Full Slate Breakdown for MLB DFS 4/2:
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. I am Razzle11 and you can follow me @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 popped out to me at first glance.
- Blake Snell – I am really intrigued by Snell making his debut with SD. He gets an ARI squad that should struggle to score runs for much of the season and he neutralizes their hottest spring hitter (Rojas) and who I think is their best overall hitter (Peralta). Snell allowed only 5 hits in 14 spring innings. I really believe that Snell uses this season as an “I’m going to show you” season.
- Pablo Lopez – Lopez put up a WHIP of 0.95 at home last season, en route to an average of nearly 22 DK ppg. He did struggle with TB but I believe this version of TB is due for some regression overall (offensively).
- Cristian Javier – Javier only threw 3 innings across 2 appearances in main games but he did throw a simulated game last weekend and should be good to go about 5 innings (75-85 pitches). I think Javier is a guy that has a bright future and he projects well in big ballparks as he relies on pitching up in the zone.
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.
Baltimore Orioles (+165) @ Boston Red Sox (-200)
Starting Pitchers:
Orioles – John Means
Red Sox – Nathan Eovaldi
Rundown:
This game was rained out for the opening day so we get it as a stand-alone game on Friday. It has opened with a total set at 9.5 runs for Friday. The Red Sox should be pretty popular in this game as Means has struggled, especially in Fenway, against them. There is plenty of BvP in this game plus guys who are coming in off of strong spring performances.
BAL 5-star plays: Ryan Mountcastle
4-star plays: Trey Mancini, Austin Hays
GPP Note: Probably a secondary GPP stack but I think the Orioles lineup is going to be sneaky at times.
BOS 5-star plays: JD Martinez, Xander Bogaerts
4-star plays: Hunter Renfroe, Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers
GPP Note: Boston was my 2nd favorite stack on Opening Day so of course I love them here.
Tampa Bay Rays (-120) at Miami Marlins (+104)
Starting Pitchers:
Rays – Ryan Yarbrough
Marlins – Pablo Lopez
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total sitting at 7.5 runs. I honestly think I am going to be avoiding much of this game while having pieces of the SPs in my MME pool. Yarbrough finished the spring with a WHIP of just 0.95 but he also allowed 7 runs in 13.2 innings. These two played to a 1-0 game on opening day and I could see a very similar game here without explosive offenses yet.
TB 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Austin Meadows
GPP Note: TB is going to offer us some pop this season but I do envision some rough, K-filled, games.
MIA 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Brian Anderson, Starling Marte
GPP Note: MIA struggled quite a bit on opening day but I think the lineup is sneaky enough to do a little damage against LHPs this season. I just may need to see it before I start playing it.
Los Angeles Dodgers (-278) @ Colorado Rockies (+235)
Starting Pitchers:
Dodgers – Trevor Bauer
Rockies – Antonio Senzatela
Rundown:
Welcome to Coors Field. Tonight’s game has opened with a total sitting at 11.5 runs. Bauer gets to make his Dodger debut in Coors. I certainly think that he is worth playing but with caution. He has made just 1 start in Coors and he struggled mightily. He allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks in 3.1 innings. Senzatela is not one we want to consider as he has allowed an OPS of .820 and up to 6 of the Dodgers projected starting bats.
LAD 5-star plays: Corey Seager, Mookie Betts
4-star plays: Gavin Lux, AJ Pollock
GPP Note: The 4 guys above are 18 for 44 with 4 HRs against Senzatela.
COL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon
GPP Note: I won’t go out of my way to stack against Bauer, even in Coors. I will use the Rockies as one-offs or mini-stacks in my player pool.
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.
Chicago White Sox (+107) @ Los Angeles Angels (-124)
Starting Pitchers:
White Sox – Dallas Keuchel
Angels – Andrew Heaney
Rundown:
Game two in this series brings us a total of 8.5 runs. Heaney was really bad this spring and I don’t think this is the match-up he wants to have coming off of a rough spring. The White Sox have some bats that can do damage against an LHP. We can say the same thing about Keuchel here as he had a rough spring and while the overall Angels lineup isn’t as potent as the White Sox, it still contains one Mike Trout.
CHW 5-star plays: Jose Abreu
4-star plays: Tim Anderson
GPP Note: Team ISO of .238 against LHPs in 2020.
LAA 5-star plays: Mike Trout
4-star plays: Anthony Rendon, Justin Upton
GPP Note: The Trout-Rendon-Upton is going to be one of my favorite GPP stacks on the slate.
