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 that starts on FanDuel at 7:40 pm ET.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have an excellent matchup against a struggling pitcher tonight.
According to FanGraphs, Sean Manaea has been destroyed for an 8.27 ERA, 4.42 xFIP, and 2.68 homers per nine innings in his last eight starts spanning only 37 innings. Yikes. Additionally, Manaea has a gross 5.23 ERA and allowed 1.76 homers per nine innings overall this year.
The veteran lefty has also been pummeled by the Dodgers this year. Manaea coughed up seven runs on April 24, eight on August 5, and eight runs on September 3. The southpaw has also had no answers for right-handed batters. Manaea has coughed up a .515 slugging and .361 wOBA to righties this season.
As a result, my favorite options on the Dodgers are righties. I specifically love Mookie Betts ($4,200), Trea Turner ($3,900), and Will Smith ($3,200) tonight. Since 2020, Betts has crushed southpaws for a .369 OBP, .226 ISO, and 140 wRC+. Meanwhile, Turner has been even better, unloading on them for a .401 OBP, .298 ISO, and 181 wRC+.
San Francisco Giants
It was a challenge finding an attractive second stack on tonight's small FanDuel main slate.
Still, the San Francisco Giants have a cupcake matchup and cap-friendly salaries. So, they're an enticing option.
Ryan Feltner has a 5.91 ERA, 5.13 Expected ERA (xERA), 4.40 xFIP, and allowed 1.48 homers per nine innings in 85 and 1/3 innings this year. He also hasn't merely been tattooed at Coors Field. Instead, Feltner has a 5.86 ERA on the road, allowing a .367 wOBA and 1.88 homers per nine innings to boot.
The right-handed hurler has also struggled against all hitters. Feltner has allowed a .321 wOBA to left-handed batters. Meanwhile, righties have ripped him for a .521 slugging and .377 wOBA.
Finally, Joc Pederson ($2,400) and J.D. Davis ($2,100) are my favorite choices on the Giants. Pederson has smashed righties for a .260 ISO and 144 wRC+ this season. Also, Davis' bat has exploded with the Giants. In 128 plate appearances, he's hit seven homers with a .383 OBP, .261 ISO, and 161 wRC+ in S.F.
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.