DraftKings MLB DFS Cheat Sheet For August 18: Projections, Ownership, And Stacks

Tonight's free DraftKings MLB DFS cheat sheet from Stokastic has one settled arm. Kevin Gausman tops the projection, ownership, exposure and leverage panels on August 18, so the top of the pitcher board is not close and the real choices sit with the bats. Every number below comes off today's board, built by the Stokastic Sims simulating the slate over and over rather than ranking a static projection.

The Quick Answer

Gausman is the one spot I am not agonizing over. At 17.3 projected DraftKings points, 72.7% top-150 exposure and 38.4% leverage, the Sims want him far more often than his 33.6% ownership, rare for the chalk arm. Kyle Harrison (16.5) fills my second slot. Stack San Diego, the runaway 5-stack leader at 16.0%, and get different with Salvador Perez, Austin Hays and Fernando Tatis Jr. off the leverage panel. The board and a Perez-led lineup framework are below.

Today's Board: Gausman First, Then The Bats

DraftKings rosters two pitchers, so Gausman against the White Sox at Wrigley eats one slot and Harrison, Bryce Miller or Ranger Suarez fights for the other. Harrison and Miller oppose each other in Milwaukee, so I take one, not both, and Harrison wins on the higher projection. Cristian Javier is Houston's starter, so his 28.7% exposure and the HOU stack at 6.7% are the same lineup, which keeps Angels bats out of those builds.

Shohei Ohtani is the read most people will get wrong. He is hitting only tonight, with Eric Lauer starting for the Dodgers at Coors, and he is 27.3% owned, yet 52.0% top-150 exposure and 24.7% leverage say the field is still light: a leverage play, not a fade. The correlation guide covers why a stack beats scattered bats; tonight that stack is San Diego against Zac Thornton at Citi Field, more than double Houston.

Worked Example: Salvador Perez's Row Into A Lineup Framework

Kansas City's Perez sits third in leverage at 18.0% and fourth in exposure at 24.7% while missing the ownership panel entirely, so the field is passing on him. My core: Gausman and Harrison at pitcher, five Padres led by Tatis (14.3% leverage) with Austin Hays (2.67 value, 14.4% leverage) as the cheap piece of the stack, and Perez at catcher against the Athletics. That is eight of ten roster spots; the last two bats are the salary valve, filled off the value panel. One concentrated stack, one pitcher pair, and two under-owned pillars is the shape the tournament guide argues for. Full projections, ownership and stack tables sit in MLB DFS projections, ownership and stacks in the DataHub.

FAQ: August 18 Slate

Stack San Diego or ride Houston with Javier? San Diego; 16.0% is more than double Houston, and Hays and Tatis add leverage the Astros bats do not show.

Is Gausman worth 33.6% ownership? For me, yes; 38.4% leverage says the Sims want him even more than the field.

Where The Sims Take It From Here

The cheat sheet stays free daily. Stokastic Sims are the paid layer behind it: the full ROI-ranked lineup pool, Ownership Projections modeled as a distribution, and Boom/Bust for every bat, walked through in the MLB DFS Sims guide. Code CHEAT discounts a Stokastic MLB DFS weekly or monthly package. 21+.

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