MLB DFS Expert Survey: Thursday, September 17th

Created Sep 17, 2026

Last Updated 2026-09-17 21:56:29 Premium Content Part of the product MLB DFS

Alvarez of the Astros

Our panel of experts is here to give you their insights on MLB DFS today for the 9/17 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 who our experts have as their favorite sneaky stack? Or perhaps you’re wondering who they have as their top overall pitcher? Read their thoughts below!

MLB DFS Picks: DraftKings & FanDuel Expert Survey for Thursday, September 17

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

headChopper: Yordan Alvarez
stevietpfl: Willson Contreras
Notorious: Yordan Alvarez

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?

headChopper: On such a small slate, I would typically stick to one small-field lineup, but I don’t mind 20 entries in some large-field tournaments. I feel good about stacking Houston, putting Yordan Alvarez in those stacks, and surrounding him with cheap Houston bats. We’ll see who makes the lineup, but Yainer Diaz, Daulton Varsho, and Cam Smith are all in play for me with home-run power in this matchup. From there, I can go with the rest of my hitters as nothing but shots at home runs with no other stacking. This will leave me so much salary that I can mix and match whichever two pitchers I want on DraftKings and whichever pitcher I feel best about on FanDuel.

stevietpfl: I’m going to focus on 3 lineups in small-field tournaments. I find this smaller slate straightforward and feel like I can get the exposure I want with fewer lineups. For pitching, I’ll be all-in on Taj Bradley. On DraftKings, I’ll use Sonny Gray, Framber Valdez, and Walbert Urena as SP2 options. For hitting, I’ll be overweight on the Red Sox, Tigers, and Astros. I’ll be fading the Mets. I’m not going to overthink this slate, and I’m hoping the field spreads out a little too much.

Notorious: I prefer small-field tournaments. My way of being different is to fade the highest-pOWN% pitcher on the slate (Taj Bradley) and use the opposing pitcher (Walbert Urena) instead. Urena has a lower xERA, a higher ground-ball rate, and a higher swinging-strike rate than Bradley. And he’s pitching at home.

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

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