Full Slate Breakdown for MLB DFS 4/13:
Get your MLB DFS research started with DFS Army’s Full Count! Pitching advice, stack strategy, home run calls, and everything you need.
Happy MLB Season and welcome to another year of the DFS Army MLB Full Count! You have to start your research somewhere, and oftentimes going game by game and breaking down every matchup and its key players is the first step in our process. My name is Eric, @Razzle11Grinds on Twitter, make sure to give me a follow as I’ll occasionally make updates to the advice in the article out on Twitter as well as inside our coaching forums. With that said, let’s get it started!
My Take on a Consistent MLB DFS Process – Looking at Pitchers
I always start an MLB slate by looking at pitching, not only do you get a grasp on who the pitchers are that you want to target, but gives you a holistic look at the slate as well. Breaking down pitching also gives you an idea of what offenses are in good spots against bad/vulnerable pitchers. I start my research by going straight to the MLB Carnage Report this is where we can analyze all the pitchers on the slate in a compact, yet detailed manner. Below are the three pitchers that jumped out to me at first glance, good or bad.
- Trevor Bauer
- Lucas Giolito
- Brandon Woodruff
We have a BRAND NEW update to our MLB Domination Station lineup optimizer with advanced user-controlled scoring systems inside. You control how the lineups are built from three main uses of our projections: Points-based, DFSA Grades, or the unique blend of Hybrid Scoring! The Domination Station will help you create 150 of the highest projected lineups in a matter of minutes. With features that allow you to Like 
Love 
or Dislike 
a player, you can create a fully unique pool of players to generate your lineups from every day. Combine the power of the Domination Station with our VIP Only Articles and the MLB Research Station to really take your game to the next level.
Boston Red Sox @ Minnesota Twins (-140)
Pitchers:
Red Sox – Martin Perez
Twins – J.A. Happ
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8.5. We have to make sure they are going to play this game today after the situation in Minnesota led to the postponement of yesterday’s game. I like all the RHB’s in this game if it does play.
BOS 5-star plays: JD Martinez
4-star plays: Xander Bogaerts, Christian Vazquez
GPP Note: This is a nice full-stack with some cheap pieces scattered throughout.
MIN 5-star plays: Nelson Cruz, Byron Buxton
4-star plays: Mitch Garver, Kyle Garlick
GPP Note: I would prefer the Twins slightly in this game, but both offenses are stackable if you’re playing the early slate.
San Diego Padres (-216) @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Pitchers:
Padres – Blake Snell
Pirates – Chad Kuhl
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7.5. Kuhl has been knocked around to begin the season and today should be no different as the Padres lineup, despite missing Tatis Jr, has plenty of punch. Snell has been solid as a Padre so far and gets a great match-up as I would say nearly all of PIT’s “dangerous” bats are left-handed.
SDP 5-star plays: Eric Hosmer, Trent Grisham
4-star plays: Wil Myers
GPP Note: Myers is the hottest bat on SD but I really like the LHBs.
PIT 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Phillip Evans
GPP Note: I just don’t see much of a reason to go all that heavy on the Pirates in a tough matchup against one of the top pitchers on the day.
Watching the weather is half the battle when it comes to MLB DFS. The DFS Army Weather Station has you covered, from games that have delay and postponement potential, to games that could have significant winds that will play a roll in selecting a team to stack or a pitcher to use.
Seattle Mariners @ Baltimore Orioles (-140) – Game 1
Pitchers:
Mariners – Justus Sheffield
Orioles – John Means
Rundown:
A lot of times the teams swap SPs between the two games so we need to get the pitching plans organized before we can really dig in. This game has a total set at 6.5 as we have to remember that doubleheaders are 7 inning contests. Means has really surprised me to start this season so he is going to be somebody that should carry plenty of ownership.
SEA 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Mitch Haniger, Ty France
GPP Note: Mainly just a one-off play from SEA if Means does start game 1.
BAL 5-star plays: Trey Mancini
4-star plays: Ryan Mountcastle
GPP Note: Not looking to fully stack BAL but a mini-stack makes sense.
