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.
St. Louis Cardinals
With the Lineup Builder, it’s easy to incorporate stacks into DFS rosters. In this 10-game slate, the top five-man DraftKings stack in the Bales Model belongs to the St. Louis Cardinals, whose current implied team total of 4.8 runs is just outside the top five on the slate (per the Vegas Dashboard):
St. Louis faces struggling Rockies righty Jeff Hoffman, whose 1.488 WHIP, 241-foot recent batted ball distance, and 50 percent fly ball rate are tied for the second-worst marks on the slate (although, to be fair, one of his recent games was at Coors Field). In his last road game, Hoffman surrendered seven hits, four earned runs, and two home runs through six innings.
From a Statcast perspective, the Cardinals stand out, and they also have the slate’s second-highest Weather Rating. All five batters have recent batted ball distances between 232 and 237 feet, and Paul DeJong and Randal Grichuk boast fly ball and hard hit rates over 50 percent. Tommy Pham leads the slate with 13 Pro Trends and also the stack with a distance differential of 27 feet over the past 15 days.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs own the top four-man FanDuel stack in the CSURAM88 Model and currently have the second-highest Team Value Rating at 92:
The Cubs also have the second-highest implied total on the slate with 5.8 runs and are taking on White Sox righty James Shields, who has the slate’s worst HR/9 at 2.63. With the entire top of the Cubs order, this stack will be chalky. Pro subscribers can review ownership rates after lineup lock via our DFS Ownership Dashboard. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Ian Happ all own Bargain Ratings of 90 percent or higher. Happ, expected to hit cleanup (per our Lineups page), has some of the most favorable power against righties on the slate, leading the stack with his 0.282 ISO.
Detroit Tigers
FantasyDraft data and tools are now available in our Models. The top-rated six-man FantasyDraft stack in The Sports Geek Model belongs to the Tigers:
The Tigers face Royals righty Ian Kennedy, who has easily the slate’s worst Statcast data with a recent batted ball distance of 254 feet, exit velocity of 96 miles per hour, and hard hit rate of 54 percent.
Ian Kinsler is the highest-rated player in the Model. Per our Trends tool, batters with comparable lineup spots, implied totals, and Statcast data historically provide a +1.35 Plus/Minus on FantasyDraft. If you’re targeting Detroit stacks on FanDuel, consider pivoting off Alex Avila by taking advantage of Victor Martinez’s catcher eligibility, as he’s the Model’s highest-rated player at the position.
Good luck, and be sure to read today’s MLB Breakdown!
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:
