MLB DFS Picks, Spotlight Pitchers & Top Stacks: Monday Night Baseball! (Sept. 8)

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Monday brings a new week for MLB action. The fun gets underway at 7:15 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel, with Yahoo including every game for an 11-game docket. The MLB DFS picks today are loaded with value … if you have the right tools. Stokastic’s MLB DFS Sims optimizer and MLB DFS projections highlight the top stacks, best arms and high-upside one-offs to anchor your lineups.

MLB DFS Optimizer Picks Today: Spotlight Pitchers & Stacks

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MLB DFS Optimizer Picks Today: Spotlight Pitchers

Main Slate Primary Pitching Target: RHP Tyler Glasnow (LAD vs. COL)

Dodgers vs. Rockies – 3.2 implied runs
First Pitch: 10:10 p.m. ET
$8,700 at DraftKings
$10,300
at FanDuel
$52 at Yahoo

The Stokastic MLB DFS Top Pitchers tool sees several viable options at the top tonight, though RHP Tyler Glasnow really stands out on DraftKings with his highly favorable salary. Control has been an issue for Glasnow this season, even prior to missing two-plus months due to a shoulder issue.

Across his 14 starts, he walked three or more six times, including games with four, four and five in his last six appearances. Fortunately, he has a favorable matchup against the Rockies, who are dreadful in and away from Colorado.

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Over the last 30 days, the Rockies scored 4.17 runs per game, which included 16 of 28 tilts being in Coors Field.

The projected lineup has five hitters with a 26% or higher strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season, and collectively it has a 24.3% strikeout rate. Last year Glasnow had a 32.7% combined strikeout rate, and while he has slipped a little this year, his 29.0% is still elite. Piling on the Rockies, the Dodgers are a ridiculous -350 favorite to win tonight.

There is some question about Glasnow’s availability as he is dealing with a sore back, and he could see his start skipped against the weak opponent.

In San Francisco, RHP Logan Webb is facing an Arizona squad that has been plucky, even after trading away Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor and Randal Grichuk. Webb has one of the best ground ball rates in the league over the last half decade, and this year he has been stellar with a 26.3% strikeout rate.

Add in the favorable pitchers park and five hitters in the projected Arizona lineup with a 24.9% or higher strikeout rate against righties this season, and we have an excellent DFS option for all game formats.

Main Slate Secondary Pitching Target: RHP Bryan Woo (SEA vs. STL)

Mariners vs. Cardinals – 3.1 implied runs
First Pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET
$10,200 at DraftKings
$10,500
at FanDuel
$49 at Yahoo

This has been a tremendous season for RHP Bryan Woo, who earned his first All-Star nomination and is currently leading the league with 14.45 pitches per inning. LHPs Cristopher Sanchez and Tarik Skubal are just a tick away, so this is lofty company.

Woo is also second in the league with 19 quality starts, though he has failed to close out the sixth inning in each of his last two games, despite doing so for the first 25 starts of the season.

The Cardinals are a “have and have nots” crew, with the bottom of the lineup card looking pretty thin, being populated by the likes of Jimmy Crooks, Jordan Walker, Thomas Saggese and Victor Scott II.

For those looking for something contrarian, LHP Garrett Crochet is going to be in West Sacramento tonight against the Athletics, who are expected to start four players with a 30% or higher strikeout rate against southpaws this season. The A’s have plenty of power, which is accentuated by their Triple-A venue, though that should help keep some of the popularity at bay from Crochet.

MLB DFS Optimizer Picks Today: Top Stacks

Main Slate Secondary Target: Chicago Cubs

Cubs at Braves – 4.5 implied runs
First Pitch: 7:15 p.m. ET
Opposing Starter: RHP Bryce Elder
DK Top Stack %: 8.1%
FD Top Stack %: 7.9%

The Stokastic MLB DFS Top Stacks Tool has the Dodgers and Red Sox combining for a 25% probability of being the highest fantasy point producers of the night. The Cubs have been without Kyle Tucker for a fourth consecutive game as he deals with a calf injury. That hurts the overall offense, but also makes the stack more affordable.