Seattle Mariners @ Baltimore Orioles (-135) – Game 2
Pitchers:
Mariners – Nick Margevicius
Orioles – Dean Kremer
Rundown:
Game 2 of the doubleheader has opened with a total of 9. That number is pretty high considering this game is a 7 inning contest. I agree that with the way the SPs line up (they could swap them yet today), this would be the better of the two games for offenses. Kremer is somebody that has flashed upside at various times but he just never puts it together.
SEA 5-star plays: Kyle Seager
4-star plays: Taylor Trammell
GPP Note: I don’t love SEA by any means but could be a sneaky mini-stack.
BAL 5-star plays: Trey Mancini
4-star plays: Ryan Mountcastle
GPP Note: I like the BALT bats against Margevicius instead of Sheffield.
The MLB DFS Research Station is my #1 source for research every single day and is one of the VIP Only tools our members have access to daily. The info in the MLB ReSearch Station includes today’s
DFS Army Projection, Adjusted BVP matchups and much more. This tool will cut your daily research time in half. If you’re familiar with Ben you already know the time they’ve put into the “Sheets” and are extremely happy to provide them as apart of your DFS Army VIP Membership this year.
New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays (-121)
Pitchers:
Yankees – Jameson Taillon
Blue Jays – Hyun-Jin Ryu
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total set at 9. Normally this would be a very intriguing SP match-up but the small ballpark in Florida for the Jays is just too inviting for the offenses. I know that Taillon is the underdog but I am kind of intrigued by him because of the weakness of the TOR lineup, with the guys missing due to COVID issues. The Yankees have a few guys that have had success against Ryu and that could be sneaky after the Yankees let everybody down on Monday night.
NYY 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Aaron Judge, Gio Urshela, Gary Sanchez
GPP Note: A couple of decent BvP spots despite Ryu being the favorite here.
TOR 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Bo Bichette, Vlad Guerrero Jr
GPP Note: I like the Blue Jays all the time but it’s tough when they are dealing with COVID vaccine issues.
Texas Rangers @ Tampa Bay Rays (-177)
Pitchers:
Rangers – Kyle Gibson
Rays – Ryan Yarbrough
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8. Both of the SPs are ones that can shut down an offense well enough to be a solid option at their price points but as we have seen this season, both can also get hit around quite a bit. Both offenses have been pretty weak for most of the season so far, which is why we see a total set at just 8.
TEX 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Nick Solak
GPP Note: I don’t think highly of Yarbrough overall but this TEX squad is pretty weak.
TBR 5-star plays: Austin Meadows
4-star plays: Randy Arozarena, Willy Adames
GPP Note: This could be my sneaky stack of the slate.
Philadelphia Phillies (-121) @ New York Mets – Game 1
Pitchers:
Phillies – Chase Anderson
Mets – Taijuan Walker
Rundown:
A lot of times teams flip flop their SPs between Game 1 and Game 2 of doubleheaders. This game has opened with a total of 5.5. I am a little surprised that the total is so low here as I can see each SP offering some HR issues if they aren’t on their games. I like mini-stacks from both sides as I don’t think either pitcher is strong enough overall.
PHI 5-star plays: Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper
4-star plays: Didi Gregorius, Alec Bohm
GPP Note: Walker is an interesting SP but I really like PHI as a sneaky play.
NYM 5-star plays: Brandon Nimmo
4-star plays: Michael Conforto, Dominic Smith
GPP Note: Interested in mini-stacks against Chase Anderson.
Philadelphia Phillies (-125) @ New York Mets – Game 2
Pitchers:
Phillies – Aaron Nola
Mets – Marcus Stroman
Rundown:
Game 2 has a total posted as of Monday night and it sits at 7.5. I am absolutely shocked to see Game 1 with a lower total than Game 2. That makes me think that the SPs may flip-flop between the games. We ABSOLUTELY need to pay attention to the scheduled pitchers because that would make a huge difference.
