Full Slate Breakdown for MLB DFS 8/1:
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.
- Spencer Strider
- Alex Cobb
- Lance Lynn
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 (-130) @ St Louis Cardinals
Pitchers:
Twins – Pablo Lopez
Cardinals – Miles Mikolas
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8.5. Mikolas gets a big time K boost against this MIN squad but he’s still super volatile at this point. The Cardinals could continue to deal guys so who knows what kind of lineup they put out there. Lopez has been better on the road so far but the STL lineup is still rather dangerous. I want exposure to both SPs and the power bats in this match-up but I might not fully stack either side.
MIN 5-star plays: Matt Wallner
4-star plays: Edouard Julien, Byron Buxton
GPP Note: Team ISO of .184 against RHPs.
STL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Lars Nootbar, Nolan Gorman
GPP Note: Team ISO of .175 against RHPs.
Tampa Bay Rays (-115) @ New York Yankees
Pitchers:
Rays – Zach Eflin
Yankees – Carlos Rodon
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8.5. I am not sure what to do with this game. Eflin hasn’t looked great recently and is returning from a knee issue while Rodon has yet to look sharp since his season debut. I think each offense could get it done but I also feel like it’s just an ok game overall. I’d much rather mini-stack each team than fully stack them but TB will probably make my GPP main stack pool because of their upside.
TB 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Isaac Paredes, Yandy Diaz
GPP Note: Team ISO of .191 against LHPs.
NYY 5-star plays: Aaron Judge
4-star plays: Jake Bauers
GPP Note: Team ISO of .168 against RHPs.
Philadelphia Phillies @ Miami Marlins (-135)
Pitchers:
Phillies – Ranger Suarez
Marlins – Sandy Alcantara
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7.5. I am definitely a Suarez fan but he hasn’t been sharp for a couple of weeks now. Soler has hit him for 2 bombs in their previous meetings so you have to love him in this one. I was shocked at how strong some of the PHI BvP is against Alcantara so I am starting to lean the over. Garcia returned from the IL and put together a strong game so he’s a forgotten about piece that could be sneaky.
PHI 5-star plays: Bryce Harper
4-star plays: Brandon Marsh, Trea Turner
GPP Note: Team ISO of .148 against RHPs.
MIA 5-star plays: Jorge Soler
4-star plays: Avisail Garcia
GPP Note: Team ISO of .134 against LHPs.
Cincinnati Reds @ Chicago Cubs (-170)
Pitchers:
Reds – Ben Lively
Cubs – Justin Steele
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total 0f 8.5. If you wanted to replace Stephenson with McLain, I wouldn’t argue against that but Stephenson has really strong BvP against Steele. Lively has been decent but it feels like a spot where he could struggle with the current Cubs lineup and how they’ve been swinging it over the last week and a half. Steele is generally a play for me but tonight I might pass. I have to dig into the Wrigley weather before I make a determination.
CIN 5-star plays: Nick Senzel
4-star plays: Spencer Steer, Tyler Stephenson
GPP Note: Team ISO of .157 against LHPs.
CHC 5-star plays: Dansby Swanson
4-star plays: Mike Tauchman, Christopher Morel
GPP Note: Team ISO of .150 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.
Cleveland Guardians @ Houston Astros (-190)
Pitchers:
Guardians – Gavin Williams
Astros – Framber Valdez
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8.5. Valdez hasn’t been sharp and Jose Ramirez has dominated him in previous meetings. I don’t trust CLE to go off by any means but Valdez is so expensive that I want a clear route to a strong game and I just don’t see that tonight. Yordan has returned like he never got hurt as he keeps destroying baseballs. There are others in the HOU lineup swinging it well but I really like the LHBs.
CLE 5-star plays: Jose Ramirez
4-star plays: Josh Bell, Myles Straw
GPP Note: Team ISO of .138 against LHPs.
HOU 5-star plays: Yordan Alvarez
4-star plays: Kyle Tucker
GPP Note: Team ISO of .162 against RHPs.
Arizona Diamondbacks @ San Francisco Giants (-115)
Pitchers:
D’Backs – Zac Gallen
Giants – Alex Cobb
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7.5. I love this pitching match-up for a few reasons, the first being that Cobb has been absolutely ridiculous at home this season. The second being that Gallen has been absolutely dominant against this SF roster. I know that Gallen has been pretty rough on the road this season but this park is great for pitching and he has held the entire Giants roster to a slash line of .151/.233/.215.
ARI 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Jake McCarthy, Christian Walker
GPP Note: Team ISO of .176 against RHPs.
SF 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Michael Conforto
GPP Note: Team ISO of .168 against LHPs.
Milwaukee Brewers (-160) @ Washington Nationals
Pitchers:
Brewers – Freddy Peralta
Nationals – Josiah Gray
Rundown:
This game opened with a total of 8.5. We have an interesting SP match-up in this one. I really think both guys are sneaky upside plays at this point. I don’t love Gray but I do like picking on the Brewers with pitching. Meneses looks like an interesting one-off against Peralta tonight. Peralta is intriguing as the Nats overall lineup has struggled and they just traded away Candelario, who was having a strong season in the 3 spot.
MIL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: William Contreras, Christian Yelich
GPP Note: Team ISO of just .144 against RHPs.
WSH 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Joey Meneses, Lane Thomas
GPP Note: Team ISO of .131 against RHPs.
Boston Red Sox @ Seattle Mariners (-115)
Pitchers:
Red Sox – Brayan Bello
Mariners – Bryce Miller
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 7.5. Casas feels like the sneaky Dinger call on this slate. Miller can have some struggles with LHBs and Casas has been on another level over the last month or so. Bello gets a pretty nice K upside jump against this SEA lineup. There is danger in using Bello as the Mariners lineup has started to wake up but there are rumors of Teoscar Hernandez being dealt, so we need to pay attention this afternoon.