Somehow RHP Bryce Elder managed to hold the Cubs scoreless at Wrigley field last Wednesday, and he allowed only three runs in his last three starts, spanning 20 innings. Still, that was only enough to lower his ERA from 6.29 to a still abysmal 5.54, and it would be a shock if his success continues for much longer. Elder has not been able to recapture the luck that helped him reach the All-Star Game in 2023, with his surface numbers of a 7-1 record and a 2.45 ERA about as fugazi as it comes.

Focus on the core four of Michael Busch, Seiya Suzuki, switch-hitter Ian Happ and struggling Pete Crow-Armstrong. On DraftKings and Yahoo, Carson Kelly is an excellent catching option to fulfill the pesky backstop requirement on those sites.


Stokastic’s MLB DFS Single Lineup Simulator is a game-changing tool that transforms lineup construction through powerful, data-driven simulations — essential for serious DFS players. See how the Simulator analyzes this single lineup for this sample MLB DFS slate:


Main Slate Tertiary Target: Seattle Mariners

Mariners vs. Cardinals – 4.6 implied runs
First Pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET
Opposing Starter: RHP Miles Mikolas
DK Top Stack %: 5.8%
FD Top Stack %: 5.5%

Typically taking the Mariners at home is not the best idea since they play in the pitching version of Coors Field. However, it is still fine to consider the revamped lineup against someone like RHP Miles Mikolas.

This is likely the swan song season for the “Lizard King,” as he is an unrestricted free agent coming off a massive deal who may decide to retire rather than take a $1 million, one-year contract to stay in the league. The 37-year-old has never possessed much in the way of strikeout upside, but his 14.7% rate this season is downright dreadful. He also has allowed a .211 ISO to lefties and a .198 ISO to righties over the last two seasons, which makes the M’s power bats intriguing.

The first wave to target is potential MVP Cal Raleigh, with Naylor, Suarez and a resurgent Jorge Polanco right behind him. Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodriguez comprise the second wave, and Dominic Canzone is a fine discount dandy given his light-tower power against right-handed hurlers.

Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks

If you’re serious about making sharp MLB DFS picks, you already know that long-term success starts with using the right information. The same approach applies to sports betting — and that’s where Tails By OddsShopper shines.

Take a bet like Bo Naylor to hit a home run. On the surface, it’s a simple play. But behind the scenes, it’s a +EV bet, meaning it’s mathematically profitable based on the best odds available. With Tails, you can follow experts who provide tons of other +EV bets just like this. Upgrade to full Tails packages to join expert Discords, or check out the Free Picks page for daily updates.

Digging into the details on Portfolio EV, Naylor is currently listed at +600 to hit a home run on DraftKings, but he is only +400 on Hard Rock. That is a swing from an 8.6% expected ROI all the way down to a negative 11.1% expected ROI when compared to the +544 “true odds.” Keep in mind that home runs are fickle and it is best to sprinkle a few ducats for entertainment purposes only.

Naylor is typically towards the bottom of the order since he is not great at making contact and often strikes out. He does have tremendous power in lefty-righty matchups when he makes contact, and it looks like the stars may be aligning tonight against rookie RHP Ryan Bergert. The 25-year-old came over from San Diego as part of the deal for backup catcher Freddy Fermin, and while he will likely stick around as a reliever for the next half decade, he has been a bit out over his skis as a starter. He does not have much velocity on his fastball, which is in the low 90s, but his breaking balls have been keeping opposing hitters off balance. That element of surprise is only going to last for so long, and if Naylor can get a mistake pitch, he has the power to muscle it out of any park in the league.


How to get the most out of your MLB DFS picks with Stokastic Sims — it’s more than just an MLB DFS optimizer! Also, check out Stokastic’s best DFS podcasts for more information every day. Click here for the best MLB DFS podcast!

Eric "EMac" MacPherson won the 2007 Fantasy Baseball grand prize (trip for two to the MLB All-Star game) in the Roto format on ESPN. He won again in 2008, this time in the H2H format. As one of the early adopters of daily fantasy sports, EMac has been providing content for baseball and basketball as well as both professional and college football since 2012 for a variety of websites including DraftKings Playbook, FanVice, RotoWorld, Daily Fantasy Bootcamp, and RotoGrinders. He is well into his third decade of fantasy sports and has a wealth of knowledge and experience. Follow him on Twitter @EMacDFS or contact EMac by emailing [email protected].

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