MLB DFS Picks & Stacks for Saturday (10/3/26)
Time is running out to play daily fantasy baseball this year. The MLB Playoffs move into the Division Series on Saturday, and DraftKings has a four-game main slate made up entirely of Game 1s, so the MLB DFS gods are looking down on us with favor for another day. The slate locks at 1:00 PM ET with White Sox at Guardians.
This is a fun one, too. Jacob Misiorowski headlines a strong pitching slate, and some dangerous offenses are in action, with the mighty Dodgers, Yankees and Braves all on the board. Heck, even the surprising White Sox, who swept the Astros in the Wild Card Series, could come to play. Playoff baseball is tough to predict and scoring tends to come down, but there are still clear paths to success at DraftKings. Here are my best MLB DFS picks and stacks for 10/3.
MLB DFS Overview for Saturday
The Dodgers-Braves game is where the offense should come from, and Misiorowski is the arm to build around. Keep in mind I’m writing this on Friday, so pitchers can change and the weather can shift. Two of the four games are played in parks with a roof (Tropicana Field and American Family Field), and only one game has a serious weather angle.
The Dodgers and Braves will wage war at Dodger Stadium, the best home run park in baseball by Statcast’s index, and it projects to be extremely hot: the National Weather Service has 97 degrees at first pitch and 100 or higher by mid-afternoon. That’s a huge bump to the bats. Atlanta is rolling out a bullpen game, so I’ll naturally be fading its pitchers, and I’ll keep my Skubal exposure modest because of the park and the heat.
The White Sox and Guardians play outdoors in Cleveland, where a light northeast wind should blow in from the outfield. That’s a pretty good spot for pitching, although Chicago is going with a bullpen approach again, with rookie lefty Hagen Smith opening as he did in Wild Card Game 1. On the surface, this looks like a great slate to target Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, with a good chunk of our offense coming from the Dodgers game.
The Highest Total Is in Los Angeles
Braves at Dodgers is the only game on the board above 7.0. DraftKings has it at 8.5, and the Dodgers’ 4.5-run team total is a full run higher than any other offense on the slate. The White Sox and Padres are the two offenses posted at just 2.5 runs, which is exactly why I like them as leverage.
| Game | First Pitch (ET) | Game Total | Moneyline | Team Totals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CWS at CLE | 1:00 PM | 7.0 | CLE -156 / CWS +129 | CLE 3.5 / CWS 2.5 |
| ATL at LAD | 4:00 PM | 8.5 | LAD -230 / ATL +187 | LAD 4.5 / ATL 3.5 |
| NYY at TB | 6:30 PM | 7.0 | TB -136 / NYY +113 | TB 3.5 / NYY 3.5 |
| SD at MIL | 8:30 PM | 7.0 | MIL -204 / SD +167 | MIL 3.5 / SD 2.5 |
Every number here is DraftKings’ posted line, checked on the night of October 2, 2026. Two numbers moved during Friday: Braves-Dodgers climbed from 8.0 to 8.5, and DraftKings dropped Milwaukee’s team total from 4.5 to 3.5. The Brewers’ over at 3.5 still carries the steepest price of the five teams posted at that number (-145), so they read as the second-best offense on the board.
Weather and Parks
Heat is the only real weather story, and it’s a big one. Cleveland is sunny and in the low 60s with a 7 to 8 mph wind out of the northeast, which blows in from the outfield at Progressive Field. Thunderstorms are in the forecast around Tampa Bay, but Tropicana Field’s fixed roof takes them out of play, and American Family Field’s retractable roof does the same in Milwaukee. If you want more on how heat changes run scoring, our MLB DFS weather strategy guide walks through it.
| Venue | First Pitch (ET) | Forecast | Park Runs / HR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Field (CWS at CLE) | 1:00 PM | 63F, sunny, wind in 7 mph | 98 / 93 |
| Dodger Stadium (ATL at LAD) | 4:00 PM | 97F at first pitch, 100+ later | 102 / 123 |
| Tropicana Field (NYY at TB) | 6:30 PM | Dome | 94 / 105 |
| American Family Field (SD at MIL) | 8:30 PM | Retractable roof | 96 / 103 |
Forecasts are from the National Weather Service. The park numbers are MLB’s own Statcast park factors from Baseball Savant on a 2024 to 2026 rolling window, where 100 is league average. Dodger Stadium ranks first in baseball for home runs (123), Tropicana Field is 26th for runs, and American Family Field plays below average for runs with the second-highest strikeout index in MLB (110).
