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.

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are a problematic matchup for lucky-lefty Cole Irvin. The 28-year-old lefty has been the beneficiary of good luck this year. According to FanGraphs, in eight starts spanning 45 and 2/3 innings, he's had a 2.96 ERA that's significantly out of whack with his 5.07 Expected ERA (xERA) and 4.58 Skill-Interactive ERA (SIERA).

In addition, Irvin has a low strikeout rate that's a poor matchup fit against Atlanta. Irvin has struck out only 14.8 percent of the hitters he's faced this year, substantially below the 2022 league average of 22.3 percent. Pitching to contact is always risky, but it's especially risky against MLB's most powerful offense against southpaws. The Braves have had the highest Isolated Power (.200 ISO) against lefties.

There is power up and down Atlanta's lineup, making them stackable from top to bottom. However, Austin Riley ($3,800) is a standout selection. Since breaking out last year, Atlanta's slugging third baseman has had a .228 ISO against lefties. Fellow infielder Dansby Swanson ($3,500) is also a nifty pick, amassing a .221 ISO against lefties since last year.

Houston Astros

Remarkably, this is the Houston Astros' fourth look at Chris Flexen in 2022. Alarmingly, Flexen's best start against them was his most recent turn on May 27, holding them to only one run on seven hits, two walks, and six strikeouts in seven innings.

Nonetheless, Flexen is precisely the caliber of pitcher gamers salivate at the thought of stacking against. In 10 starts totaling 55 and 1/3 innings in 2022, Flexen has had a 4.55 ERA, 5.51 xERA, and allowed 1.46 homers per nine innings. The 27-year-old righty is a below-average pitcher, and Houston is equipped with a deep, talented lineup that can punish him tonight.

The crown jewel of Houston's stack is slugging outfielder Yordan Alvarez ($4,300). The left-handed-hitting Alvarez has excelled with the platoon advantage in his career, rocking righties for a .380 OBP, .309 ISO, and 165 Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+).

Fellow lefty Kyle Tucker ($3,400) is also a superb pick. Since 2020, he's had a .370 OBP, .250 ISO, and 150 wRC+ against righties. In addition, Tucker adds upside on the bases, stealing 10 bases in 11 attempts this year.

Toronto Blue Jays

Last night, the Toronto Blue Jays laid the wood to the Kansas City Royals, hanging eight runs on their hosts. But, thankfully, they have another outstanding matchup tonight.

First, Brad Keller's luck has run out lately. In his last five starts, he's had a 6.67 ERA, 4.89 Expected Fielding Independent Pitching (xFIP), and allowed 1.52 homers per nine innings. Second, he's been a punching bag for all hitters. Since last year, he's allowed a .330 Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) to righties and a .345 wOBA to lefties.

Moreover, Kansas City's bullpen is terrible. Royals' relievers have had the third-highest ERA (4.84) in 2022. So, the Blue Jays can knock the Royals around from the start of the game to the end of it.

The heart of the order is an attractive core for this stack. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($4,200) is the third hitter and a terror for righties. He's raked in same-handed matchups, owning a .368 OBP, .232 ISO, and 140 wRC+ against righties. Cleanup hitter Teoscar Hernandez ($2,800) has also been a handful for righties, touching them up for a .211 ISO since 2019.

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.