PHI 5-star plays: JT Realmuto
4-star plays: Bryce Harper, Didi Gregorius
GPP Note: PHI bats have just 3 HRs in 150 PAs against Stroman in their careers.
NYM 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Dominic Smith, Peter Alonso
GPP Note: I respect Nola’s stuff too much to fully stack against him right now.
Miami Marlins @ Atlanta Braves (-190)
Pitchers:
Marlins – Pablo Lopez
Braves – Max Fried
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8. Monday night’s game had a little more scoring than I thought would happen so I kind of think this game goes over the 8 total. Fried hasn’t been sharp but is a massive favorite while the Braves offense has looked pretty strong after starting the season out horribly cold.
MIA 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Brian Anderson, Starling Marte
GPP Note: I think MIA is a sneaky mini-stack option.
ATL 5-star plays: Ronald Acuna Jr
4-star plays: Freddie Freeman, Travis d’Arnaud
GPP Note: Acuna is probably the top play on the main slate.
Chicago Cubs @ Milwaukee Brewers (-140)
Pitchers:
Cubs – Kyle Hendricks
Brewers – Brandon Woodruff
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7.5. The Cubs’ offense is rather weak right now and Woodruff is the kind of pitcher that can attack that. He dominated the Cubs last week and I think that continues again tonight. Hendricks is somebody I rarely target but he’s capable of limiting hard contact and if the Brewers are without Yelich again, the offense gets much weaker.
CHC 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Joc Pederson, Ian Happ
GPP Note: Woodruff is in too great of a spot, but Joc has strong power numbers against him.
MIL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Travis Shaw, Avisail Garcia
GPP Note: Mostly just one-offs with a potential mini-stack if Yelich is healthy enough.
Washington Nationals @ St Louis Cardinals (-115)
Pitchers:
Nationals – Stephen Strasburg
Cardinals – Jack Flaherty
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7.5. This has the potential to be a great pitching match-up but both pitchers also have shown the ability to get blown up in starts. I like the Nationals more as a stackable offense while I like a couple of the Cardinals bats as one-off plays with multi-HR upside.
WAS 5-star plays: Juan Soto
4-star plays: Trea Turner
GPP Note: Interesting team to stack at the top of the order.
STL 5-star plays: Nolan Arenado
4-star plays: Tommy Edman
GPP Note: Mini-stacks against Strasburg should be low-owned and they could reward us.
MLB season is upon us! DFSArmy VIP Members had a big season last year and are in for some big things again this season! We will have cheat sheets, breakdowns, and many other tools to help make you successful in one of the more volatile fantasy sports.
Detroit Tigers @ Houston Astros (-180)
Pitchers:
Tigers – Matthew Boyd
Astros – Jake Odorizzi
Rundown:
This game has opened up with a total of 8. Odorizzi was terrible this spring after signing and then was left behind to get stretched out. The Tigers put it to Greinke on Monday night and that could lead to them doing well against a less than perfect Odorizzi. Remember that the Tigers have faced Odorizzi quite a bit over the last 2 seasons.
DET 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Akil Baddoo, Wilson Ramos, Jonathan Schoop
GPP Note: Odorizzi was BAD in his short spring appearances.
HOU 5-star plays: Carlos Correa
4-star plays: Michael Brantley
GPP Note: Boyd has looked good to begin the season but I think this is the spot that he struggles.
Los Angeles Angels (-130) @ Kansas City Royals
Pitchers:
Angels – Dylan Bundy
Royals – Danny Duffy
Rundown:
Tuesday’s match-up has opened with a total of 9. I am a little surprised to see a 9 total on this game but I do know that Duffy is capable of getting knocked around. Bundy is somebody I always play because of his upside but I do understand he’s home run prone. As it sits right now, I prefer the Angels as a full-stack and the Royals as a mini-stack candidate.
LAA 5-star plays: Mike Trout
4-star plays: Shohei Ohtani, Justin Upton, Jose Iglesias
GPP Note: Strong BvP for some of the Angels bats.
