This series uses the FantasyLabs Tools to analyze MLB stacks in the day’s slate. The series does not provide play or fade recommendations. It provides analysis.
Chicago Cubs
Using the Lineup Builder, it’s easy to incorporate stacks into DFS lineups. Per the Vegas Dashboard, the Cubs once again have the highest implied team total of the day at 5.9 runs and the top five-man DraftKings stack in the Bales Model:
Despite their strong team total, they have some negative factors. No one in the stack has a Bargain Rating of greater than 35 percent on DraftKings, and all five batters have hard hit differentials of -3 to -7 percentage points. Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Addison Russell also have negative batted ball distance differentials. Even at Coors Field, batters with comparable differentials have a historical Plus/Minus of only +0.29 on DraftKings with a high 12.1 percent ownership (per our Trends tool). The Cubs will likely have high ownership, which Pro subscribers can review after lineup lock via our DFS Ownership Dashboard. Some fade consideration is warranted for tournaments.
Detroit Tigers
On the main slate, the top four-man FanDuel stack in the CSURAM88 Model belongs to the Tigers:
The Tigers have a strong implied team total of 4.9 runs and are playing within the hitter-friendly confines of Chase Field, where batters with comparable implied team totals have a historical Plus/Minus of +1.77 on FanDuel. Be sure to monitor the status of Ian Kinsler, who was a late scratch on Tuesday but is currently projected to bat leadoff (per our Lineups page).
Washington Nationals
Even though the Nationals will likely be chalky, there are still contrarian ways to utilize them in guaranteed prize pools. For example, a stack without Trea Turner and Bryce Harper is the top four-man DraftKings Pro Trends stack:
What’s striking about the players in this stack is their 15-day Statcast data. Jason Werth, Anthony Rendon, and Matt Wieters all have hard hit differential of at least 10 percentage points, and batters with comparable differentials and implied team totals have a historical Plus/Minus of +1.40 on DraftKings. It should be noted that some of their recent data could be inflated due to their recent series at Coors Field, but hard hit differentials this extreme likely have little to do with the increased altitude.
Good luck, and be sure to read Bryan Mears’ MLB Breakdown later today!
News Updates
After this piece is published, FantasyLabs is likely to provide news updates on a number of players herein mentioned. Be sure to stay ahead of your competition with our industry-leading DFS-focused news blurbs:
