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 Ángeles Dodgers
This is one of those spots where I’m not overthinking it. Griffin Canning is sitting on a 7.09 ERA with a 1.66 WHIP, and when things go sideways for him, they tend to go sideways fast. That’s not exactly what you want against a lineup this deep. The Dodgers haven’t been as absurdly dominant as past years, but the ceiling is still as high as any offense in baseball, especially when Los Angeles is the largest favorite on the slate and you’re a big part of the reason why. Not sneaky, but still one of the stronger stacks on the slate.
August 1, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) runs after hitting a double against the Oakland Athletics during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Athletics
I’ll keep going back to the A’s in spots like this. Sandy Alcantara is still a quality arm and not someone I’m blindly attacking, but he’s not untouchable, especially in a park that can turn loud quickly when hitters square balls up. The Athletics continue to be one of the more volatile but high-upside offenses in DFS — they can absolutely disappear, but they also have legit multi-homer inning potential when things click. This is more of a “sprinkle and stack a few ways” type of play rather than a full lock-in, but the ceiling is still there.
San Francisco Giants
Even in the altitude, I’m pretty interested here. Tomoyuki Sugano has really struggled this season, carrying a 4.80 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, and it’s been more than just bad luck — the command has been shaky and he’s had trouble putting hitters away. The Giants aren’t always the easiest offense to trust, but this is a spot where they don’t need to be perfect to do damage. If Sugano gets behind early, this can get away from him in a hurry, especially in a run-friendly environment.
Sep 26, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) hits a walk-off RBI double during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Miami Marlins
This is one of the sneakier offense-side spots I actually like a bit. Aaron Civale is usually pretty solid at limiting damage, but pitching in Sacramento changes the equation a little bit, especially for fly-ball contact. The Marlins aren’t a high-powered offense, but they do enough in spurts where a good environment can turn a mediocre night into something usable. This isn’t a core stack by any means, but in tournaments I don’t mind taking a few shots and hoping Civale runs into trouble once or twice.
Chicago Cubs
This is more of a “buy the bounceback” spot for me. Kyle Leahy is in a tough spot trying to navigate a Cubs lineup that just got embarrassed 17-1 yesterday, and that’s usually where I like to look for a response game. Leahy isn’t an overpowering arm, and if Chicago comes in focused, they’ve got enough pop to flip a game quickly. I don’t think this is a smash spot, but it’s a nice leverage angle off recency bias after a rough showing.
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Jun 27, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Colorado Rockies designated hitter Hunter Goodman (15) hits a home run off a pitch from Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Mike Paredes (53) in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
FOUR MLB BvP Matchups
Xander Bogaerts vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 7-19 with two 2B, a HR, and three RBI
Hunter Goodman vs. Robbie Ray: 5-11 with two 2B and two RBI
Francisco Lindor vs. Chris Sale: 14-38 with two 2B, two HR, and eight RBI
Brice Turang vs. Merrill Kelly: 4-10 with a 2B and HR
THREE MLB Value Plays
Miguel Andujar ($2800 DK / $2600 FD): 4-7 with a 2B, HR, and two RBI against Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Lane Thomas ($3200 DK / $2600 FD): 8-19 with a 2B, four HR, six RBI, and two BB against Michael Wacha
Sung-mun Song ($2600 DK / $2500 FD): 1.192 OPS in his last seven games