# Today’s Top Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks: Hitters and Pitchers to Target
Welcome back to our daily fantasy baseball breakdown! As we dive into today’s slate of games, I’ll be highlighting the top four hitters and two pitchers who are primed for big performances. Whether you’re playing on DraftKings, FanDuel, or another DFS platform, these selections should help you construct winning lineups.
Let’s examine the matchups, recent trends, and key statistics that make these players particularly attractive options for today’s contests.
Top 4 Hitters for Today’s DFS Action
When selecting hitters for daily fantasy baseball, we need to consider multiple factors: matchups against opposing pitchers, ballpark factors, recent performance trends, lineup position, and overall season metrics. Today’s slate features several hitters who check multiple boxes in these categories.
1. Aaron Judge (OF, New York Yankees)
Judge continues to demonstrate why he’s among the most feared hitters in baseball. Today’s matchup against a left-handed starter at Yankee Stadium puts him in an excellent position to deliver massive fantasy value.
- Recent Form: Judge has hit safely in 8 of his last 10 games with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs during that stretch, showing no signs of cooling off from his hot streak.
- Matchup Advantage: He’s facing a pitcher with a 5.40 ERA against right-handed batters this season, and Judge has historically punished left-handed pitching with a career .982 OPS against southpaws.
- Ballpark Factor: Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch plays perfectly into Judge’s power profile, especially for a right-handed hitter with his tremendous opposite-field power.
- DFS Impact: While his salary is undoubtedly high across all platforms, Judge’s ceiling makes him worth the investment, particularly in tournaments where his home run potential can separate your lineup from the field.
2. Shohei Ohtani (DH, Los Angeles Dodgers)
The two-way superstar may no longer be pitching this season, but his bat remains one of the most dangerous weapons in fantasy baseball. Today’s game conditions make him an elite play.
- Statistical Edge: Ohtani is hitting .330 with a 1.075 OPS against right-handed pitching this season, and today he faces a struggling right-hander with a 1.52 WHIP.
- Power Potential: With 6 home runs in his last 12 games, Ohtani’s power stroke is locked in, making his home run upside particularly appealing for tournament play.
- Lineup Context: Batting in the heart of a potent Dodgers lineup enhances his RBI and run-scoring opportunities, providing multiple avenues to fantasy production.
- Advanced Metrics: His 95th percentile barrel rate and 98th percentile hard-hit percentage suggest his recent power surge is sustainable and backed by elite batted-ball data.
3. Bobby Witt Jr. (SS, Kansas City Royals)
The young shortstop has emerged as a fantasy superstar this season, combining elite speed with developing power. Today’s matchup makes him a strong consideration for all DFS formats.
- Dual-Threat Ability: Witt’s combination of power and speed gives him one of the highest fantasy floors among middle infielders, having already accumulated 15+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases this season.
- Favorable Matchup: Today he faces a pitcher allowing a .290 batting average to right-handed hitters, creating an exploitable scenario for Witt’s all-around skills.
- Recent Performance: With hits in 9 of his last 10 games and multi-hit performances in 5 of those contests, Witt is seeing the ball extremely well right now.
- Value Proposition: Despite his elite production, Witt’s salary remains reasonable compared to other premium options, creating salary flexibility for the rest of your lineup construction.
4. Yordan Alvarez (OF, Houston Astros)
When examining left-handed power bats in favorable situations, Alvarez stands out as a premier option on today’s slate. His combination of floor and ceiling makes him attractive for cash games and tournaments alike.
- Platoon Advantage: Facing a right-handed pitcher with significant splits vulnerabilities, Alvarez’s career .980 OPS against righties makes him perfectly positioned to capitalize.
- Home Park Edge: Playing at Minute Maid Park with its favorable dimensions for left-handed power only enhances his already formidable home run potential.
- Lineup Protection: Batting in the heart of Houston’s lineup ensures quality pitches and RBI opportunities, providing multiple paths to fantasy relevance.
- Contact Quality: Alvarez ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity this season, indicating that his hard contact rate supports sustainable production rather than luck-driven outcomes.
Top 2 Pitchers to Target Today
Selecting the right pitchers in DFS is often the most critical decision, as they typically account for the highest salary investments and offer the greatest potential point totals. Today’s slate features two arms that stand above the rest in terms of matchup quality and underlying metrics.
1. Corbin Burnes (Baltimore Orioles)
The former Cy Young winner has continued his dominance after changing teams, and today’s matchup presents an ideal scenario for DFS success.
- Elite Strikeout Upside: Burnes has maintained a 9.5 K/9 rate this season, giving him substantial strikeout potential against today’s opponent, which ranks among the top 5 in team strikeout rate against right-handed pitching.
- Run Prevention: With a 2.85 ERA and 1.05 WHIP on the season, Burnes has demonstrated exceptional ability to limit damage when batters do make contact.
- Favorable Context: Today’s start comes at pitcher-friendly Camden Yards against a team that struggles significantly on the road, batting just .230 as visitors this season.
- Win Probability: Backed by Baltimore’s potent offense, Burnes stands an excellent chance of securing the win bonus that can be so valuable in DFS scoring.
- Recent Form: Having allowed two or fewer runs in 7 of his last 8 starts, Burnes is pitching with tremendous consistency right now, reducing his risk profile significantly.
While Burnes will command a premium salary, his combination of floor and ceiling makes him worth the investment on today’s slate. His ability to pitch deep into games (averaging 6.2 innings per start) further enhances his appeal, as he’s likely to have ample opportunity to accumulate strikeouts and secure a quality start bonus on platforms that offer it.
2. Logan Gilbert (Seattle Mariners)
Gilbert represents an excellent second-tier pitching option who could deliver ace-level returns at a slightly discounted price point compared to the elite arms.
- Matchup Excellence: Today Gilbert faces a team that ranks bottom-five in wOBA against right-handed pitching with a collective .220 batting average versus righties this season.
- Home Field Advantage: Pitching at T-Mobile Park, one of baseball’s most pitcher-friendly environments, further boosts Gilbert’s already impressive skill set.