KCR 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Jorge Soler, Andrew Benintendi
GPP Note: Not a great spot for the Royals bats but they have the ability to surprise.
Cleveland Indians (-111) @ Chicago White Sox
Pitchers:
Indians – Shane Bieber
White Sox – Lucas Giolito
Rundown:
Monday’s game is tied up at 3 in the bottom of the 9th as I type this up. This game has opened with a total of 7. We get a spectacular match-up between Bieber and Giolito. For my money, I think Bieber is the better pitcher but he faces the more difficult offense. I realize that Bieber is the favorite but I want Giolito more tonight in my builds.
CLE 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Jose Ramirez, Cesar Hernandez
GPP Note: Not any desire to attack Giolito at home.
CHW 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada
GPP Note: The two guys above are a combined 13 for 39 with 5 HRs against Bieber.
Oakland Athletics (-111) @ Arizona Diamondbacks
Pitchers:
Athletics – Jesus Luzardo
Diamondbacks – Zac Gallen
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 9. Oakland came alive late Monday night so that might lead to some more runs today but it is a quick turnaround for a game on the West coast. Gallen has been dealing with a hairline fracture in his forearm so I am very curious about how he bounces back. He did throw a simulated game so we should see him approach 80 pitches in his 2021 debut.
OAK 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Ramon Laureano, Matt Olson
GPP Note: We need to learn what Gallen’s leash is as I respect his stuff a ton. I am not sure he is capable of going more than 4.
ARI 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Nick Ahmed, Tim Locastro
GPP Note: Luzardo is in a great spot as ARI is without Marte and Walker.
Cincinnati Reds @ San Francisco Giants (-111)
Pitchers:
Reds – Luis Castillo
Giants – Kevin Gausman
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7.5. I am very interested in this pitching match-up as this could be a sneaky spot, away from the Bieber vs Giolito game. Castillo looked dominant in his last start and Gausman has really flourished in San Francisco. Mostly going to look at one-off bats with strong pitch profile match-ups in this game.
CIN 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Joey Votto, Mike Moustakas
GPP Note: Two guys above are a combined 8 for 15 with 5 extra-base hits against Gausman
SFG 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Mike Yastrzemski, Brandon Belt
GPP Note: Looking at one-offs, if any bats at all from SF.
Colorado Rockies @ Los Angeles Dodgers (-250)
Pitchers:
Rockies – Antonio Senzatela
Dodgers – Trevor Bauer
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8. Bauer has been striking out a ton to begin this season and he was dominating COL before hitting a wall after running the bases in his first start in Coors. I expect him to be very motivated after it was announced that the MLB confiscated baseballs from his last start due to tackiness and coloration.
COL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Charlie Blackmon
GPP Note: Bauer should be one of the most popular arms on a slate FULL of arms.
LAD 5-star plays: Mookie Betts, Corey Seager, AJ Pollock
4-star plays: Justin Turner, Gavin Lux, Zach McKinstry
GPP Note: Dodgers have great BvP against Senzatela.
Stacks of the Day: Main Slate
- Los Angeles Dodgers: Relying on GREAT BvP history against Senzatela and the fact that he might be the worst SP on this slate. That’s not saying a ton because this slate is LOADED with pitching options.
- Houston Astros: I like the Astros as a sneaky play here. Boyd hasn’t given up an HR yet this season which is surprising because he hadn’t gone two starts without allowing one in over 4 years.
- Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays haven’t been killing the ball at all and I think people are going to jump on Gibson for savings (I don’t blame them) so I want to look at a possible blow-up like he had to begin the season.
MLB Dinger of the Day – Justin Upton, LA Angels
As always I appreciate everyone who gave the article a read! Feel free to mix it up with me in our coaching forums as news breaks and lock approaches.
The only thing you are missing at this point is the key to unlock the next level of your game. Come inside and check us out!! We have experts sharing their secrets and experience on a daily basis. Combine that with the actual ability to ask them questions and get quick answers in return gives you a recipe for success that puts our army hats on leaderboards all over the face of DFS.
