Great full slate of Saturday afternoon games – what an awesome way to spend a lazy summer weekend afternoon. DK and FD slates are split differently, so take what you need from this and apply to whichever site you’re playing. There are some appealing spots to attack and some possibly sneaky plays that could go overlooked, so let’s see what we’re up against. 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
Toronto Blue Jays (4.48 IRT)
Perhaps an overlooked tournament play here due to their recent offensive struggles, the Blue Jays are facing Luis Medina who is making just his second start of the season and who has a 2-10 career record with a 5.15 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. Toronto has solid offensive pieces, starting with Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. (1.047 OPS in his last seven games); Daulton Varsho (6-20 with three 2B and two 3B in his L7) is coming on nicely as well, so I’d start there if stacking the Jays. Mix in Justin Turner, Bo Bichette, and George Springer and sprinkle in some Isiah Kiner-Falefa for a little salary savings. Again, a large-field play only, but I don’t mind being a little overweight here.
Sep 15, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (46) runs off the field after the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
St. Louis Cardinals (4.89 IRT)
A somewhat popular stack, but one that could be a solid play, and our MLB Leverage Stacks Tool seems to agree, projecting them in the top five per dollar and showing them as a top value play today. Ryan Feltner’s 6.22 ERA and 1.55 WHIP inspire no confidence, and the Rockies’ bullpen ERA of 5.32 is the league’s worst, so the St. Louis bats should be in a position to have a field day regardless of who’s pitching. Nolan Gorman (1.241 OPS with four HR and seven RBI in L7) continues to rake, so I’m starting my Cards stacks with him. Alec Burleson has three HR in his last seven games, and Masyn Winn is hitting .333 during that span as well, so mix them in (as well as the two usual suspects in Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, both of whom are playing a little worse than they’d like, but this is a prime spot for them to turn it around a bit).
Boston Red Sox (4.99 IRT)
Boston has one of the highest IRTs on the slate today, so they’ll be popular, and for good reason; Nick Nastrini has been one of the worst pitchers in baseball with a 9.74 ERA (yes, you read that correctly) and a 2.07 WHIP on the season. Boston is averaging over six runs a game in their last seven and has a top 10 offense (10th in runs and eighth in both average and home runs), so the sky is the limit in this matchup today. Start your stacks with Rafael Devers (.333 BA with three HR and six RBI in L7) and the too-cheap Enmanuel Valdez (three HR and eight RBI in his last five); mix in Jarren Duran leading off (1.033 OPS in L5), Connor Wong (.412 BA in L5), and Dominic Smith (hitting .391 with six RBI in L7). Two other cheap pieces include Rob Refsnyder (10-game hitting streak) and Ceddane Rafaela (multi-positional eligibility to go along with two HR and nine RBI in L7). There are so many ways to go with this team today.
Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (29) hits a RBI double giving Cincinnati Reds a one run lead in the sixth inning of the MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Thursday, June 6, 2024.
Cincinnati Reds (4.7 IRT)
The Reds are averaging over seven runs a game over their past seven contests and are hitting .315 as a team during that stretch. They’ve been one of the league’s hottest teams, and they continue their series against the Cubs today in Great American Smallpark. They face young Ben Brown, a pitcher who does have good strikeout upside but who also lost to these Reds in his last start, giving up five earned runs in just five innings. Start your stacks with TJ Friedl (1.075 OPS with two HR and seven RBI in L7), Tyler Stephenson (eight-game hitting streak), Jeimer Candelario (seven-game hitting streak and a .956 during, plus he has multi-positional eligibility), and Jonathan India (eight RBI in L7). Other than Elly de la Cruz, every starter is hitting over .300 in the last week, so mixing and matching from this team is a solid play.
Baltimore Orioles (4.31 IRT)
Baltimore’s offense is rolling, especially when it comes to the long ball, hitting 15 home runs in their last six games and leading the league with 98 round trippers on the season. Today they face Taj Bradley who not only has a 5.31 ERA on the season but also lost to these Orioles 9-5 on June 1, giving up all nine runs in just 3.1 innings while allowing four balls to leave the park. I definitely want to go back to the well here, especially as a few of them have a solid track record against Bradley. Gunnar Henderson (4-9 with a HR), Ryan Mountcastle (2-2 with two HR and four RBI), Jordan Westburg (2-2 with a HR and two RBI), and Ryan O’Hearn (3-7 with a 2B) are where I’d want to start my stacking.
For other popular plays, our revamped MLB Research Station has every stat you need to send your research to the next level!
Jun 7, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) hits a single during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
FOUR MLB BvP Matchups
Ozzie Albies vs. Mackenzie Gore: 4-10 with a 2B, HR, and RBI
Yandy Diaz vs Kyle Bradish: 7-16 with two 2B, three RBI, and two BB
Wilmer Flores vs. Andrew Heaney: 6-13 with two 2B, HR, and three RBI
Julio Rodriguez vs. Alec Marsh: 6-9 with a HR and three RBI
THREE MLB Value Plays
Enmanuel Valdez ($3400 DK / $2600 FD): three HR and eight RBI in L5
Rowdy Tellez ($2500 DK / $2300 FD): 6-14 with four RBI in his L5
Andrew Vaughn ($2900 DK / $2600 FD): seven-game hitting streak (1.081 OPS during)