Best MLB DFS Picks Today: Top Value Plays for August 18, 2026

Tuesday’s MLB slate is stacked with 15 games and no shortage of angles for DFS players hunting value. From a soft-throwing lefty making his second big league start in Philadelphia to an ace trying to shake off a rocky return in Los Angeles, there’s a little bit of everything to build around tonight. Ballpark factors matter too, with Coors Field and Camden Yards both in play as offense-friendly environments that DFS players should be circling.

Our approach today leans on a mix of proven arms in strong matchups and hitters trending hot at the plate, with an emphasis on real recent form over name value. Two pitchers anchor the pool, followed by three bats that have been doing real damage over the last week, giving cash game and GPP players a workable core across salary tiers.

Nick Martinez, RHP — Tampa Bay Rays ($8,000 DK / $8,400 FD)

Martinez has quietly been one of the most efficient arms in baseball this season, sitting on a 2.74 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 138 innings with a sparkling 12-3 record. He’s been especially good at Tropicana Field, posting a 3.31 home ERA, and he gets a Blue Jays lineup at home tonight after already beating Toronto twice this season, including a scoreless six-inning outing back on July 20.

The strikeout totals won’t wow anyone — he’s at just 5.1 K/9 for the year — but Martinez lives on soft contact and a stingy walk rate (1.3 BB/9, 99th percentile), which keeps his floor high in cash games even on nights he isn’t racking up punchouts. His last time out he tossed a complete game against the Athletics, allowing four runs on eight hits but still going the full nine. Toronto’s lineup has cooled off lately, losing seven of its last ten, which only adds to the appeal of rostering Martinez as a strong floor play at a price that undersells his season-long production.

Kevin Gausman, RHP — Chicago Cubs ($9,000 DK / $8,700 FD)

Gausman’s overall season line is uneven — a 4.53 ERA and 6-11 record don’t jump off the page — but his last-30-days form tells a better story, and tonight’s matchup against a White Sox lineup near the bottom of the league in production is exactly the kind of spot to target him in. He struck out seven over 4.2 innings in his last start against Washington, then rebounded strong before that with seven strong innings and just two runs allowed against Kansas City on August 7.

At Wrigley Field, where he’ll get the ball tonight, Gausman has a track record of missing bats — his 8.9 K/9 on the year sits in the 69th percentile among starters. Chicago’s home ballpark isn’t a pitcher’s haven the way some others are, but the caliber of opponent matters more here: a White Sox squad that’s struggled to generate consistent offense makes Gausman a strong stud-tier pitcher play in both cash games and tournaments, especially given the strikeout upside he still carries at 35 years old.

Blake Snell, SP — Los Angeles Dodgers ($9,000 DK / $9,300 FD)

Snell’s raw season ERA is inflated by a tiny sample after returning from injury, but his actual stuff has looked like peak Snell recently. Over his last seven days he posted a 1.50 ERA with 10 strikeouts across six innings in a win over Kansas City, and dating back to 2024 he’s been elite at home, running a 2.41 ERA with 12.5 K/9 in Dodger Stadium starts. That home split matters, since the Dodgers keep him on regular rest in Los Angeles for his next turn through the rotation.

The strikeout equity here is what separates Snell from the pack — 15 strikeouts already this season in limited innings, and a career mark north of 11 K/9 at home over the last two seasons. For GPP players looking for swing-for-the-fences pitcher plays, Snell’s ceiling remains one of the highest at the position when he’s right, and his last outing suggests he’s trending in the right direction after a slow re-entry.

Trent Grisham, CF — New York Yankees ($4,600 DK)

Grisham has been on an absolute tear, going 10-for-21 with four home runs, eight RBI and three doubles over his last five games, and he carries that heat into a road matchup against Baltimore’s Shane Baz, who owns a rough 4.00 ERA and a 4-12 record this season. Over his last seven games specifically, Grisham is slashing .357 with a .893 OPS, four homers and six runs scored — exactly the kind of trend DFS players want to jump on before the field catches up.

Grisham’s power surge fits his profile against right-handed pitching, and Baz has struggled with the long ball this season pitching at Camden Yards, a park that plays favorably for left-handed power. At a price still anchored to his up-and-down season line (.221 average, .729 OPS), Grisham represents one of the sharpest value plays on the board today given how hot his bat currently is. He’s a clean fit in outfield stacks looking to attack Baltimore’s rotation.

Cole Carrigg, CF/SS — Colorado Rockies ($5,000 DK)

Carrigg has been a steady source of production in his rookie season, hitting .293 with a .869 OPS, five home runs, 33 RBI and seven stolen bases, and he gets the benefit of Coors Field tonight against a Dodgers pitching staff sending Eric Lauer to the mound. Lauer carries a 4.67 ERA on the year and has been homer-prone, making Coors an especially dangerous combination for opposing hitters.

The versatility helps his DFS value further — Carrigg qualifies at both center field and shortstop, giving lineup builders extra flexibility at a shallower position. His switch-hitting profile and elevated walk rate add to a well-rounded offensive game, and at Coors Field against a struggling left-hander, he offers real power and speed upside at a price that still reflects his rookie unfamiliarity rather than his actual production level. He’s a strong value target for both cash and tournament builds tonight.

Building Your Lineup

Tonight’s slate rewards pairing pitching stability with hitters in bandbox environments. Martinez and Gausman give cash game players two reliable arms without needing to pay up to the very top of the pitcher pool, freeing up salary to attack stacks like the Rockies at Coors Field or a Yankees offense that should be humming against Baltimore’s rotation. If you’re deciding between DraftKings lineup builds, prioritize the floor of Martinez in single-entry and small-field contests, then pivot toward Snell’s strikeout ceiling in bigger GPP fields where swinging for a 30-plus point outing matters more than consistency.

On the hitting side, Grisham’s current form makes him one of the more underpriced bats on the board relative to his recent output, and stacking him with a couple of other Yankees against Baz’s shaky ERA is a defensible way to build exposure to a plus matchup without overspending. Carrigg offers a cheaper alternative to pricier Coors Field bats, and pairing him with one or two other Rockies hitters against Lauer is a reasonable way to attack that same offensive environment from a different price point. If you’re torn between FanDuel picks and DraftKings builds, remember that Carrigg’s positional flexibility can be a real roster-construction advantage on sites where shortstop options thin out quickly.

Ownership-wise, expect Gausman and the top Dodgers bats to draw plenty of attention given the name recognition, so differentiating with Martinez, Grisham or Carrigg in more concentrated ways can help separate your lineups in large-field tournaments. For bettors also tracking MLB odds tonight, the Rays and Cubs both profile as moderate favorites in spots that reinforce the DFS case for Martinez and Gausman as anchor pitching plays. As always, check final lineups before locking anything in, since a late scratch or lineup shuffle can change the math on any of these plays.