Full Slate Breakdown for MLB DFS 5/31:
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.
- Jared Shuster
- Mitch Keller
- Hunter Brown
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.
Minnesota Twins @ Houston Astros (-170)
Pitchers:
Twins – Louie Varland
Astros – Hunter Brown
Rundown:
This game opened with a total of 8.5. Hunter Brown feels like a strong option. He’s capable of striking out plenty and he’s rolling right now. I know the Twins can be dangerous but Bielak just shut them down. Varland can be decent but I like the way that the Houston offense looks at the plate. I think Alvarez is going to heat up very soon as he has flashed glimpses of getting hot at the plate. Altuve being back has really helped this lineup out.
MIN 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Willi Castro, Royce Lewis
GPP Note: Team ISO of .179 against RHPs.
HOU 5-star plays: Yordan Alvarez
4-star plays: Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman
GPP Note: Team ISO of .135 against RHPs.
San Diego Padres (-120) @ Miami Marlins
Pitchers:
Padres – Blake Snell
Marlins – Braxton Garrett
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8.5. Soler didn’t HR against an LHP yesterday, does that mean he’s due? He’s in the running to be my Dinger call yet again. Snell has 22 walks in 24.2 road innings this season. That’s not a good thing. The SD offense has been pretty bad for much of the season as they are definitely missing Machado. Garrett is intriguing because he has shown upside recently. His home numbers are skewed by one start against ATL.
SD 5-star plays: Juan Soto
4-star plays: Fernando Tatis, Brandon Dixon
GPP Note: Team ISO of .180 against LHPs.
MIA 5-star plays: Jorge Soler
4-star plays: Yuli Gurriel
GPP Note: Team ISO of .162 against LHPs.
Texas Rangers (-155) @ Detroit Tigers
Pitchers:
Rangers – Dane Dunning
Tigers – Joey Wentz
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 9. Texas against LHPs is something that really intrigues me. Their ISO against is lower than against RHPs but they just hit and get on-base against LHPs. Right now, Jung is the leader in the clubhouse for my dinger call with how he has crushed LHPs. Dunning is really intriguing given how weak DET is against RHPs and how solid he has been since stepping into the rotation.
TEX 5-star plays: Josh Jung
4-star plays: Leody Taveras, Corey Seager
GPP Note: Team ISO of .168 against LHPs.
DET 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Zack McKinstry
GPP Note: Team ISO of .120 against RHPs.
Cleveland Guardians (-120) @ Baltimore Orioles
Pitchers:
Guardians – Shane Bieber
Orioles – Austin Voth
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8.5. The Guardians are on a 6 game HR-less streak and that doesn’t shock me, at all. They have one of the weakest lineups in baseball when it comes to power numbers. Bieber hasn’t been elite this season but he has been solid. He just isn’t picking up Ks and he’s allowing more baserunners than I would have thought. He’s certainly an option but I don’t necessarily love picking on the Orioles at home.
CLE 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Jose Ramirez
GPP Note: Team ISO of .112 against RHPs.
BAL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Austin Hays, Anthony Santander
GPP Note: Team ISO of .165 against RHPs.
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.
Tampa Bay Rays (-135) @ Chicago Cubs
Pitchers:
Rays – Zach Eflin
Cubs – Justin Steele
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8.5. The Rays have absolutely smashed LHPs this season but I do think that regresses some, at some point. Steele is one of my favorite under the radar arms in the majors. I don’t think I want to go to him but I am seriously debating it. Swanson has absolutely smashed Eflin in previous match-ups. I think Eflin has upside but I am still stinging from the 0 Ks over 7 innings of action last time out.
TB 5-star plays: Wander Franco
4-star plays: Randy Arozarena
GPP Note: Team ISO of .272 against LHPs.
CHC 5-star plays: Dansby Swanson
4-star plays: Seiya Suzuki
GPP Note: Team ISO of .153 against RHPs.
Washington Nationals @ Los Angeles Dodgers (-250)
Pitchers:
Nationals – Patrick Corbin
Dodgers – Noah Syndergaard
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 9.5. Seeing the Dodgers with such a strong team ISO against LHPs is really something, considering they have a pretty strong LH’d lineup. Syndergaard isn’t great at this point but he might offer just enough given that his opponent is so damn weak. I am not sure that WSH can take advantage of his lack of holding runners at 1st. Freeman is absolutely locked in at the plate right now.
WSH 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Lane Thomas
GPP Note: Team ISO of .112 against RHPs.
LAD 5-star plays: Freddie Freeman
4-star plays: Miguel Rojas, Mookie Betts
GPP Note: Team ISO of .234 against LHPs.
New York Yankees @ Seattle Mariners (-135)
Pitchers:
Yankees – Clarke Schmidt
Mariners – George Kirby
Rundown:
This game opened with a total of 7.5. Judge is rolling at the plate since his IL return and now some of the secondary Yankees guys are swinging it with confidence. That makes for a tough spot for Kirby in this one. Schmidt has been decent lately but I just don’t trust him. J-Rod has started to really heat up and I think he has a shot at a double-dong performance in this one. I honestly believe this game goes over the total, somewhat easily.
NYY 5-star plays: Aaron Judge
4-star plays: Willie Calhoun
GPP Note: Team ISO of .187 against RHPs.
SEA 5-star plays: Julio Rodriguez
4-star plays: Ty France
GPP Note: Team ISO of just .154 against RHPs.