Every Listed Arm, Sorted by Salary
Six starters are set, and two teams are going to their bullpens. San Diego named Robbie Ray its Game 1 starter on Friday, while the White Sox open with Hagen Smith and the Braves still haven’t named anyone.
| Pitcher | Salary | 2026 ERA | K Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Misiorowski (MIL vs. SD) | $11,100 | 1.80 | 37.9% |
| Tarik Skubal (LAD vs. ATL) | $10,000 | 2.72 | 30.0% |
| Drew Rasmussen (TB vs. NYY) | $8,800 | 2.67 | 26.0% |
| Parker Messick (CLE vs. CWS) | $8,500 | 2.56 | 25.8% |
| Gerrit Cole (NYY at TB) | $8,100 | 3.61 | 25.2% |
| Robbie Ray (SD at MIL) | $6,500 | 3.59 | 19.9% |
| Hagen Smith (CWS at CLE, opener) | $4,000 | 1.29 | 37.3% |
ERA and strikeout rate are 2026 regular-season figures from MLB Stats, and the bolded names are the four arms on my board below. Smith’s numbers come almost entirely in relief, and he hasn’t pitched more than three innings in an outing this year. Atlanta hasn’t named anyone, and MLB.com reports that Grant Holmes may handle the first few innings. One trap to avoid: DraftKings flags Didier Fuentes as a probable pitcher, but he threw on three straight days in the Wild Card Series and isn’t expected to be available.
Best MLB DFS Pitchers for 10/3
Jacob Misiorowski is the top spend, Drew Rasmussen is the best pivot, Gerrit Cole is the value play and Tarik Skubal is my tournament arm. The Miz is the top ace by far: he led the majors in both ERA (1.80) and strikeouts (252) this year, and he’s at home against a Padres lineup that isn’t particularly scary.
Jacob Misiorowski ($11,100): The Top Ace by Far
My projection has The Miz three fantasy points ahead of the next-best arm, and DraftKings’ own season averages put the gap even wider (26.9 points per game against Skubal’s 22.5). He’s at home in a pitcher-friendly park, where he posted a 1.52 ERA and struck out 40.6 percent of the hitters he faced this year.
The Padres lineup isn’t particularly scary. San Diego ranked 15th in OPS against right-handed pitching (.722), and Misiorowski already handled them once this year with seven scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts on May 13.
The one thing to watch is the leash. Milwaukee has managed his workload all season (MLB.com noted in September that he was already about 28 innings past his 2025 total), and he threw 82, 44 and 68 pitches in his last three starts. He’s fully rested after the bye, but I wouldn’t count on a 100-pitch outing.
Drew Rasmussen ($8,800): A Pivot With Yankee History
I don’t love a direct price pivot here, but Rasmussen looks pretty good on paper. He’s at home in a dome, and Tropicana Field isn’t known for being very hitter-friendly. He can certainly miss bats (a 26.0 percent strikeout rate to go with a 2.67 ERA), and he slayed the Yankees this year: 2-1 with a 2.86 ERA and 26 strikeouts across four meetings, including 11 strikeouts on September 22.
The one blemish in that set was July 9, when New York tagged him for six runs in 2.1 innings, and the Yankees do hit righties for power (a .176 ISO, second in MLB). They’re also expected to be without Aaron Judge, who is working back from a calf strain and carries an IL tag on DraftKings. I don’t really fear the spot for Rasmussen.
