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 6:40 pm ET.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays have a Charmin-soft matchup tonight. First, Daniel Lynch is bad. Second, the Kansas City Royals' bullpen is also dreadful.
Lynch made his debut for the Royals last year, and he's struggled mightily in the majors. According to FanGraphs, in 24 starts, he's had a 5.35 ERA, 5.12 Expected Fielding Independent Pitching (xFIP), and 1.60 WHIP.
Additionally, he's been destroyed by right-handed batters. Lynch has coughed up a .366 Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) to 456 righties. As for Kansas City's bullpen, they've had the third-highest ERA (4.84).
Thus, Toronto's offense should rake from the beginning of the game through its end. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($4,200) is a defensible option. However, the three most attractive selections are George Springer ($4,000), Bo Bichette ($3,800), and Teoscar Hernandez ($3,700).
Since 2019, versus lefties, Springer has had a .386 OBP, .249 Isolated Power (ISO), and 145 Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+). Hernandez has been even better, boasting a .363 OBP, .302 ISO, and 153 wRC+. Finally, Bichette has been the best, owning a .390 OBP, .223 ISO, and 154 wRC+.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a high-upside stack, albeit in a potentially more challenging matchup than the Blue Jays have. Robbie Ray is the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, and his 3.67 xFIP is rock-solid. However, Ray's had an ugly 4.93 ERA and allowed 1.51 homers per nine innings.
Moreover, the relievers for the Seattle Mariners haven't pitched well. Seattle's bullpen has had the eighth-highest ERA (4.35) this season. So, the Astros have upside tonight.
In addition, their active roster is loaded with lefty-killers. In fact, eight players on their active roster have had a 120 wRC+ or higher against southpaws since 2019. As a result, they're stackable from top to bottom.
Regardless, Jose Altuve ($3,600) is the top option right out of the chute, leading off for Houston. Since 2019, he's had a .235 ISO and 127 wRC+ against lefties.
Additionally, rookie Jeremy Pena ($2,800) is an outstanding option. He has made the most of his first 49 plate appearances against lefties, touching them up for three homers, a .354 OBP, .244 ISO, and 167 wRC+.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks have a good matchup and get a lift from the hitter-friendly park factors at Great American Ball Park tonight. First, Hunter Greene has been going through growing pains in his rookie campaign. He's been roughed up through his first 48 innings for a 6.19 ERA, 4.69 Expected ERA (xERA), and 2.81 homers per nine innings.
Second, the right-handed hurler has struggled with all hitters. Lefties have had a .325 wOBA against Greene. However, righties have greeted him even more rudely, amassing a .636 slugging and .420 wOBA. The Cincinnati Reds' bullpen is unlikely to provide relief, owning the second-highest ERA (4.92).
Additionally, the ballpark factors are delightful. According to FantasyPros, Great American "Small" Park has the third-highest park factor for runs (1.162) and highest factor for homers (1.352). Thus, the layout is perfect for the Diamondbacks.
Christian Walker ($3,200) is an enticing option. He's treated to Greene's struggles with righties, and he's had a stellar .213 ISO against right-handed pitchers since 2019. Gamers also shouldn't sleep on Alek Thomas ($2,800) hiding near the bottom of Arizona's lineup. In 65 plate appearances, the rookie outfielder has had a .288 ISO and 140 wRC+ against righties.
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.