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
Athletics
The A’s are one of those teams I just keep coming back to because the ceiling is always there. Zebby Matthews has some ability, but he’s still a young pitcher, and Oakland has enough power to punish mistakes if he isn’t sharp. This is the kind of matchup where I don’t really care if the Athletics are popular or not — they have legitimate tournament-winning upside. If Matthews starts missing over the plate, this could get ugly quickly.
May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (16) hits a solo home run in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
San Francisco Giants
I really don’t mind being overweight on the Giants here. A lot of times the field doesn’t want to play offenses in San Francisco, and I get it — the park can suppress the home run upside. But teams can still score runs there, and Grayson Rodriguez has been absolutely awful this season with an 8.23 ERA. That’s the kind of matchup where I’m willing to ignore the ballpark a bit. If Rodriguez is still pitching like this, I don’t care that the Giants are at home. I’ll gladly be over the field.
Minnesota Twins
A 6.64 ERA is going to get my attention every time. Jacob Lopez has had a rough season, and this is the type of matchup where I don’t mind giving the Twins another chance to put up a big number. Minnesota can be frustratingly inconsistent, but they also have enough power to make a pitcher pay quickly when he’s struggling to get outs. I don’t think they’ll be the most popular stack on the slate, and that’s fine with me. There’s plenty of upside here.
May 30, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) hits a solo home run in the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Atlanta Braves
Trevor Rogers has been pitching much better lately, so I don’t want to pretend this is some automatic smash spot. But he’s still sitting on a 4.28 ERA for the season, and at some point, a little negative regression back toward that overall number is probably coming. The Braves also have a chance to get Ronald Acuña Jr. back tonight, which would obviously give the offense a pretty significant boost. I like Atlanta either way, but if Acuña is activated, the ceiling gets even more interesting.
Miami Marlins
German Márquez has been bad pretty much everywhere throughout his career, and his 5.24 ERA this season isn’t exactly suggesting that things have suddenly changed. Miami isn’t an offense I usually want to force into lineups, but this is a pretty straightforward matchup-based tournament play for me. The Marlins should be low-owned, and if Márquez continues pitching like the version we’ve seen for most of his career, they have a chance to put together a surprisingly good offensive night. Definitely a GPP sprinkle.
For other popular plays, our revamped MLB Research Station has every stat you need to send your research to the next level!
May 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) runs after hitting a single during the third inning Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
FOUR MLB BvP Matchups
Mookie Betts vs. Sean Manaea: 10-36 with two 2B, two 2B, three HR, eight RBI, and three BB)
JP Crawford vs. Mackenzie Gore: 3-10 with two HR and three RBI
Rafael Devers vs. Grayson Rodriguez: 4-5 with three RBI
Kyle Tucker vs. Sean Manaea: 8-22 with a 2B, four HR, and five RBI
THREE MLB Value Plays
Ty France ($3200 DK / $3000 FD): 1.367 OPS in his last seven games (including hitting 10-30 with five HR and 10 RBI)
Andruw Monasterio ($3100 DK / $2500 FD): 1.290 OPS in his last seven games
Weston Wilson ($2600 DK / $2400 FD): 4-10 with a HR against Mackenzie Gore