3 Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for Friday 6/24/22
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.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays have a great matchup with a reeling righty. According to FanGraphs, Adrian Houser has had a 6.31 ERA, 4.60 xFIP, and allowed 1.75 homers per nine innings over his last five starts. Additionally, the 29-year-old has a 9.8 percent walk rate that's worse than the league average, helping contribute to a 1.43 WHIP.
Houser's below-average control and lackluster 18.2 percent strikeout rate are a volatile combination even for a groundball pitcher, and it's blown up in his face lately. Toronto is a tricky matchup, making it unlikely Houser rights the ship tonight. According to FanGraphs, the Blue Jays are tied for eighth in wRC+ (109) against righties this season. They've also been on fire lately, tying for fifth in wRC+ (128) over the last 14 days.
Toronto is stackable throughout their entire lineup. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($3,700), Bo Bichette ($3,100), and Teoscar Hernandez ($3,000) are some of the most appealing picks. Over the last 30 days, Bichette owns a 139 wRC+, Vladito has amassed a 170 wRC+, and Hernandez has exploded for a .173 wRC+.
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals have a mouthwatering matchup against a pitcher who might be on his last legs. Veteran finesse hurler Kyle Hendricks has struggled since the start of last year. In 249 innings since 2021, he's recorded a 4.95 ERA, 4.69 SIERA, and ceded 1.59 homers per nine innings.
Hendricks hasn't shown signs of life lately. In his last four starts, he's been tattooed for a 6.87 ERA and 1.47 homers per nine. As a result, the Cards are an appealing option to stack tonight, sporting a 4.90 implied total.
Lefties Nolan Gorman ($3,100) and Brendan Donovan ($3,100) are a pair of hot-hitting rookies with the platoon advantage. Since last year, Hendricks has been creamed by lefties for a .552 slugging percentage and .388 wOBA. NL MVP-frontrunner Paul Goldschmidt ($4,000) is the headliner for this stack. Goldy has given righties fits. Since last year, he's had a .363 OBP, .217 ISO, and 139 wRC+ in the split.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks might be an under-the-radar stack tonight in a dreamy matchup. The Detroit Tigers have turned to Rony Garcia for five starts, and he's been over his head. In 24 innings as a starter, Garcia has had a 6.38 ERA, coughing up an eye-popping 2.25 homers per nine innings.
Not much more needs to be said about Garcia. His sky-high ERA and bloated homer rate are exactly what dreams are made of for an opposing stack. However, there is a risk that if Garcia is lucky and doesn't get roughed up, Detroit's bullpen can shut down the Snakes. Detroit's relievers are tied for the sixth-lowest ERA (3.14). Nevertheless, stacking against Garcia is still a tantalizing move.
Because the slate is large and the Diamondbacks are unlikely to be a popular stacking selection, we don't have to overthink the picks. Daulton Varsho ($2,500), Ketel Marte ($3,100), and Alek Thomas ($2,700) are my favorite options.
Since the start of last year, Varsho has muscled up for a .202 ISO against righties. Marte has had a rock-solid 112 wRC+ in that time. The rookie, Thomas, has been the best of the bunch. This year, he's had a .358 OBP, .227 ISO, and 141 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers. Thomas also adds upside on the bases, stealing four bags.
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.
