MLB DFS: Top DraftKings, FanDuel daily Fantasy baseball picks, lineups, strategy, advice for April 20, 2023

Kodai Senga makes his fourth start of the season for the New York Mets when he takes the ball on the West Coast against the San Francisco Giants and daily Fantasy baseball players will have a close eye on him. Senga had success in his first two outings, allowing two runs over 11 1/3 innings with 14 strikeouts while scattering six hits, making him a great addition for MLB DFS lineups on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings. But his strike rate (60%) has been a struggle in his transition from playing professionally in Japan. Senga, with his fork ball popularly called a "ghost ball" which he has thrown 21.5% of the time, has walked 10 batters this season. That put him in trouble when he allowed four runs while throwing 96 pitches in 4 2/3 innings in his most recent outing against the Oakland A's on April 14.

The Giants rank 21st in runs scored (79), which could make Senga an attractive pitcher for MLB daily fantasy players. But if Senga continues to struggle with his command, a Giants MLB DFS stack could provide a profitable evening. Before submitting any MLB DFS picks for Thursday, be sure to check out the MLB DFS advice, strategy and projections from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.

McClure is a daily Fantasy pro who has won more than $2 million in his career. And when it comes to daily Fantasy baseball, McClure is at his best. Recognized in the book "Fantasy Football (and Baseball) for Smart People: How to Turn Your Hobby into a Fortune" as a top MLB DFS player, McClure's proprietary projection model simulates each game 10,000 times, taking factors such as matchups and recent results into account. This allows him to find the best values on every site.

On Wednesday, McClure highlighted St. Lous Cardinals shortstop Tommy Edman as one of his top MLB DFS picks. The result: Edman went 3-for-4 and finished a single shy of a cycle. He had a three-run home run and finished with five RBI and three runs scored. He returned 41 points on DraftKings and 57.1 on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.

Now, with the 2023 MLB season in full swing, McClure has locked in his top MLB daily Fantasy picks for Thursday, April 20. Head to SportsLine now to see them. 

McClure's top MLB DFS picks for Thursday

One of McClure's top MLB DFS picks for Thursday is Padres outfielder Juan Soto at $3,500 on FanDuel and $5,000 on DraftKings. The return of Fernando Tatis Jr. gives San Diego one of the most attractive MLB DFS stacking options when also factoring in Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado. Soto hit a solo home run for the game's only run in the Padres' 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday and reached base in three of his four plate appearances the day before.

Soto, who has one of the best eyes at the plate in baseball, leads baseball in walks (19) over 20 games. He also led the league in walks in 2021 and 2022. But it will become more challenging for pitchers to throw around Soto as the Padres' lineup returns to full strength. Soto hit a two-run home run off Ryne Nelson, the Diamondbacks' projected starter, when the teams met on April 3 and Soto has two career long balls in seven at-bats against Nelson.

McClure's MLB DFS strategy includes stacking Soto with Tatis Jr. at $2,000 on FanDuel and $4,500 on DraftKings. Tatis Jr. is playing his first MLB game in 18 months, but he was one of the most prolific players in the sport in 2021. The 24-year-old led the National League with 42 home runs in 2021 before off the field incidents led to his disappearance from action the last year-and-a-half. His DFS price is far below his talent level and if the odds show any indications, his +205 odds on Caesars Sportsbook to hit a home run indicate he could far outperform his price.

Tatis Jr. is expected to move to the outfield after the Padres signed Bogaerts this offseason. His athleticism should translate into the open space of the outfield and possibly take some defensive pressure off the dynamic player.

How to set your MLB DFS lineups for April 20, 2023

McClure is also targeting an undervalued player who is set to explode for huge numbers on Thursday. The stars are aligning for him to return tournament-winning value and he comes at a price that won't break the bank. You can only see who it is here.