3 Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for Thursday 7/7/22
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.
Atlanta Braves
Everything comes up roses for the Atlanta Braves tonight. They're facing a lefty and at home.
According to FanGraphs, Atlanta is fourth in wRC+ (119) and second in ISO (.205) against southpaws this year. Additionally, the Braves are fourth in wOBA (.334) at home.
Somehow, it gets better. Matthew Liberatore has been struggling in his rookie season. The young lefty has had a 5.66 ERA and 6.23 Expected ERA (xERA) in five starts totaling 20 and 2/3 innings. He's been especially bad against righties, yielding a .629 slugging and .421 wOBA to 74 righties.
The Braves have excellent stacking options throughout their lineup. Nevertheless, the most elite picks are Ronald Acuna ($4,400) and Austin Riley ($4,000). Since 2019, Acuna has had a .396 OBP, .273 ISO, and 146 wRC+. Meanwhile, Riley has had a .341 OBP, .264 ISO, and 127 wRC+.
Toronto Blue Jays
It's unreasonable to call Marco Gonzales's 3.29 ERA completely flukey.
His 4.73 xERA, 4.93 xFIP, and 5.16 SIERA have all been markedly worse. However, expecting his numbers to crater to his ERA estimators is probably unwise since he's crushed them in recent years. For instance, from 2019-2021, he had a 3.83 ERA, a 4.96 xFIP, and 4.82 SIERA.
Nevertheless, he had an 18.5% strikeout rate during the three years above. This year, Gonzales has had a 13.0% strikeout rate. The veteran lefty has also ceded a .328 wOBA to righties since 2021. As a result, the Toronto Blue Jays' righty-laden lineup is in a smash spot.
Like the Braves, the Blue Jays have outstanding stacking options throughout their lineup. My favorite pick is Teoscar Hernandez ($3,100). Since 2019, he's teed off on lefties for a .313 ISO and 155 wRC+.
Thankfully, beyond Hernandez, there are a few cap-friendly selections. Matt Chapman ($3,000) and Santiago Espinal ($2,400) are excellent picks who open up cap space. Chapman has had a .258 ISO against lefties since 2019. Espinal isn't the top-shelf power source Chapman is, but his .391 OBP against lefties since debuting in 2020 is fantasy-friendly.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees closed their series in Pittsburgh last night with a 16-run outburst. Tonight, their high-powered offense gets a lift from playing at Fenway Park.
Furthermore, Josh Winckowski's low strikeout rate could burn him tonight. The rookie righty has had only a 17.3% strikeout rate. He's also frequently dealt with traffic on the bases, evidenced by his 1.38 WHIP. This combo might be his undoing against New York's high-octane offense.
The Bronx Bombers are tied for third in wRC+ (114) against righties. Additionally, they're fifth in ISO (.185) against them. And, again, Fenway Park is one of MLB's most hitter-friendly venues, amplifying New York's upside.
Aaron Judge ($4,000) and Giancarlo Stanton ($3,700) are the backbones of New York's offense. Since last season, against righties, Judge has had a .276 ISO and 157 wRC+, and Stanton has had a .260 ISO and 135 wRC+.
Digging deeper, Joey Gallo ($2,300) is a boom-or-bust option. He's struggled this year, but he hammered a homer last night and has had a .251 ISO and 118 wRC+ against righties since last season. Matt Carpenter ($3,000) is also an excellent option if the reserve starts again tonight.
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.
