Hey, hey, hey…..it’s your DFS MLB buddy @Choppodong!! I am a coach and contributor inside DFS Army, where our entire goal is teaching you the fundamentals that will make you a better, more competitive player as quickly as possible.
Give me a follow on Twitter and YouTube for the latest content drops and video uploads. Use code CHOP for a 10% discount, and get busy learning/winning today!! As always, your best compliment is retweeting and/or sharing this information across social media. Thank you!
Remember, this article is designed to get you pointed in the right direction. It’s not a slate write-up and it’s not a player picks piece. I would rather get you started, then have you interact with us in our VIP slack forums as we banter picks and strategies back and forth. Learning MLB the right way is the fastest way to grow your skill level.
DFS Army is about teaching first. This is a video breakdown covering the important parts of today’s slates….you might even get some tips as I walk through my process. Even I don’t know what I’m going to say… (June 21 – MAIN)
Above video has Main Slate player pool in it for June 21, 2018.
Back to Basics
It’s always a good idea to know which teams are scoring runs and which are giving them up. I will simply sort by the last 30 days and rank the teams. Here are your top 10 in terms of runs scored and your top 10 highest team ERAs (worst pitching).
This week, we try to focus on playing the top 10 offenses where it makes sense and attacking the highest 10 team ERAs. If any of them should directly matchup, we look to exploit it pretty hard. I hope you picked up on how hot the Dodgers and Astros got last week. If not, well, you know now.
MLB DFS Pitching
We are always looking for the best combination of price, Vegas, strikeout upside, and matchup (ballparks, weather, etc). We will normally be looking to the top tier on Fanduel and will likely come off that a little so we can afford a decent SP2 on Draftkings. Generic rules like that always have exceptions. Be flexible. KScore is the pitcher’s strikeout potential with the opposing team’s vulnerability to striking out. The DFSA Grade is proprietary to our VIPs but will give you guys something to track in terms of a catch-all safety rating.
Main Slate Pitching Roundup
Today feels wide open for pitching at first glance. We have a full slate, but no super expensive pitchers or dominant aces rolling. Our Research Station (links all over article) is not only FREE for #FreebieFriday, but it indicates Alex Wood has a 99 rating for just $7400 on Fanduel. That’s going to be hard to beat today when the KScore is over 500 and the Vegas odds are better than -150. All green lights if he can just go deep enough into the game for us to really rack up some points.
Mike Minor shows good on paper, and is a little cheaper. On a wide open day like today, he is in play facing the paltry Twins. Tanner Roark doesn’t carry the KScore of Wood, but it’s not much lower making him a solid pivot. But, Jon Gray is intriguing to me today. No, I don’t like pitchers in Coors Field, but the Marlins don’t scare me and Gray’s KScore of 489 for $6800 is a nice little salary saver. Add in the massive -210 favorite, and you really start cooking with gas here. Jack Flaherty rounds out my playables, but truthfully, there are several others. I won’t be “all in” on any particular pitcher, including Wood. But, I will rather opt for a more balanced approach with a few lineups by limiting my exposure to likely no more than 30-40% on any single arm today.
LEARN TO WHIP THE COMPETITION WITH – The Domination Station Optimizer!!
How about some more winning?! I change these screenshots like I change mistresses. Seriously, why are you just taking the free content? Why aren’t you in here receiving the tools, optimizer, and coaching? These guys are, and these guys are dominating the competition.
In case you can’t read the comment in the screenshot from @dradt, it says: “I usually try to set a lineup from my own research before turning to the articles and slack chat for confirmation if I’m on the right track or to pick up on something I have missed. I have really gotten a lot out of Chop, CeeGee, and MDell’s articles that have changed the way I put together a lineup. The army in general has made me better just through the articles and research station as it opened my eyes to things I never considered before….”
As a result, @dradt has won over $30,000 in less than a month. You’re welcome, buddy. Now, let’s work on changing that avatar to an army helmet!!
DFS MLB Bats and Stack Considerations
I focus on attacking the pitchers above, and I love it when I see Vegas supporting the cause or a high powered offense matching up with these attackable pitchers. I will then focus on the better bats within the offense and key in on our batters grading out over 75 in our Research Station. Bear in mind, I’m listing day-to-day and 10day DL guys, too. Your job is to follow the news, or plug into our Slack Channels and get the details as our slates lock for the day.
Main Offenses to Stack
DET – LMartin, Castellanos
COL – LeMahieu, Arenado, Story, Desmond, Iannetta
ATL – Freeman, Markakis, Suzuki
SEA – Haniger, Cruz, Healy
LAA – Kinsler, Trout, Upton, Pujols, Miguel
CLE -Ramirez, Alonso, Chisenhall, Kipnis, Gomes
STL – Pham, Carpenter, Ozuna, JMartinez, Molina
These are NOT specific stacks. Mix and match them by using the optimizer you saw linked in the video above.
I did something different today. I used a combination of our Research Station you see linked throughout the article, but I also added in our xwOBA numbers from our “Starting Lineups” page. When you compare xwOBA to wOBA, you can really find some breakout candidates. VIPs – See the video explanation here…… How to Use xwOBA.
The names are all hitting well per xwOBA over the last two weeks, and should be to handedness of the starting pitcher. The names in BOLD also showed up in my normal hot wOBA over the last 7 days. Players on both lists will be my focal point today.
For more on DFS Stacking, see CeeGee’s article – MLB DFS Top Stacks
Final MLB DFS Thoughts
For MLB cash games, keep the stacking to a minimum. You can’t afford to grab stack Rockies in Coors and have them fall flat, which they occasionally do. ISO is a great stat to look at with wOBA for hitter-friendly parks. Remember to head over to DFSARMY.com, your one-stop-shop for stats, player recommendations, coaching, winning lineups discussion, and everything DFS related. Use code CHOP to trigger a 10% discount every month as long as you remain a member regardless of any future price increases. You are grandfathered in at your rate permanently!!
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