Philadelphia Phillies (-130) @ New York Mets
Pitchers:
Phillies- Aaron Nola
Mets – Carlos Carrasco
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8.5. I wanted to be on Nola for the first time this season but now I am hesitant. The Mets lineup has had some success against him, which is concerning. They haven’t been striking out a whole lot recently so maybe this just isn’t the spot for Nola. I do know that I have no desire to rely on Carrasco, even if the PHI offense has been struggling some. I just don’t see a reason to rely on him.
PHI 5-star plays: Bryce Harper
4-star plays: Trea Turner, Bryson Stott
GPP Note: Team ISO of .148 against RHPs.
NYM 5-star plays: Pete Alonso
4-star plays: Jeff McNeil, Francisco Alvarez
GPP Note: Team ISO of .151 against RHPs.
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.
Atlanta Braves (-225) @ Oakland Athletics
Pitchers:
Braves – Jared Shuster
A’s – James Kaprielian
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 9. The A’s DFA’d one of their best hitters against LHPs (not a very good hitter overall though). Shuster has looked better as the season as progressed so I am very much interested in him today. The Braves bats have gone silent in this series but I have a sneaky suspicion that they wake up today. I wouldn’t be shocked to see them pick up 3+ HRs with at least 1 coming from Matt Olson.
ATL 5-star plays: Matt Olson
4-star plays: Ronald Acuna, Austin Riley
GPP Note: Team ISO of .184 against RHPs.
OAK 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Esteury Ruiz
GPP Note: Team ISO of .152 against LHPs.
Cincinnati Reds @ Boston Red Sox (-195)
Pitchers:
Reds – Luke Weaver
Red Sox – James Paxton
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 10. Paxton has given up 4 HRs in 14 innings so far and the Reds are one of the hottest offenses in baseball over the last week. The game has already moved to 10.5 with the Red Sox dropping down to -165 by the time I got to this rundown. I discussed this spot on my morning pitching video for the DFSA YT channel. Weaver is interesting, despite the game total, because he’s a strong reverse splits guy and the best BOS bats are LH at this point. If he’s able to neutralize them, who’s going to do the damage today? It feels very similar to the STL match-up for Weaver.
CIN 5-star plays: Matt McLain
4-star plays: Spencer Steer, Nick Senzel
GPP Note: Team ISO of .147 against LHPs.
BOS 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Masataka Yoshida, Rafael Devers
GPP Note: Team ISO of .173 against RHPs.
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.
Milwaukee Brewers @ Toronto Blue Jays (-190)
Pitchers:
Brewers – Julio Teheran
Blue Jays – Alek Manoah
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 9.5. Which side do we take in this fight? Do we grab the struggling offense or take the pitcher who has looked like ass this season, after being a Cy Young finalist a year ago? I am really torn but most likely I will lean towards the pitcher, while throwing up. Teheran looked strong in his MIL debut but that shouldn’t continue as he just hasn’t been good at the MLB level in some time.
MIL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: William Contreras
GPP Note: Team ISO of .158 against RHPs.
TOR 5-star plays: Bo Bichette
4-star plays: Brandon Belt, Matt Chapman
GPP Note: Team ISO of .163 against RHPs.
Pittsburgh Pirates @ San Francisco Giants (-130)
Pitchers:
Pirates – Mitch Keller
Giants – Alex Wood
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8. Keller has been sensational this season so I have to take him in this spot, even though SF can hit RHPs decently well. Traditionally, Keller has been beaten up by LHBs but that hasn’t been the case this season. Wood is always in play but he may not offer a ton of upside. He’s probably limited in the 75 pitch range yet as I think SF is going to do their best to keep him off of the IL.
PIT 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Connor Joe, Bryan Reynolds
GPP Note: Team ISO of .142 against LHPs.
SF 5-star plays: Michael Conforto
4-star plays: Patrick Bailey, Brandon Crawford
GPP Note: Team ISO of .186 against RHPs.
Colorado Rockies @ Arizona Diamondbacks (-190)
Pitchers:
Rockies – Dinelson Lamet
D’Backs – Tommy Henry
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 10. McMahon has been swinging it well and he has actually hit Henry very well in their previous meetings. Henry has been pretty solid at home so far this season but his issue is that he doesn’t strike man out. I would think it’s a bullpen game for COL as Lamet has been pitching out of the pen and is being activated from the IL for this game. He used to be a starter until he had multiple arm issues. He always had upside but I think ARI is a great spot today.
COL 5-star plays: Ryan McMahon
4-star plays: Randal Grichuk, Ezequiel Tovar
GPP Note: Team ISO of .129 against LHPs.
ARI 5-star plays: Ketel Marte
4-star plays: Christian Walker, Corbin Carroll
GPP Note: Team ISO of .179 against RHPs.
Los Angeles Angels @ Chicago White Sox (-135)
Pitchers:
Angels – Jaime Barria
White Sox – Lance Lynn
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 9. I realize that the total in this game is attractive but I think I prefer both SPs over stacks of either team. I do think there are one-offs and mini-stacks in this match-up that could go off but Barria has looked solid and Lynn seems to have figured some things out but I don’t expect him to fire out a clean performance. Shohei has hit Lynn hard while Romy is rolling at the plate for the White Sox.
LAA 5-star plays: Mike Trout
4-star plays: Shohei Ohtani, Brandon Drury
GPP Note: Team ISO of .167 against RHPs.
CWS 5-star plays: Andrew Vaughn
4-star plays: Romy Gonzalez
GPP Note: Team ISO of .146 against RHPs.
Stacks of the Day: Main Slate
- Arizona Diamondbacks
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Philadelphia Phillies
MLB Dinger of the Day – Josh Jung, Rangers
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.
