OPENING 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
Los Angeles Dodgers (4.90 IRT)
The Dodgers are coming out of a Coors series and get a strong matchup tonight against Patrick Sandoval who has given up 19 earned runs in his last 26.1 innings. Los Angeles has a consistently high upside (as we all know), and they’re -210 favorites tonight as well. Shohei Ohtani is playing out of his mind, and Freddie Freeman isn’t far behind; they’ll both be popular tonight and for good reason, so I’m starting here. I’m also liking Jason Heyward, who’s turning back the clock as of late with a 1.225 OPS and eight RBI in his last seven games.
May 11, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Colorado Rockies right fielder Charlie Blackmon (19) hits an RBI single against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Colorado Rockies (5.45 IRT)
Speaking of Coors, I don’t mind going right back to the Rockies who have another series at home in the high altitude. They’ve been hitting well in the past couple of weeks, averaging nearly six runs a game in their past 13 games, and though many of the games have been at home, we still don’t mind attacking them here. The nice thing is that they’re reasonably priced on both sites for the environment; additionally, the Rockies are facing a rookie pitcher in DJ Herz who is making his first start in Colorado (and fourth overall in his career), so there’s a little upside added here as well. Start your builds with Nolan Jones, Ryan McMahon (hitting .350 with four RBI in his last seven), Hunter Goodman (three HR and six RBI in his last six games), Jake Cave (seven RBI in his last five), and Charlie Blackmon (a six-game hitting streak).
Baltimore Orioles (4.75 IRT)
One of the hottest offenses in baseball, the Orioles go on the road to face Jake Bloss making his major league debut. Tough spot for the Astros’ #10 prospect facing the league’s top offense (most runs and HR on the season) that is averaging over six and a half runs and nearly two long balls per game over the past two weeks as well. They’re pricy, and for good reason; our MLB Leverage Stacks tool ranks them toward the bottom, which gives you some nice playability as they’ll be low-owned due to that. Anthony Santander (five HR and 11 RBI in his last seven games) has been the hottest hitter on the team, so I’m starting there; mix in Gunnar Henderson (10-31 with three RBI and four SB over the last week) with Ryan O’Hearn (seven RBI in six games) and Ryan Mountcastle (five RBI in seven games), and consider Ramon Urias as a cheap piece.
Jun 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) hits a two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies in the eighth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Twins (4.51 IRT)
The Twins continue to hit very well; they’ve got a .315 team average over the past two weeks and are averaging six and a half runs per game during that span. Tonight the face the A’s who are 3-10 in the past two weeks and who are trotting Joey Estes and his 5.97 ERA out to the mound tonight. Must-haves include Royce Lewis (1.430 OPS with four HR in his last six games), Carlos Santana (1.273 OPS with two HR in his last seven), and Carlos Correa (1.252 OPS with three HR in his last seven); Willi Castro (10-29 with three RBI in L7) and Austin Martin (7-18 with three RBI and two SB in L7) are viable as well.
Kansas City Royals (3.75 IRT)
At first glance, the low IRT is a little scary; however, the Rangers have the third-worst team ERA (5.71) over the past two weeks, so on a large slate, taking some shots at a struggling pitching staff makes a little sense. Additionally, multiple Royals hitters have a solid track record against Nathan Eovaldi; Bobby Witt, MJ Melendez , Vinnie Pasquantino, and Freddy Fermin (two HR yesterday) are where I’m starting. Eovaldi is a tough matchup, but I like the spot overall, and if they can get to him, the Rangers do rank in the bottom third in bullpen ERA.
For other popular plays, our revamped MLB Research Station has every stat you need to send your research to the next level!
May 3, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) hits an RBI triple during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
FOUR MLB BvP Matchups
DJ LeMahieu vs. Chris Sale: 7-10 with two 2B, three HR, and seven RBI
MJ Melendez vs. Nathan Eovaldi: 3-8 with a 2B, HR, and five RBI
Joc Pederson vs. Taijuan Walker: 11-26 with three 2B, a HR, and five RBI
Bobby Witt, Jr. vs. Nathan Eovaldi: 4-9 with two 3B
THREE MLB Value Plays
Mauricio Dubon ($3200 DK / $2600 FD): seeing more consistent playing time with Abreu gone; 13-game hitting streak
Jackson Merrill ($3200 DK / $2600 FD): 1.152 OPS in his last seven games (including four HR)
Ramon Urias ($2300 DK / $2200 FD): seven-game hitting streak