We’ve got a great MLB DFS slate tonight to kick off the weekend with 10 games featuring some solid offenses. Let’s see if we can figure out where best to attack and where we might be able to take some chances against an ace or two. The focus of this article is to sort through the myriad of options on larger slates and find not only some solid foundational plays but also some spots that could go overlooked. We focus on stacks that are solid for small-field and SE as well as overlooked spots for large-field GPPs, and we discuss players that have good past history vs. the pitchers they’re facing. Our Discord strategy rooms are incredibly active. Hop in and join the discussion!
FIVE DFS MLB Stacks
Houston Astros (4.86 IRT)
The Astros offense is doing what it can to keep the team competitive this season, ranking third in the league in batting average (2.57) and fourth in home runs (80); their pitching has been their downfall. Good thing that they’re facing Griffin Canning tonight who has pitched to a 4.69 ERA and who is not striking out batters well at all. He’s been able to pitch six innings just three times in his 12 starts this season, and if the Astros are able to get to him, they’ll face a bullpen with the fourth-worst ERA in baseball. Start your stacks with Alex Bregman (1.483 OPS in L7 and who is finally looking like what we’re used to seeing) and Yordan Alvarez (1.192 OPS). Yainer Diaz is one of the best hitting catchers in baseball (three HR and six RBI in his last four games alone), and Jeremy Pena (.286 BA in L7 with a couple of stolen bases) are nice secondary pieces. Jose Altuve is a little cold, but he is always viable.
May 6, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) scores against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Boston Red Sox (3.8 IRT)
The Red Sox have been playing extremely well offensively lately, hitting ..297 over their last seven games while averaging over six runs. This spot tonight could go overlooked even though they’re facing the worst team in baseball in the Chicago White Sox. Garrett Crochet is a very good strikeout pitcher with an elite 36.0% K-rate, and the Red Sox strike out the third most in MLB as a team. Still, on a large slate, I don’t mind taking some shots at a hot offense as it could give some nice leverage (and they’re fairly affordable in stacks). Rafael Devers (1.149 OPS in L7) and Jarren Duran (1.067 OPS) are where I’m starting, along with Enmanuel Valdez (1.221 OPS with three HR and eight RBI for ridiculously cheap). Add in Dominic Smith (hitting .409 in the last week) and Rob Refsnyder (.360 in L7 and on an eight-game hitting streak) and you’ve got a solid pool for your large-field tournaments (as well as a couple of nice pieces for core consideration).
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Cleveland Guardians (4.22 IRT)
This spot is decent for Cleveland, who is averaging six runs a game over the past week and is facing a Miami team that has a 6.75 ERA in the last seven days. The low IRT might scare some away, but I like looking here against Ryan Weathers who has actually been solid on the season. The Marlins’ bullpen has the third-highest ERA in the league as well, so if Cleveland can keep up their nice hitting, this could be a solid spot to stack. Start your builds with Jose Ramirez (1.147 OPS in L7) and Josh Naylor (three HR and 10 RBI in L7), and mix in Will Brennan (.333 average over the last week) and David Fry (1.041 OPS in two L7 and is also 1-1 with a three-run HR off Weathers). Kyle Manzardo is hitting 50 points higher over the last week as compared to his season average, so he’s a solid (and fairly inexpensive) piece to consider as well.
Sep 18, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with first baseman Anthony Rizzo (48) after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
New York Yankees (4.86 IRT)
Interesting tournament play here to me. Yes, the Dodgers have Yoshinobu Yamamoto going for them, and he’s been quite good for them this season. However, he’s had a couple of hiccups along the way, giving up four earned runs each to the Giants and Reds within the last few weeks (while also allowing 12 earned runs in his last 23 innings), and the Yankees have just as much upside as either of those teams. New York has been solid over the last week, averaging over six runs per game and hitting close to 20 points above their season average. If Yamamoto has even a slightly off night, this could be a very solid low-owned stack. Aaron Judge (1.590 OPS) is the place to start (add in Juan Soto if he’s back in the lineup after being day-to-day); Anthony Volpe (hitting .290 with stolen base potential) and Gleyber Torres (hitting nearly 40 points higher than his season average over the last week) are solid secondary pieces to build around. Giancarlo Stanton is on an upswing as well, hitting .318 with two HR and seven RBI in the last week.
Cincinnati Reds (4.63 IRT)
The Reds have one of the hottest offenses in the league right now, averaging seven and a half runs a game over the past week while hitting .325 as a team. (Three of those last seven games were in Coors, but taking those out, they’re right around six runs a game regardless during that span.) They won the series opener with the Cubs last night, and they took two of three from them last week in a series in Chicago before going to Coors (and they’ve averaged nearly six runs against them in those four games). They’re at Great American Smallpark for the weekend, which is always hitter-conducive. They face Justin Steele tonight who hasn’t looked sharp since coming off the IL back on May 6; he gave up five runs to these Reds back on June 1 (though only one was earned), and his season ERA sits at 4.10. He’s gettable tonight if he’s not sharp, and these Reds hitters can make him pay. Jonathan India (1.136 OPS with eight RBI in L7), Will Benson (hitting .368 with five RBI), Tyler Stephenson (.987 OPS in L7 and great track record against Steele), Spencer Steer (5-9 with two 2B, a 3B, and an RBI against Steele), and TJ Friedl (leading off with two HR and eight RBI in L7) are all viable stacking pieces.
For more stacks sure to generate GPP-winning leverage, our MLB Leverage Stacks Tool is locked and loaded for today’s slates!
Apr 29, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
FOUR MLB BvP Matchups
Yordan Alvarez vs. Griffin Canning: 4-9 with two HR, four RBI, and two BB
Alex Bregman vs. Griffin Canning: 6-12 with a HR and four RBI
Taylor Ward vs. Framber Valdez: 14-28 with two 2B, two RBI, and two BB
Tyler Stephenson vs. Justin Steele: 8-13 with a 2B, HR, and six RBI
THREE MLB Value Plays
Blaze Alexander ($3400 DK / $2600 FD): seven-game hitting streak (13-27 and a 1.037 OPS during that stretch)
Brendan Rodgers ($3300 DK / $2700 FD): four game hitting streak and hits in 14 of last 15 games
Enmanuel Valdez ($3200 DK / $2400 FD): just too cheap for what he’s been doing lately (1.221 OPS with three HR and eight RBI in L7)