Full Slate Breakdown for MLB DFS 5/13:
Get your MLB DFS research started with DFS Army’s Full Count! Pitching advice, stack strategy, home run calls, and everything you need.
DFS Army VIPs are tearing up every sport imaginable!! 2021 saw no fewer than five new $100,000 winners. There has never been a better time to unlock every piece of content, every tool, and access to every coach from MLB to eSports and every sport in between. See our special offer (in green) right below our Dinger of the Day call. Maybe you are our next big winner?!! Be sure to follow Eric, @Razzle11Grinds on Twitter, as he’ll occasionally make updates to the advice in the article out on Twitter as well as inside our coaching forums.
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.
- Corbin Burnes
- Framber Valdez
- Max Scherzer
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.
Philadelphia Phillies @ Los Angeles Dodgers (-220)
Pitchers:
Phillies – Kyle Gibson
Dodgers – Clayton Kershaw SCRATCHED and now Walker Buehler starts.
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7.5. We saw an offensive explosion between these two on Thursday night but I don’t expect there to be much for scoring tonight. Gibson hasn’t fared the greatest against some of the LAD bats so we have to consider them. Kershaw is throwing extremely well and the PHI bats can go cold at times. I don’t mind a mini-stack of PHI but I just don’t see the upside in a full stack. I am a big fan of Buehler always and at home, I am all about him. I know the match-up sucks on the surface but I like his upside quite a bit.
PHI 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Rhys Hoskins, JT Realmuto
GPP Note: Team ISO of .181 over the last week.
LAD 5-star plays: Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman
4-star plays: Cody Bellinger
GPP Note: Team ISO of .157 over the last week.
San Diego Padres @ Atlanta Braves (-160)
Pitchers:
Padres – Yu Darvish
Braves – Max Fried
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7. We get an excellent SP match-up while both pitchers, especially Darvish, can have blow up starts. I like Fried quite a bit and love seeing him as a sizeable favorite. The Braves offense has been pretty lackluster for much of the season so Darvish makes sense from a GPP standpoint. I will always play Machado against LHPs, even if that LHP is better against RHBs than LHBs.
SD 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Manny Machado, Jorge Alfaro
GPP Note: Team ISO of .127 over the last week.
ATL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna
GPP Note: Team ISO of .169 against RHPs this season.
Cincinnati Reds @ Pittsburgh Pirates (-115)
Pitchers:
Reds – Tyler Mahle
Pirates – Mitch Keller
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8. How lucky are we to get back-to-back weekends of Reds vs Pirates baseball? Both of these teams are horrible so it’s a matter of which one sucks less? I think there are bats that are usable in this match-up but I don’t want to rely on either team all that much. Mahle has been really solid for CIN when he’s away from the Great American Ballpark. Keller has the stuff to be good, but he allows far more contact than he should.
CIN 5-star plays: Mike Moustakas
4-star plays: Brandon Drury, Kyle Farmer
GPP Note: Team ISO of .186 at home this season.
PIT 5-star plays: Ke’Bryan Hayes
4-star plays: Ben Gamel
GPP Note: Team ISO of .245 over the last week.
Cleveland Guardians @ Minnesota Twins (-160)
Pitchers:
Guardians – Aaron Civale
Twins – Sonny Gray
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8. I don’t hate the idea of using Gray tonight but I also don’t love the idea of using him. He’s certainly capable of doing enough to not hurt us but it’s a large main slate on the DFS sites. The Twins lineup struggled a bit against HOU but Civale allows plenty of loud contact so maybe we see Buxton wake up again.
CLE 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Josh Naylor, Andres Gimenez
GPP Note: Team ISO of .155 over the last week.
MIN 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Max Kepler, Byron Buxton
GPP Note: Team ISO of .133 over the last week.
Houston Astros (-160) @ Washington Nationals
Pitchers:
Astros – Framber Valdez
Nationals – Josiah Gray
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8. As much as I love Gray’s upside, I just don’t see it in this match-up. In general, the Astros do not strike out all that much. Valdez seems like a decent option against this WSH squad. His extreme groundball rate should come in handy in this match-up and being LH’d helps against guys like Soto, Bell, and Y.Hernandez.