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.
Houston Astros (+128) @ Oakland Athletics (-148)
Starting Pitchers:
Astros – Cristian Javier
Athletics – Jesus Luzardo
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total sitting at 8 runs. Part of me wants to think this turns into more of a pitcher’s duel but I also think there are HRs that can happen here. Both SPs have given up 3 HRs to the opposing roster (and the projected lineups). The Astros are going to take game 1 of the season pretty easily by the looks of it (up 6-1 in the 9th).
HOU 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Alex Bregman, Yuli Gurriel
GPP Note: Gurriel is 3 for 5 with 2 HRs against Luzardo.
OAK 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Matt Olson, Matt Chapman
GPP Note: Javier is a fly-ball SP and if he isn’t sharp, HRs are bound to happen.
Arizona Diamondbacks (+205) @ San Diego Padres (-240)
Starting Pitchers:
Diamondbacks – Merrill Kelly
Padres – Blake Snell
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total set at 8 runs. The D’Backs got to Yu Darvish a bit on opening day and that was frustrating with how strong of a play he actually was. As I listed to start this article, Snell looked great all spring and I do believe he is going to use this season to show some things. I don’t think all that highly of Kelly overall and with how chalky the Padres were on opening day, I want to go back to them here.
ARI 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Ketel Marte
GPP Note: A healthy Ketel Marte is the key for ARI this season.
SDP 5-star plays: Fernando Tatis Jr.
4-star plays: Tommy Pham, Eric Hosmer
GPP Note: Kelly gave up 11 runs in 18.2 spring innings and the three guys above are 13 for 38 with 4 HRs against Kelly.
Winning at MLB DFS is about correlation and constructing lineups that can actually win a big GPP. Take full advantage of positive variance with an optimizer giving you the ability to build around historically winning combinations of players.
MLB DFS Stacking Strategy and Setup
This video will introduce you to how our Domination Station Lineup Optimizer works for MLB Stacking. Once you are ready to give it a try click here to proceed to the MLB DFS Army Domination Station Lineup Optimizer!
San Francisco Giants (+112) @ Seattle Mariners (-130)
Starting Pitchers:
Giants – Johnny Cueto
Mariners – Yusei Kikuchi
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total set at 8. I am a little shocked to see the Mariners favored here as the Giants got to the LHP from opening day, Gonzales, and I think they are going to be somewhat dangerous against LHPs throughout the season. Kikuchi finished 2020 with an ERA over 5 at home and on the road. He just wasn’t very good overall and I don’t see how he has success in this spot. I am not sure how stretched out Kikuchi is as he threw just 8.1 spring innings, in games. Cueto was actually horrendous in the spring so maybe Vegas knows what they are doing after all!
SFG 5-star plays: Evan Longoria
4-star plays: Wilmer Flores, Austin Slater
GPP Note: The Giants got to Gonzales for 3 HRs and 11 baserunners in 6 innings on Thursday night.
SEA 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Kyle Seager, Ty France
GPP Note: I can’t bring myself to stack the Mariners, even if they are in a plus spot. Going to stick with mostly one-off options.
Stacks of the Day: Main Slate
- Los Angeles Dodgers: This is Coors Field and we know how the baseball flies. There were plenty of runs in the game on opening day. I expect the Dodgers to come out swinging and they will have the highest implied run total on the slate. The Dodgers should be stacked every single slate of the season.
- San Diego Padres: The main guys we used didn’t help us out on Opening day as SD was my top overall stack. Myers and Hosmer definitely came through. I think we see Tatis wake up in this game as he gets another very positive BvP spot.
- San Francisco Giants: The Giants-Mariners game is still going on as I write this on Thursday night. Giants bats got to the LH SP (Gonzales) for 3 HRs and I love them against another LHP in Kikuchi. People will blindly skip over the Giants because overall, they aren’t very good.
MLB Dinger of the Day – Corey Seager, LA Dodgers
I know, I am really going out on a limb taking a bat in Coors. Honestly, I couldn’t decide between Seager, Bellinger, Tatis Jr, Trout, Olson, or Jose Abreu. I really think that at least half of those guys go deep on Friday night. Seager has 5 hits in 15 at-bats against Senzatela with 2 of those hits being HRs. What this came down to was this, Corey Seager has an extremely strong pitch profile match-up with Senzatela and that should see us picking up a Dong.
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.
