Best MLB DFS Picks Today: Top Value Plays for September 5, 2026

Saturday’s MLB slate is stacked with 15 games and a handful of juicy pitching matchups that create real separation for DFS lineups. From aces getting rebound spots to rookies making spot starts, today’s board offers both premium plays worth paying up for and rock-solid value at the bottom of the salary structure.

Our approach today targets pitchers in strong strikeout spots, hitters facing shaky or inexperienced arms, and a couple of favorable park factors that should boost total run production. Here are five MLB DFS picks that should anchor both cash game and GPP picks lineups today.

Cade Cavalli, SP — Washington Nationals

Cavalli has been one of the best value arms in baseball over the second half, and today’s matchup with the Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium is another spot where his strikeout upside makes him a strong DraftKings lineup anchor. Over his last 7 starts, Cavalli has posted a 1.93 ERA with 50 strikeouts across 42 innings, and he’s 7-1 with a 1.83 ERA and a sparkling 67:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his last nine outings dating back into the second half of the season.

He did leave his last start early on Aug. 29 after getting hit in the calf by a comebacker, but he checked out fine afterward and went through his normal between-starts routine without issue. On the season, Cavalli sits at 12-5 with a 3.12 ERA, 177 strikeouts, and a 1.20 WHIP across 152.2 innings, ranking fifth in the National League in strikeouts. His knuckle-curve and four-seamer combination has given him swing-and-miss stuff all year, and against a Dodgers lineup that will see plenty of volume against him, the strikeout upside alone makes him worth rostering even in a tough park.

Bobby Witt Jr., SS — Kansas City Royals

Witt is squarely in play today against Toronto’s Max Scherzer, who enters with a rough 2-7 record and 6.16 ERA this season. Witt already went deep against the Blue Jays in his most recent game on Sept. 4, going 3-for-3 with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored, and he’s carrying a strong .285/.360/.449 season line into today’s matchup at Kauffman Stadium.

He’s tallied 16 home runs, 50 RBI, and 38 stolen bases this season, and his combination of power and speed makes him one of the highest-ceiling shortstops on the board regardless of platform. Scherzer’s advanced age and diminished stuff have shown up in the results all year, and Witt facing a struggling veteran righty at home is exactly the kind of spot cash game builders should prioritize. His salary reflects some recent cooldown, but the underlying skills and Friday’s home run make him a bounce-back candidate worth trusting again.

Corbin Carroll, OF — Arizona Diamondbacks

Carroll gets a fantastic matchup today traveling to Houston to face Ethan Pecko, a rookie righty making just his second career start with a 6.23 ERA and only nine career innings under his belt. That kind of inexperience against a lineup with Carroll’s bat-to-ball skills and burst off the bases is precisely the type of value spot DFS players should be hunting for on the FanDuel MLB picks board.

Carroll is hitting .241 with 19 home runs and 21 stolen bases on the year, and while he’s cooled off over the last week, he still has 19 home runs and an .807 OPS on the season, showing that the raw power and speed profile remains fully in place. Against a green arm without a track record of missing bats at the big-league level, Carroll’s speed-power combination gives him a shot to pay off in both stolen base equity and extra-base pop. He’s a name to build around in tournaments given the swingy nature of a rookie pitcher’s control.

Alec Burleson, 1B/OF — St. Louis Cardinals

Burleson traveling to Coors Field is one of the most obvious ballpark-driven plays on the board today. Colorado’s thin air inflates offensive production across the sport, and Burleson gets to face Ryan Feltner, who owns a 5.84 ERA this season and has already allowed plenty of hard contact in that same ballpark.

Burleson is having a career year at the plate, batting .282 with 21 home runs, 101 RBI, and a .812 OPS over 140 games, and he’s been a key middle-of-the-order bat for St. Louis all season. His combination of contact skills and pull-side power translates well to Coors Field’s dimensions, and facing a pitcher already carrying an ERA near 6.00 in that environment gives Burleson a clear salary discount relative to his true upside today. He’s a strong stacking piece if you’re building around the Cardinals’ lineup in this matchup.

Zack Wheeler, SP — Philadelphia Phillies

Wheeler gets a premium home matchup today against Atlanta at Citizens Bank Park, and after a shaky start his last time out, he’s tentatively lined up for a bounce-back performance. On the season, Wheeler is 11-5 with a 3.31 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 154 strikeouts across 130.1 innings, ranking 12th in the National League in strikeouts, and his underlying Statcast numbers (29.4% strikeout rate, .271 xwOBA against) suggest his true talent level remains well above his most recent line.

Across his last 15 starts, Wheeler owns a 3.95 ERA with 106 strikeouts in just 79.2 innings, showing the swing-and-miss stuff is still fully present even during a stretch with some inconsistent results. Against a Braves lineup he’ll see plenty of volume against, Wheeler’s strikeout equity alone makes him a strong anchor for cash game builds, and the raw price point relative to his season-long production represents genuine value at the top of the pitcher pool today.

Building Your Lineup

With Cavalli and Wheeler both projecting for heavy strikeout totals, pairing one of them with a value-driven offense like the Cardinals at Coors Field gives you a balanced construction that leans on both pitching floor and hitting ceiling. If you’re deciding between sportsbooks to shop lines and props around today’s slate, comparing a DraftKings promo code against other offers can help you find the best signup value before first pitch.

In cash games, prioritize the safer floor plays — Cavalli’s strikeout consistency and Burleson’s contact skills in a hitter’s park both offer high-floor production without requiring a home run to hit value. In GPPs, lean into Carroll’s matchup against an unproven rookie arm and Witt’s power-speed ceiling against a struggling veteran; both carry real jackpot upside if the game script breaks right. Keep an eye on projected ownership before locking your builds — popular chalk plays like Witt can get overrun in tournaments, so consider pivoting to a similar power bat in a comparably favorable spot if you want to differentiate. Whatever your build, always check final confirmed lineups and any late scratches before locking your DraftKings lineup or FanDuel roster, since weather delays and last-minute lineup shuffles are common this time of year and can swing value dramatically in either direction.