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.
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are at home tonight, and no one has enjoyed home cooking more than they have this year. According to FanGraphs, the Rockies have had the highest wOBA (.348) in home games, seven points clear of the second-highest mark. As a result, they're always an intriguing option at home.
However, a matchup for Tyler Anderson might be good. The 32-year-old lefty has been great this year, spinning a 3.00 ERA and 3.86 xFIP. However, Anderson had understandable struggles at Coors Field with the Rockies from 2016-2019. In 225 and 2/3 innings in Colorado during that time, he had a 4.23 ERA and allowed a .332 wOBA.
The Rockies are stackable throughout their whole lineup. However, the most enticing options are C.J. Cron ($4,100) and Brendan Rodgers ($3,100). Since joining the Rockies last year, Cron has been nearly unstoppable at home against southpaws, ripping 12 homers with a .429 OBP, .448 ISO, and 194 wRC+ in 119 plate appearances. Rodgers has also touched up lefties, amassing a .344 OBP, .235 ISO, and 122 wRC+ against them in his career.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are implied to score more runs than their hosts as the favorite in MLB's hitting paradise. Additionally, they have a better matchup. The other shoe has dropped for Chad Kuhl after a stellar start to 2022.
In his last eight starts spanning 38 and 2/3 innings, Kuhl has had an ugly 5.59 ERA, 5.06 xFIP, and 5.17 SIERA. Additionally, Kuhl has had bad control, walking 10.8 percent of the hitters he's faced. Obviously, putting ducks on the pond at Coors Field is a recipe for a beatdown.
Further, Colorado's bullpen is unlikely to stop the bleeding when Kuhl is chased. The host's relievers have had the second-highest ERA (4.75) in 2022. So, there's a chance the Dodgers might pile up runs from the first inning through the ninth.
The Dodgers can be stacked throughout the entirety of their lineup. Still, Will Smith ($3,900) deserves special recognition. He's awesome in same-handed matchups and locked in this month. In June, Smith has had a .359 OBP, .274 ISO, 162 wRC+, and six homers in 92 plate appearances.
Seattle Mariners
Eventually, ERA estimators usually win out. So, Tyler Wells is a likely regression candidate, and the Seattle Mariners might deliver it tonight. In 14 starts, Wells has had a 3.34 ERA which is lower than his 3.63 xERA, 4.81 xFIP, and 4.81 SIERA.
The righty is also a pitch-to-contact hurler, with just a 15.3 percent strikeout rate and 9.7 percent swinging-strike rate (11.1 percent is the league average). Thus, he's at the mercy of his fielders and batted-ball luck. Maybe bad luck finally strikes tonight.
Seattle's top stacking options are J.P. Crawford ($2,800), Julio Rodriguez ($3,800), Jesse Winker ($3,100), and Eugenio Suarez ($3,300) -- provided none of them are suspended from yesterday's brawl.
Crawford is an excellent table-setter, evidenced by his .366 OBP versus righties since last year. Rodriguez is a well-rounded offensive weapon, smacking 11 homers with 19 stolen bases and a 129 wRC+ this season. Finally, Winker and Suarez are power-centric picks. Since last year, Winker has had a .220 ISO against righties, and Suarez has had a .233 ISO versus them.
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.