Gerrit Cole ($8,100): A $10K Ceiling at a Discount
Gerrit Cole is the best value because he has the upside of a $10,000 arm, and yet he’s barely over $8,000. He struck out eight Rays in 5.2 innings on September 23, and he should be aided by a park that plays below average for runs.
This is a price-and-ceiling play, and it does come with some risk. Cole has a 3.61 ERA and has allowed 22 home runs in 127 innings this year, 15 of them to lefties. Tampa Bay’s lineup can also be dangerous against righties (a .752 OPS, fourth in MLB), and the Rays rarely strike out in that split (19.1 percent, the second-lowest rate in baseball), which trims his strikeout ceiling.
Tarik Skubal ($10,000): The Low-Owned $10K Arm
I wrote this slot up with Yoshinobu Yamamoto in mind, but the Dodgers handed Game 1 to Skubal at the exact same $10,000 price, and the logic carries over. I’d assume few people pay $10,000 for an arm in a park this hot with The Miz on the board. Dodger Stadium is a rough spot to pitch on Saturday, and Skubal’s own home and road splits are pretty telling: a 3.63 ERA at home this year against 1.70 on the road, and a 3.75 mark in his 36 innings at Dodger Stadium since the trade.
That’s precisely why he’s a good tourney play, because the upside is enormous. The Dodgers picked him partly for the matchup: Atlanta posted a .696 OPS against lefties this year (21st in MLB), compared with .730 against righties. Skubal is also coming off seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts at San Francisco on September 25. If the Braves end up popular, we can hope the damage is limited and Skubal racks up strikeouts en route to a win.
Top MLB DFS Hitters for Saturday
Shohei Ohtani is the top spend, Tommy Pham is the value play and Fernando Tatis Jr. is the tournament bat. One comes from the game I want to stack the most, one is a cheap platoon bat against a lefty, and the third is a contrarian swing against the slate’s best arm.
Shohei Ohtani ($6,500): Healthy Again in the Heat
Ohtani should be back in full swing. He missed two weeks in September on the injured list (right biceps inflammation), came back as a hitter on September 23 and played all five remaining regular-season games, and the Dodgers say he’s feeling great physically after five days off. This is a great stadium with very favorable weather, and this Dodgers-Braves game could be pretty lit for a playoff game. I’d imagine a healthy Ohtani has something to do with the theatrics.
He’s pricey, but he could be worth it. Ohtani hit 30 home runs with a .512 slugging percentage this year, and he does damage from both sides of the platoon (a .257 ISO against lefties and .227 against righties). One lineup note: the Dodgers lead him off against right-handers and bat him second against lefties, so where he hits depends on who opens for Atlanta.
Tommy Pham ($2,500): A Cheap Bat Against a Lefty
Pham is cheap and facing a lefty in Parker Messick. I’d definitely favor the Messick side here, but I also think most people will. Pham has good historical splits against southpaws (a .795 career OPS against lefties, compared with .752 against righties), and he homered off Messick on September 16. Chicago in general has a lot of power, and Messick is not exactly safe here.
Know what you’re buying, though. Pham has only 35 big-league plate appearances this year between the Mets and White Sox, and Chicago has used him as a DH against left-handed starters. He didn’t play in either Wild Card game (both came against righties), and the White Sox haven’t set their Division Series roster yet. This game is the lock game, so its lineup will be out before you have to commit. Make sure he’s in it.
Fernando Tatis Jr. ($5,900): Low Ownership Against the Top Arm
Tatis at low ownership against the slate’s top arm: what could be better than that? The Brewers fan in me wants to fade him to the moon, but in GPPs he’s a pretty interesting spend. With Ohtani back and The Miz drawing so much attention, I have to think Tatis and most of the Padres will go very overlooked.
This is a ceiling play rather than a floor play. Tatis hit .283 with a .154 ISO against right-handers this year, and Misiorowski is more hittable from the right side (a .209 average and 29.8 percent strikeout rate against righties) than from the left (.114 and 44.5 percent). If you want more on when a contrarian bat like this pays off, our guide to reading DFS ownership projections covers it.
