Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for Thursday 5/12/22
Stacks are an integral part of daily fantasy baseball. They can push a team to the top of a GPP by driving upside. However, they're also viable in cash games, namely smaller (two-person or three-person) stacks that mitigate the volatility of a full four-person stack.
This article is your home throughout the 2022 Major League Baseball season for the day's top stacks. The primary goal is to identify the highest-scoring upside stack. Still, game theory will play a role in contrarian stacks making the cut as GPP options. Nevertheless, chalky stacks will make appearances in this space, too.
Beyond my analysis in this space, I strongly suggest numberFire premium members using our DFS Sharpstack tool and hitting heat map tool. The DFS Sharpstack helps plug stacks into optimized lineups, allowing you to change parameters and lock or exclude players and teams. Meanwhile, the heat map offers a one-stop-shop for the opposing starting pitcher, implied total, park factor, and other notable goodies.
Now, let's look at the top stacks on today's main slate that starts on FanDuel at 6:35 pm ET.
Chicago White Sox
The New York Yankees are calling on Luis Gil for a spot start. Gil's 9.53 ERA in five Triple-A starts suggests it could get ugly for him against the Chicago White Sox. Additionally, according to FanGraphs, in 65 and 2/3 innings in Triple-A since 2021, Gil has had a 6.03 ERA, 5.11 FIP, and coughed up 1.64 homers per nine innings.
Last year, Gil flashed potential with the Yankees, spinning a 3.07 ERA in six starts (29 and 1/3 innings). However, his 14.7 percent walk rate and 4.55 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) are numbers that beg to be stacked against. So, that's the move tonight.
If Gil is thoroughly overwhelmed -- like his Triple-A stats suggest he will be -- all of Chicago's lineup can get in on the fun. Some of the top options include Tim Anderson ($3,900), Luis Robert ($3,800), and Jose Abreu ($3,600). All three hitters have been between 15 and 19 percent above average against righties since 2019 (or since Robert debuted in 2020). Yoan Moncada ($3,000) and Yasmani Grandal ($2,600) are also enticing options.
Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers also have a matchup against a young pitcher getting the ball for the first time for his parent club in 2022. Jon Heasley is starting for the Kansas City Royals tonight, and he looks like an outstanding hurler to stack against.
The young righty made his big-league debut last year, getting roughed up for a 4.91 ERA, 7.21 Expected ERA (xERA), and 1.84 homers per nine innings while striking out a pitiful 10.2 percent of the hitters he faced in three turns. Heasley's been mediocre this season in six starts in Triple-A, with a 4.44 ERA and 1.37 homers per nine innings. Further, in 131 and 2/3 innings in Double-A and Triple-A in his career, he's posted an uninspiring 4.44 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP).
After Heasley departs, the Rangers have a good matchup against Kansas City's lackluster bullpen. The Royals have the fourth-highest reliever ERA (4.38) in 2022.
The one player who stands above his peers in this stack is Corey Seager ($3,200). Since 2019, Seager has had a .366 OBP, .236 Isolated Power (ISO), and 137 Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) against righties. Brad Miller ($2,700) will likely be in the leadoff spot, although he is a pinch-hit risk if he's due to face a lefty later in the game. Marcus Semien ($3,000) and Adolis Garcia ($3,900) offer good pop.
Joshua Shepardson is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Joshua Shepardson also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username bchad50. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