BOS 5-star plays: Tristan Casas
4-star plays: Jarren Duran, Justin Turner
GPP Note: Team ISO of .175 against RHPs.
SEA 5-star plays: Julio Rodriguez
4-star plays: Cal Raleigh
GPP Note: Team ISO of .171 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.
Oakland Athletics @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Pitchers:
A’s – Ken Waldichuk
Dodgers – Lance Lynn
Rundown:
We are still waiting on the Vegas information. Lynn making his debut for the Dodgers is very intriguing, especially at his price point. He has upside that can rival the spend ups on this slate of games. The Dodgers are dealing with plenty of injuries at the moment which could complicate their lineup a bit, especially against an LHP tonight. I still love the LAD upside but we are just guessing right now on who is available.
OAK 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Seth Brown
GPP Note: Team ISO of .134 against RHPs.
LAD 5-star plays: Freddie Freeman
4-star plays: Amed Rosario, Mookie Betts
GPP Note: Team ISO of .216 against LHPs.
Chicago White Sox @ Texas Rangers (-195)
Pitchers:
White Sox – Jesse Scholtens
Rangers – Andrew Heaney
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 9.5. Scholtens has been a reverse splits guy at the MLB level so I find Mitch Garver really interesting tonight. Heaney hasn’t been picking up Ks while walking guys but he gets an interesting match-up, especially if the White Sox move a guy or two from their every day lineup. Burger has been on a power display of late but I still prefer LuBob from the White Sox, against LHPs.
CWS 5-star plays: Luis Robert
4-star plays: Jake Burger
GPP Note: Team ISO of .157 against LHPs.
TEX 5-star plays: Adolis Garcia
4-star plays: Mitch Garver, Nathaniel Lowe
GPP Note: Team ISO of .188 against RHPs.
Detroit Tigers @ Pittsburgh Pirates (-120)
Pitchers:
Tigers – Matt Manning
Pirates – Johan Oviedo
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 9. This is a pretty interesting game as I don’t like either offense but the total tells me that I should. Both SPs are definitely capable of getting knocked around but I really only like the LHBs against them. I just don’t see myself forcing in either side as a main stack while probably keeping each as a 3-5% play on my secondary list of stacks (the mini-stack side of my run).
DET 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Riley Greene
GPP Note: Team ISO of .132 against RHPs.
PIT 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Bryan Reynolds
GPP Note: Team ISO of .156 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.
San Diego Padres (-178) @ Colorado Rockies
Pitchers:
Padres – Pedro Avila
Rockies – Peter Lambert
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 12.5. Coors game against a weak pitching staff? Tough to not get exposure to this Padres lineup tonight. I am not sure what the SD pitching plans are as Avila hasn’t thrown many innings at the MLB level. The Rockies have gutted their MLB squad after dealing away Cron and Grichuk so the lineup is going to be somewhat weak overall. Tatis has hit Lambert really hard in previous meetings.
SD 5-star plays: Fernando Tatis Jr
4-star plays: Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth
GPP Note: Team ISO of .166 against RHPs.
COL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Ryan McMahon, Elehuris Montero
GPP Note: Team ISO of .151 against RHPs.
Baltimore Orioles (-115) @ Toronto Blue Jays
Pitchers:
Orioles – Kyle Bradish
Blue Jays – Hyun-Jin Ryu
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 8.5. The Blue Jays have some really strong numbers against Bradish so maybe we see a guy like Springer really break out of his funk tonight. Ryu making his return from tommy-john tonight, isn’t in a terrible spot but it’s one that I don’t think we can trust. He maxed out at 6 innings in his last rehab start but averaged just 53 pitches across his 4 starts. I would think they treat him with kid gloves.
BAL 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle
GPP Note: Team ISO of .171 against LHPs.
TOR 5-star plays: Vlad Guerrero
4-star plays: George Springer, Alejandro Kirk
GPP Note: Team ISO of .165 against RHPs.
Los Angeles Angels @ Atlanta Braves (-260)
Pitchers:
Angels – Patrick Sandoval
Braves – Spencer Strider
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 9. The Braves absolutely demolish LHPs so it’s going to be a tough night for Sandoval. Strider is so expensive that I think it’s forcing people to try and stack the Angels because they feel they have to have one side of the match-up. I’d much rather play Strider than the Angels five-man stack. Ohtani is always playable while Renfroe is heating up but the K upside for Strider is tremendous.
LAA 5-star plays: NONE
4-star plays: Shohei Ohtani, Hunter Renfroe
GPP Note: Team ISO of .197 against RHPs.
ATL 5-star plays: Austin Riley, Orlando Arcia
4-star plays: Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies
GPP Note: Team ISO of .242 against LHPs.
New York Mets (-155) @ Kansas City Royals
Pitchers:
Mets – Jose Quintana
Royals – Zack Greinke
Rundown:
This game has opened with a total of 9.5. Quintana hasn’t been terrible so far for the Mets but the Mets have waved the white flag with the trades of Scherzer and Verlander. Greinke isn’t in a great spot, even if some of the Mets bats are mentally out of it at the moment. I want to believe that the Royals can do damage but it’s tough when I know the overall lineup is pretty damn weak. I prefer the Mets LHBs overall but Alonso has been rolling.
NYM 5-star plays: Pete Alonso
4-star plays: Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor
GPP Note: Team ISO of .170 against RHPs.
KC 5-star plays: Bobby Witt
4-star plays: Freddy Fermin
GPP Note: Team ISO of .144 against LHPs.
Stacks of the Day: Main Slate
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Atlanta Braves
- San Diego Padres
MLB Dinger of the Day – Austin Riley, Braves
Sep 1, 2022; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider (65) pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
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.