Saturday’s Best MLB DFS Stacks
The Dodgers, Braves and Brewers are my core stacks, and the Padres and White Sox are the leverage plays. Most of our bats should come from the Dodgers game. Even with Skubal in it, both offenses are tough to ignore: Dodger Stadium is already the best home run park in baseball, and the heat and intensity may take it over the top.
The run totals on the board below are DraftKings’ posted team totals, checked on October 2, 2026, not my own projections.
| Stack | Opposing Arm | Bullpen Behind Him |
|---|---|---|
| Dodgers | Braves bullpen game (not announced) | Braves: 3.44 ERA (4th) |
| Braves | Tarik Skubal (LHP) | Dodgers: 3.74 ERA (9th) |
| Brewers | Robbie Ray (LHP) | Padres: 3.53 ERA (5th) |
| Padres | Jacob Misiorowski (RHP) | Brewers: 3.40 ERA (3rd) |
| White Sox | Parker Messick (LHP) | Guardians: 3.54 ERA (6th) |
Bullpen ERAs are 2026 regular-season relief figures from MLB Stats, ranked across all 30 teams. All five bullpens in this table rank in MLB’s top nine, which is part of why playoff scoring dries up late in games.
Los Angeles Dodgers (4.5): Fade Them at Your Own Risk
I do tend to favor the Dodgers between the two stacks in this game, but they should be chalky. Still, they’re the better team, they’re at home, and they have the far superior matchup: Atlanta has no starter lined up, while the Braves have to face Skubal. Los Angeles led MLB with a .766 OPS against right-handed pitching this year, and the Braves’ Game 1 plan leans on righties such as Grant Holmes and J.R. Ritchie after any opener. Atlanta’s bullpen is good (a 3.44 ERA), so this isn’t a free pass, but fade the Dodgers at your own risk.
Atlanta Braves (3.5): The Other Half of the Heat
The Braves get the same park and the same heat, which is why they stay on my board, but the matchup got tougher when Skubal replaced Yamamoto. Atlanta’s power dips against lefties (a .156 ISO, 13th in MLB). Matt Olson ($4,600) is the exception: 16 of his 41 home runs came off southpaws this year, so his matchup changes the least of any Atlanta bat.
Milwaukee Brewers (3.5): My Favorite Stack for Ownership
Milwaukee is the third-best offense on paper, and the market agrees it belongs near the top: the Brewers’ over at 3.5 is the most expensive of any team posted at that number. They’re at home, and they have to answer for a punchless offense that ruined their playoff run a year ago, when they scored four runs and hit .118 in a four-game NLCS sweep by the Dodgers. Hey, maybe the Padres are too hot (they allowed one run in sweeping the Cubs) and this is where Milwaukee’s season ends, but the Brew Crew has a wild fan base and one of the better matchups on the slate. Don’t be shocked if they come out to send a message.
San Diego is going with Robbie Ray. He can be good, but he gives up power to righties: 20 of the 22 home runs he allowed this year came from right-handed hitters, and he has a 5.02 ERA with a 14.2 percent walk rate since the Padres acquired him. I’d start Brewers stacks with Jackson Chourio, who hit .333 with a .242 ISO against lefties, and they have enough right-handed bats to get excited about. If you’re factoring in ownership, they’re my favorite stack.
Leverage Stacks: Padres and White Sox
I’m not trying to ignore the Yankees or Rays, but the park and pitching in that game have me thinking it could be a quiet one. I want to be where the action is, or I want to swing for the fences with insane leverage.
San Diego Padres. San Diego is a bad stack by the numbers (a 2.5 team total, tied for the lowest on the slate), but the Padres do have some pop, with 183 home runs this year, and nobody is going to want to roster them. If you have any reason for fading The Miz, firing up three to five Padres makes sense in DraftKings tournaments.
Chicago White Sox. I also don’t mind Chicago here. I definitely think Messick is very good (a 2.56 ERA) and could shut them down, but the White Sox also feel like a potential team of destiny. They simply hit southpaws well and have gobs of power: their .184 ISO against lefties led MLB this year, and they’ve taken Messick deep four times in four meetings. Even if Messick isn’t mega chalk, the Sox look pretty appealing in GPPs.
