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Welcome, RotoBallers, to a brand new MLB DFS article for the 2024 season! We will still be bringing you a full slate breakdown every day, but this companion piece is intended to help you determine which offenses you are going to stack in your tournament (GPP) lineups. I will be handling the Tuesday slates for the rest of the MLB season. Tonight features a handful of chalky stacks with stacking appeal and a couple of contrarian stacks that can hopefully help differentiate your lineup.
Coors Field brings us the most obvious stacking option with the Reds facing Ty Blach, but don’t sleep on the Rockies as they try to continue the misery that has been the 2024 season for Frankie Montas. The Orioles and the Cubs look very interesting as well, while the Oakland A’s could be the surprise that breaks this slate if they can continue the road woes for George Kirby.
This article will provide my favorite hitting stacks for daily fantasy baseball on DraftKings and FanDuel on 6/4/2024. Today's main slate kicks off at 7:05 p.m. EDT on both sites. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for MLB and other sports here. Don't forget to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups!
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MLB DFS: Chalky Stacks
Cincinnati Reds at Ty Blach (COL/LHP)
Implied Team Total: 5.6 runs
Ty Blach appears to have figured out Coors Field, allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his last four starts at home. Appearances can be deceiving, as Blach hasn’t done much to lead to the success that he’s had. He doesn’t strike anybody out (4.4 strikeouts per nine innings) with an average ground ball to fly ball ratio and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.43). His xFIP is 1.07, meaning that he’s due for negative regression.
He’s been particularly bad against right-handed bats, allowing a .495 slugging percentage on the year. The Reds have a handful of righties who have shown much power against left-handed pitching this year. Tyler Stephenson (.500) and Stuart Fairchild (.492) lead the way, with Jeimer Candelario (.407) and Spencer Steer (.400) both worthy stacking options as well. Santiago Espinal hasn’t been great against lefties, but he’s often been placed in the middle of the order and could be a cheap RBI option if he’s batting fifth or sixth today (10 RBI in 63 plate appearances against lefties this year).
Favorite Combo of Hitters: Tyler Stephenson, Stuart Fairchild, Jeimer Candelario, Spencer Steer, Santiago Espinal (if he’s batting fifth or sixth)
Baltimore Orioles at Bowden Francis (TOR/RHP)
Implied Team Total: 4.8 runs
The Blue Jays look to be starting Bowden Francis today, making his first appearance since a forearm injury took him out of action in late April. Before the injury, Francis was mediocre at best. As a bulk reliever, he allowed two earned runs in 6.1 innings over three outings. As a primary starter, he allowed 12 earned runs in 8.1 innings over two starts. Both lefties and righties have hit Francis hard this year, so we can just load up on O’s bats regardless of what side of the plate they hit from.
Jose Berrios may get called for the start instead of Francis, and if that’s the case it makes the Orioles even more enticing. Multiple batters on the Orioles have hit Berrios hard over their careers, including Adley Rutschman, Ryan O'Hearn, Cedric Mullins, and Anthony Santander. All four of those bats are in play regardless of who gets the start today for Toronto, along with Gunnar Henderson, who is crushing everyone this year.
Two more bats to consider for Baltimore are Austin Hays and Connor Norby. Hays hit two home runs on Monday night and comes into this game on a three-game hitting streak, while Connor Norby. who was just called up, was tearing up the minors, and is only $2,5K.
Favorite Combo of Hitters: Adley Rutschman, Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, Gunnar Henderson, one of Austin Hays or Connor Norby (whoever is batting higher in the lineup)
Mama Mia!!!
22-year old Gunnar Henderson among the AL:⚾️ 1st in WAR
⚾️ 2nd in offensive WAR
⚾️ 5th in defensive WAR
⚾️ 10th in OBP
⚾️ 3rd in Slugging %
⚾️ 4th in OPS
⚾️ 3rd in runs scored
⚾️ 2nd in home runsHas played four less games than Witt, Judge, Soto.
