MLB DFS Expert Survey: Friday, April 17th

by Justin Bailey (Jbails26) Last Updated 2026-04-17 18:32:15 Premium Content Part of the product MLB DFS

Our panel of experts is here to give you their insights on MLB DFS today for the 4/17 main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. They’re here to answer key questions that will assist you in making those crucial lineup-building decisions. Curious to know headChopper’s favorite sneaky stack? Or perhaps you’re wondering about CheeseIsGood’s top overall pitcher? Read their thoughts below!

MLB DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Expert Survey for Friday, April 17

Who is your favorite hitter to spend up for in cash games?

CheeseIsGood: Shohei Ohtani (FD) / Will Smith (DK)
ebeimfohr: Shohei Ohtani
boggslite: Shohei Ohtani
Dean78904: Shohei Ohtani

What is your preferred tournament format (e.g. large-field, single-entry) to play on this slate? How do you plan to beat that field of opponents? What tactic or strategy will set you apart?

CheeseIsGood: I prefer small-field tournaments tonight, with my plan to fully fade Dodgers stacks. The ownership will always get spread out in MME, but there should be a much bigger edge being underweight on the Dodgers in single entry. I’ll note that it’s only an “edge” before the game starts; once the Dodgers score 20 runs, that edge will not feel as sharp! But really, I can see a case as to why you don’t need 4–5 Dodgers at their salaries but just need to get the home runs right. I see a bigger gap on the pitching side, so my preference is to spend up at SP and play some cheaper bats, which will be a mix of stacking and power-hunting.

ebeimfohr: As more of a single-entry style of player, this is very much a smaller-field, single-entry slate for me. The Dodgers are such incredible standouts as a stack – I am not going to be fading them – but the combination of the projected ownership and the salary implications will make it a bit of a puzzle to figure out how to make them work. My plan is to move slightly down the pitching pOWN% list just a smidge while prioritizing the Dodgers bats that have slightly less pOWN%.

boggslite: Large-field tournaments – There is no shortage of quality pitching options to choose from, and my preference is to load up on pitching at the expense of the Dodgers in Coors Field. It’s a dangerous proposition, but with miserable hitting weather in Colorado, I see some cheaper stacks worth pivoting to, like the Twins, A’s, and Cardinals.

Dean78904: I prefer single-entry contests or small-field tournaments. I don’t see myself straying from the excellent upper tier of pitchers on the board – Logan Gilbert, Jose Soriano, Joe Ryan, Tyler Glasnow, Jacob de Grom, and Cam Schlittler. I like the Dodgers plenty, but I don’t expect to fully stack them. We’re currently projecting Shohei Ohtani for 44% DK / 50% FD in tournaments. Knowing nothing else, I would be thrilled to blindly fade any hitter on a 10-game slate with this ridiculous pOWN% and salary, as hitters come with massive variance. Even knowing who Ohtani is and where he is playing, I’m still OK getting away from him in tournaments as a way to be different. I will mostly use the A’s, Yankees, Angels, and Blue Jays to fill my lineups.

Who is your favorite pitcher (when considering price, matchup, projected ownership, etc.) on the board and why?

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