HOU 5-star plays: Kyle Tucker
4-star plays: Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve
GPP Note: Team ISO of .172 over the last week.
WSH 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Josh Bell, Nelson Cruz
GPP Note: Team ISO of .172 over the last week.
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 role in selecting a team to stack or a pitcher to use.
Kansas City Royals @ Colorado Rockies (-140)
Pitchers:
Royals – Zack Greinke
Rockies – Kyle Freeland
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 10.5. I think we can get away with going underweight on the Coors game tonight. Kansas City is making their first trip into COL while the Rockies have been on the road the last week. While saying all of that, I do like a few bats as one-off options or maybe even mini-stack plays. I prefer the COL side as the KC bats have been pretty cold for the entire season and I think that Freeland is decent enough to cause some struggles in game 1.
KC 5-star plays: Salvador Perez
4-star plays: Whit Merrifield, Bobby Witt Jr
GPP Note: Team ISO of .080 over the last week.
COL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: CJ Cron, Charlie Blackmon
GPP Note: Team ISO of .089 over the last week.
Milwaukee Brewers (-140) @ Miami Marlins
Pitchers:
Brewers – Corbin Burnes
Marlins – Pablo Lopez
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 6.5. The premier SP match-up on the slate as Burnes takes on Lopez. Both guys have been spectacular to begin the season, as they both sit with an ERA at or below 1.86. The Brewers have Yelich hitting the crap out of the ball at the moment while the Marlins have Chisholm and his electric upside. I just don’t think we need to venture outside of a few guys and even then, I want to limit my exposure because I think this game ends up 3-1.
MIL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Christian Yelich
GPP Note: Team ISO of .249 over the last week.
MIA 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Jazz Chisholm Jr, Jesus Aguilar
GPP Note: Team ISO of .149 over the last week.
Los Angeles Angels (-150) @ Oakland Athletics
Pitchers:
Angels – Chase Silseth
A’s – Daulton Jefferies
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7.5. Silseth has moved through the minors EXTREMELY fast, despite being an 11th round pick. To be fair, he was an 11th rounder because he was set on returning to college but the Angels overpaid him to get him into the organization. He has made just 7 minor league starts, with 5 coming this season at AA. He has 37 Ks in just 26 innings of work while allowing only 15 hits. He should carry ownership tonight, for solid reasons. Jefferies is an arm that I thought highly of but he’s not missing bats at all. That’s a dangerous thing against the team leading baseball in runs and HRs.
LAA 5-star plays: Jared Walsh, Mike Trout
4-star plays: Brandon Marsh, Shohei Ohtani
GPP Note: Team ISO of .197 over the last week.
OAK 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Sheldon Neuse
GPP Note: Team ISO of .069 over the last week.
Boston Red Sox @ Texas Rangers (-115)
Pitchers:
Red Sox – Nick Pivetta
Rangers – Dane Dunning
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8.5. Count me as somebody who would have never thought that Dane Dunning would be favored against the Red Sox, but here we are. Both of these teams are underperforming given their payrolls and expectations. Pivetta threw a strong game last time out but he still allows far too many HRs. Dunning has been pretty solid for TEX and he draws some of my interest against a struggling Boston lineup.
BOS 5-star plays: Xander Bogaerts
4-star plays: JD Martinez
GPP Note: Team ISO of .097 over the last week.
TEX 5-star plays: Corey Seager
4-star plays: Marcus Semien
GPP Note: Team ISO of .157 over the last week.
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 a part of your DFS Army VIP Membership this year.
Toronto Blue Jays (-125) @ Tampa Bay Rays
Pitchers:
Blue Jays – Kevin Gausman
Rays – Drew Rasmussen
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 6.5. We get another game with a total at just 6.5 tonight. This one doesn’t have the same appearance as the Burnes vs Lopez match-up. Gausman has been great but there are some times when he allows some HRs and the Rays, while having some swing and miss to them, can run into a couple of HRs. Rasmussen doesn’t rack up the K’s as an SP so the Jays are a dangerous opponent. I would have thought the game would have a total around 7.5.
