ACES

• Jacob Misiorowski at Angels (FD Only)
• Zack Wheeler at Orioles
• Chase Burns vs. Pirates
• Gavin Williams vs. Diamondbacks

The only thing removing the fun from this ace tier today is the weather. There are legitimate weather concerns for Gavin Williams along with mild weather concerns for Zack Wheeler and Chase Burns. Jacob Misiorowski is also only available on the FanDuel slate, so things get quite tricky on the DK side of things. As usual, I shall begin with this peek at the 2026 data:

Misiorowski – 1.58 ERA, 1.97 xFIP, 40.6% K, 6.1% BB
Wheeler – 2.53 ERA, 2.74 xFIP, 31.1% K, 5.8% BB
Burns – 2.40 ERA, 3.62 xFIP, 28.1% K, 9.0% BB
Williams – 3.71 ERA, 2.87 xFIP, 31.6% K, 7.1% BB

Jacob Misiorowski remains on a different planet with his sub-2.00 ERA and xFIP and 40%+ strikeout rate. The only deterrent right now is that he has been on a modest pitch count over his last 2 starts as he worked his way back from some arm fatigue, but he should be back in the 90-pitch range today. He also benefits from a matchup against a high-strikeout, free swinging Angels team, and his strikeout prop sits in the 8-9 range. He is the only ace without any weather concerns, and he’s my SP1 on FD if you can fit him in.

The other options are all great as well, but they will require monitoring the weather. The forecast looks the most ominous for Gavin Williams, and for that reason, he goes to the bottom of this tier. That is especially true since he faces a lower-strikeout Diamondbacks offense that has been hitting better of late. Don’t get me wrong – I really like Gavin Williams. His command is much improved, his strikeout rate is now elite, and his 2.87 xFIP suggests that everything he has been doing is real. The weather just makes me too nervous with him. If things look better prior to lock, he will climb up my list.

The SP1 choice on DK for now is between Chase Burns and Zack Wheeler, and I will easily take Wheeler here. He has the better xFIP by almost a full run, the higher strikeout rate by 3%, and the lower walk rate by more than 3%. Burns has gotten a little bit of good fortune to keep his 2.40 ERA, and Wheeler is the much more established pitcher. Again, they are both fine, but Wheeler makes the most sense.

I am ranking this tier as Misiorowski (FD) > Wheeler > Burns > Williams, and I would move Williams ahead of Burns if the weather ends up holding off in Cleveland.

SECONDARY ARMS

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