On pace for 10th… https://t.co/v9Cs0fGttf
— Spencer Schultz (@ravens4dummies) June 3, 2024
Chicago Cubs vs. Chris Flexen (CWS/RHP)
Implied Team Total: 5.8 runs
Chris Flexen is on the mound for the White Sox, and it’s always so fun to stack against him so we might as well do that again tonight. Flexen was a massive troll early this year, allowing two or fewer runs in each of his first five starts of the year. Since then, he’s gone back to being his normal self, allowing three or more earned runs in three of his four subsequent starts. Part of his problem is that Flexen allows nearly as many fly balls as he does ground balls and he walks far too many batters (3.7 walks per nine innings). Fly balls with runners on base lead to big innings.
The Cubs have had their share of big innings against Flexen, as multiple bats in their lineup have hit him hard over their careers. Dansby Swanson, Yan Gomes, Nico Hoerner, and Cody Bellinger each have a batting average of .375 or better in six or more at-bats against Flexen. The first three of those four have a slugging percentage of .500 or greater against Flexen.
For the 2024 season, Flexen has struggled against left-handed power bats, allowing a .528 slugging percentage. Mike Tauchman and Michael Busch each have a greater than .400 slugging percentage against righties this year, making them great stacking options for the Cubs.
Favorite Combo of Hitters: Mike Tauchman, Michael Busch, Cody Bellinger, Nico Hoerner, Dansby Swanson
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MLB DFS: Contrarian Stacks
Oakland Athletics vs. George Kirby (SEA/RHP)
Implied Team Total: 3.5 runs
George Kirby is not a pitcher that the public generally stacks against. He has one of the lowest walk rates in the league (0.8 walks per nine innings), an xFIP of 0.85, and a swinging strike rate of nearly 11%. On the surface, that seems incredible, but let’s dig a little deeper.
At home, Kirby is a monster. He has a 2.23 ERA and has only allowed one home run in 36.1 innings. He has scored over 22 DraftKings points in five of his six starts at home. On the road, however, Kirby has been very hittable. He has eight home runs allowed in 32 innings (2.25 home runs per nine innings), and he’s scored under 10 DraftKings points in four of six starts.
Kirby has been dominant this year against right-handed bats, but he’s struggled against lefties in 2024, allowing a robust .474 slugging percentage. The A’s have a handful of lefties who hit right-handed pitching well in Kyle McCann, JJ Bleday, and Abraham Toro. They also have righties who can hit righty pitching in Brent Rooker, Miguel Andujar, and Shea Langeliers. Oakland plays with their lineup frequently, but if those six players are starting, they are the preferred options against George Kirby as a contrarian stack tonight.
Favorite Combo of Hitters: JJ Bleday, Abraham Toro, Kyle McCann, Brent Rooker, Miguel Andujar
Colorado Rockies vs. Frankie Montas (CIN/RHP)
Implied Team Total: 5.1 runs
Frankie Montas started the year strongly with back-to-back starts of 20 or more DraftKings points, but since those two games, he has yet to pitch well. Over his last four starts, he has allowed at least three earned runs in each start (5.81 ERA) while giving up six more fly balls than ground balls. Balls that get in the air are more likely to leave the park than balls on the ground, and this game is at Coors Field. The last four starts for Montas weren’t at Coors Field, yet he had a poor 1.67 home runs per nine innings.
Montas’ biggest issue has been against left-handed bats, against whom he’s allowed a .495 slugging percentage this year while striking out fewer than 15% of lefty bats he’s faced. No lefties on the Rockies hit right-handed pitching particularly well, but Ryan McMahon and Charlie Blackmon have shown enough power to make them viable stacking options. They are also a combined 7-for-12 against Montas in their careers. From the right-hand side, Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle, and Elias Diaz all have a slugging percentage of over .400 against right-handed pitching. Tovar is of particular interest as he’s swinging a hot bat; recording three multi-hit games over his last five games
Favorite Combo of Hitters: Ryan McMahon, Charlie Blackmon, Ezequiel Tovar, Elias Diaz, Brenton Doyle
One of baseball’s best players the Rockies Ezequiel Tovar. Basically a no stride approach(Early reach with toe to a wide base) allows him to time a 97 MPH fastball (1st swing-1B CF) & an 82 MPH slerve (2nd swing-Long HR LCF) pic.twitter.com/sN4BbHZ4DI
— Jerry Weinstein (@JWonCATCHING) June 1, 2024
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