The focus of this article is to sort through the myriad of options on larger slates and find not only some solid foundational plays but also some spots that could go overlooked. We focus on stacks that are solid for small-field and SE as well as overlooked spots for large-field GPPs, and we discuss players that have good past history vs. the pitchers they’re facing. Our Discord strategy rooms are incredibly active. Hop in and join the discussion!
FIVE DFS MLB Stacks
Los Angeles Dodgers
This is still one of the premier offense spots on the slate even though the matchup looks tougher at first glance. Tomoyuki Sugano has pitched to a 4.02 ERA and 1.26 WHIP this season, but the Dodgers are exactly the type of lineup that can take advantage once traffic starts building because they extend counts so well throughout the order. I’m always interested in Los Angeles when they face pitchers who rely more on contact management than overpowering stuff, and this feels like a spot where one inning can completely flip the slate. Strong full-stack option once again.
Jun 30, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Twins designated hitter Byron Buxton (25) rounds third base to score in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Twins
This feels like one of the cleaner offense environments on the slate. David Sandlin is still trying to establish himself at the MLB level, and inexperienced pitchers against power-heavy lineups are always worth considering in tournaments, especially if command starts slipping early. Minnesota can be volatile offensively, but this is the type of matchup where they can string together damage quickly once runners start getting on base. I’m definitely interested in tournament exposure here.
New York Yankees
Noah Cameron hasn’t been that effective this season, pitching to a 4.72 ERA with a 1.45 WHIP, and this is still a difficult matchup against a lineup with a good amount of power. The Yankees are always capable of punishing mistakes quickly, especially against younger arms that haven’t consistently navigated deep lineups multiple times through the order. This is more of a tournament spot than a must-play stack for me, but I still want some exposure given the ceiling New York brings almost every night.
May 7, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets designated hitter Juan Soto (22) hits a triple in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
New York Mets
Andrew Abbott has been solid for stretches this season, but this is still a dangerous offense when they start building momentum inning-to-inning. The Mets have been much better offensively lately, and they profile well against pitchers who rely heavily on sequencing and limiting hard contact rather than pure swing-and-miss stuff. I don’t think this is a must-stack spot, but I’m perfectly fine getting some tournament shares here because the upside is absolutely present if Abbott’s command fades at all.
Kansas City Royals
Not many people are going to want to attack Gerrit Cole, which automatically makes this at least somewhat interesting in tournaments. Cole is still capable of dominating any lineup on any slate, but he’s still working his way back from injury; however, when elite pitchers do struggle, it’s usually because opposing offenses force long at-bats and create traffic rather than squaring him up consistently, and he could still be showing signs of rust. Kansas City has enough contact ability and athleticism to make things uncomfortable if they can avoid chasing early in counts. This is more of a deep-field leverage stack situation, but I don’t mind mixing them in lightly.
For other popular plays, our revamped MLB Research Station has every stat you need to send your research to the next level!
Sep 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) hits a double in the eighth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
FOUR MLB BvP Matchups
Yordan Alvarez vs. Jacob deGrom: 3-6 with two HR
Shohei Ohtani vs. Tomoyuki Sugano: 4-5 with a 2B and two HR
Jeremy Pena vs. Jacob deGrom: 4-10 with a 2B and HR
Juan Soto vs. Andrew Abbott: 5-11 with a 2B and two RBI
THREE MLB Value Plays
Colton Cowser ($2300 DK / $2600 FD): 1.194 OPS in his last seven games
Isiah Kiner-Falefa ($2000 DK / $2200 FD): seven hits (including a HR and five RBI) in his last 13 AB
Marcell Ozuna ($3000 DK / $2700 FD): 9-22 with three 2B and four RBI against Jameson Taillon