Building Winning MLB DFS Lineups on 10/3
Playoff MLB DFS is simple, and yet it’s certainly not easy. I think we can all admit and even embrace that most of the pitching in these games is elite or close to it, and the atmospheres are intense.
I’d expect at least half of these games to be low-scoring, and for the most part I’d favor the Dodgers game for offense. The Padres are OK leverage, but if I had to choose a side, I’m trusting that the Brewers defend their home park and The Miz doesn’t get rocked. The leverage lies in Skubal and the White Sox for me. I don’t want to get crazy with my Skubal exposure, but he’s the arm that can turn a popular Braves stack into a dud.
- Core build: The Miz with Cole, Rasmussen or Messick at SP2, plus a Dodgers or Braves stack
- Two-ace build: Misiorowski and Skubal together ($21,100), paid for with a cheaper White Sox stack
- Get different: fade The Miz with three to five Padres, or run a White Sox stack against Messick
- Before lock: White Sox at Guardians starts at 1:00 PM ET, so confirm Pham is in Chicago’s lineup first; late swap covers the other three games
If we stack the White Sox, we’re saving cash, which is why a Miz and Skubal build is actually pretty palatable if you want to go that route. If not, just play The Miz and target the Dodgers or Braves, with your SP2 dancing between Cole, Rasmussen and Messick. Just remember the conflicts: Skubal faces the Braves, and Messick faces the White Sox, so pick one side of each game per lineup.
Build the Core in the Optimizer
Want to build around these plays? The optimizer below opens with Saturday’s DraftKings pool loaded and my core locked in: Misiorowski and Cole on the mound, with Ohtani and Chourio.
The tool fills the open spots only with players on an MLB active roster and skips arms who aren’t scheduled to pitch, but postseason rosters and lineups weren’t set when this went up. Swap out any auto-filled bat who isn’t in his team’s posted lineup before you enter.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Five questions about Saturday’s four-game Division Series slate, from the Dodgers’ rotation change to the best stacks.
Is Yoshinobu Yamamoto Pitching on Saturday’s MLB DFS Slate?
No. The Dodgers are starting Tarik Skubal in Game 1 against the Braves, so Yamamoto is not scheduled to pitch Saturday even though he is still in the DraftKings pool at 10,000 dollars. Skubal costs the same 10,000 dollars and is Kevin’s tournament arm, since few players should pay that much for a pitcher in a hot Dodger Stadium with Jacob Misiorowski on the slate.
Is Jacob Misiorowski Worth $11,100 Against the Padres?
Yes, he is Kevin’s top spend. Misiorowski led the majors with a 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts, posted a 1.52 ERA at home, and threw seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts against San Diego on May 13. The one caveat is workload: he threw 82, 44 and 68 pitches in his last three regular-season starts.
Which MLB DFS Stacks Are Best for October 3, 2026?
Kevin’s core stacks are the Dodgers, Braves and Brewers, with the Padres and White Sox as leverage plays. The Dodgers have the slate’s highest team total at DraftKings (4.5, a full run above every other offense), and Braves at Dodgers is the only game posted above 7.0, at 8.5.
How Much Will the Heat at Dodger Stadium Help Hitters on Saturday?
It should help a lot. The National Weather Service forecasts 97 degrees at first pitch and 100 or higher by mid-afternoon, and Dodger Stadium already ranks first in MLB in Statcast’s home run park factor (123). Warm air helps the ball carry, which is why Kevin wants most of his bats from Braves at Dodgers.
What Time Does Saturday’s DraftKings MLB Slate Lock?
The slate locks at 1:00 PM ET with White Sox at Guardians. Braves at Dodgers follows at 4:00 PM, Yankees at Rays at 6:30 PM, and Padres at Brewers at 8:30 PM. All four are Game 1 of a best-of-five Division Series.