TOR 5-star plays: Vlad Guerrero Jr
4-star plays: Bo Bichette, George Springer
GPP Note: Team ISO of .113 over the last week.
TB 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Wander Franco, Kevin Kiermaier
GPP Note: Team ISO of .126 over the last week.
New York Yankees (-175) @ Chicago White Sox
Pitchers:
Yankees – Gerrit Cole
White Sox – Vince Velasquez
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7.5. I find myself in a terrible spot with this game. You might be asking why and I will tell you. The Yankees have been very pedestrian on the road so far this season while Velasquez has thrown the ball far better than I would have expected. When I look at the numbers I start to think that maybe the Yankees aren’t in a great stack spot tonight. The White Sox bats haven’t awoken like I thought they would and now they face Cole. I think Cole’s in a great spot to pick up some Ks but he probably allows an HR or two tonight.
NYY 5-star plays: Aaron Judge
4-star plays: Anthony Rizzo, DJ LeMahieu
GPP Note: Team ISO of just .133 on the road this season.
CWS 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson
GPP Note: Team ISO of .107 over the last week.
Seattle Mariners @ New York Mets (-220)
Pitchers:
Mariners – Marco Gonzales
Mets – Max Scherzer
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7. Scherzer is always in play as he just attacks teams. He’s not afraid of a solo HR here or there. The Mets have some bats that are normally strong against LHPs but have struggled to begin the 2022 season against them. I am looking at Alonso to wake up against LHPs soon and tonight wouldn’t shock me.
SEA 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Adam Frazier
GPP Note: Team ISO of .124 over the last week.
NYM 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Starling Marte, Pete Alonso
GPP Note: Team ISO of .102 over the last week.
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.
San Francisco Giants (-120) @ St Louis Cardinals
Pitchers:
Giants – Logan Webb
Cardinals – Jordan Hicks
Rundown:
This game has opened up with a total of 7.5. I really am torn on this game. Webb has impressive stuff and the main pieces of the Cardinals lineups have struggled some recently. Hicks has electric stuff but doesn’t go much more than 4 innings at this point. I do think this game stays under the Vegas total, which means I don’t have a desire to stack it on a 13 game main slate tonight.
SF 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Brandon Crawford
GPP Note: Team ISO of .154 over the last week.
STL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Juan Yepez, Harrison Bader
GPP Note: Team ISO of just .184 over the last week.
Chicago Cubs @ Arizona Diamondbacks (-125)
Pitchers:
Cubs – Drew Smyly
D’Backs – Zach Davies
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8.5. I don’t get very excited when two bad teams face off. This is another one where I prefer to avoid but there are some guys in plus spots. The D’Backs have failed me recently when I jumped on them but I think I need to go back to them with some mini-stacks tonight. Davies can get hit around, especially by RHBs so maybe a mini-stack of the Cubs isn’t such a terrible idea.
CHC 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Willson Contreras
GPP Note: Team ISO of .095 over the last week.
ARI 5-star plays: Ketel Marte
4-star plays: Jordan Luplow, Christian Walker
GPP Note: Team ISO of .152 over the last week.
Baltimore Orioles @ Detroit Tigers (-145)
Pitchers:
Orioles – Jordan Lyles
Tigers – Eduardo Rodriguez
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8. Yet another series that should be ignored from a watchable standpoint. On the surface, I would think that E-Rod is in a great spot but when you look at this BvP history with the Orioles, you see a number of trouble spots for him to navigate tonight. Lyles has the ability to do enough to be a worthwhile SP2 on DK and now he faces an ICE cold Detroit offense, who apparently have been making contact with a wet-noodle over the last week.
BAL 5-star plays: Austin Hays
4-star plays: Ryan Mountcastle, Trey Mancini
GPP Note: Team ISO of .111 over the last week.
DET 5-star plays: Austin Meadows
4-star plays: Robbie Grossman, Tucker Barnhart
GPP Note: Team ISO of .054 over the last week.
Stacks of the Day: Main Slate
- Los Angeles Angels
- New York Mets
- Los Angeles Dodgers
MLB Dinger of the Day – Josh Naylor, Cleveland Guardians
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. Combining 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.
