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Sometimes I try to avoid the most obvious stacks, but I find the best days are the ones when I don’t have to try. If you want to stack the Braves, Mets or Indians, by all means don’t let me stop you. I found it rather refreshing that I came to the four stacks listed below before I even thought about those other teams. I can’t promise my stacks will be lesser owned, but I suspect that they will be, and that makes me like them even more.
As always, if you have any questions regarding these stacks, in the comments below, in the FANation forums or on Twitter. Also, I believe I have a DFS strategy article coming up relatively soon, so start sending me your strategy questions as well.
New York Yankees vs. Jason Hammel
Didi Gregorius, Brett Gardner, Gary Sanchez, Matt Holliday, Starlin Castro, Aaron Judge, Jacoby Ellsbury, Chris Carter
Jason Hammel has an 8.59 ERA on the road since the 2016 All-Star Break. The Yankees have the third-best home wOBA in baseball at .369. Right-handed batters are batting .387 against Jason Hammel this season, and while I wouldn’t necessarily target the righties against Hammel, there is no reason to avoid them, either.
Minnesota Twins vs. Chris Tillman
Miguel Sano, Brian Dozier, Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco, Kennys Vargas
Chris Tillman has a 3.52 ERA in three starts this season, but his 1.50 WHIP only hints at his blowup potential. Tillman’s velocity is down from last season and as I noted in the pitching coach, his first-strike percentage is awful. The Twins will likely be a less popular stack than they were against Ubaldo Jimenez Monday, but they could be just as effective
Miami Marlins vs. Sonny Gray
Justin Bour, Dee Gordon, Giancarlo Stanton, J.T. Realmuto, Ichiro Suzuki, J.T. Riddle, Derek Dietrich
I like a Marlins stack Wednesday because it is so versatile depending on your needs. If you start Chris Sale—more on that below—you can go cheap with Riddle, Dietrich and Ichiro, assuming Ichiro starts for Christian Yelich. If you have some more money to spend, you can go with the heart of the order. Realmuto and Bour could be strong plays either way.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tyler Chatwood
Cesar Hernandez, Michael Saunders, Cameron Rupp, Odubel Herrera, Freddy Galvis
The Phillies have a .336 wOBA at home this season, and while Tyler Chatwood has been better on the road, he still has a 5.05 FIP away from Coors Field this season. You will need some cheap hitters if you are going to start Sale, and the Phillies are a great place to find value. Hernandez, Saunders and Rupp are nice values across the board, while Herrera and Galvis are a bit cheaper on DraftKings than FanDuel.
Player News
Braves optioned RHP Davis Daniel to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Daniel pitched a scoreless inning in his lone day in the majors. His demotion makes room for waiver claim Ian Anderson on the active roster.
Braves designated RHP Zach Thompson for assignment.
Thompson, a member of Triple-A Gwinnett’s roster, pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in two appearances for the Braves earlier this month. He’s getting taken off the 40-man to make room for Eddie Rosario.
Braves signed OF Eddie Rosario to a one-year contract.
He’s replacing Jarred Kelenic in the roster. There’s not really anything to lose here, even though Rosario struggled during his time with the Braves last season. The 33-year-old just hit .339/.406/.542 in 14 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City before the Dodgers gave him a brief callup and then outrighted him. Odds are that he’ll start against most righties for now, though he could find himself out of a job once Ronald Acuña Jr. returns.
Braves optioned OF Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Red Sox SS prospect Marcelo Mayer went 3-for-7 with a walk, six RBI, four runs scored, and a home run during a doubleheader for Triple-A Worcester on Sunday.
The Red Sox’s second-ranked prospect is now hitting .280/.324/.548 with seven home runs, 34 RBI, 17 runs scored, and one steal in 23 games at Triple-A. He also had a great spring training and seems MLB-ready, but Trevor Story has been great for the Red Sox to start the season, and Kristian Campbell is the AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner right now at second base, so there is no room in the middle infield for Mayer as it stands.
Jordan Lawlar went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI, two runs, and a steal for Triple-A Reno on Sunday.
It’s getting a bit silly at this point. Lawlar is one of the top prospects in all of baseball and is slashing .356/.451/.644 in 26 games with five home runs, 26 RBI, 29 runs scored, and 12 steals. He has started playing third base in Triple-A as well, which could create a full-time spot for him in Arizona with Eugenio Suarez moving to DH. Lawlar should be up relatively soon and deserves to be stashed in all league types.