This article is part of our DFS MLB series.
Top DFS Pitching and Team Stacking Strategies for DraftKings
In this article, I'm going to take a deeper dive into pitching and team stacking options. Let's take a look at our optimizer's rankings of the pitchers for the DraftKings main slate, sorted by projected fantasy points.
Visit RotoWire's MLB Daily Lineups to find out where the hitters slot in!
*No postponements expected
We have a pair of starters priced in the $10k range today in Hunter Brown and Max Meyer, but my preference tonight is Kevin Gausman. He's $2,000 cheaper than Brown and has shown a high ceiling, most recently posting his second 30 DK point performance of the season.
We've also starred Aaron Nola, Will Warren and Tomoyuki Sugano in our optimizer. Warren checks in as the top point-per-dollar value on the slate as he gets a $1,000 discount compared to his FanDuel salary. Following a slow start to the season, Nola has given up just one run with 14 strikeouts over his last two starts combined. Note that Eduardo Rodriguez ranks well in the metrics below as well. I wouldn't blame anyone for spending up on Brown or Meyer, either.
Here's how each pitcher ranks in key categories (stats are from 2025 season only):
| Pitcher | Fantasy Points | FIP | K% | Opponent K% |
| Hunter Brown | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Kevin Gausman | 2 | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Luis Castillo | 3 | 6 | 13 | 20 |
| Max Meyer | 4 | 9 | 2 | 10 |
| Aaron Nola | 5 | 7 | 4 | 17 |
| Clay Holmes | 6 | 2 |
Top DFS Pitching and Team Stacking Strategies for DraftKings
In this article, I'm going to take a deeper dive into pitching and team stacking options. Let's take a look at our optimizer's rankings of the pitchers for the DraftKings main slate, sorted by projected fantasy points.
Visit RotoWire's MLB Daily Lineups to find out where the hitters slot in!
*No postponements expected
We have a pair of starters priced in the $10k range today in Hunter Brown and Max Meyer, but my preference tonight is Kevin Gausman. He's $2,000 cheaper than Brown and has shown a high ceiling, most recently posting his second 30 DK point performance of the season.
We've also starred Aaron Nola, Will Warren and Tomoyuki Sugano in our optimizer. Warren checks in as the top point-per-dollar value on the slate as he gets a $1,000 discount compared to his FanDuel salary. Following a slow start to the season, Nola has given up just one run with 14 strikeouts over his last two starts combined. Note that Eduardo Rodriguez ranks well in the metrics below as well. I wouldn't blame anyone for spending up on Brown or Meyer, either.
Here's how each pitcher ranks in key categories (stats are from 2025 season only):
| Pitcher | Fantasy Points | FIP | K% | Opponent K% |
| Hunter Brown | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Kevin Gausman | 2 | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Luis Castillo | 3 | 6 | 13 | 20 |
| Max Meyer | 4 | 9 | 2 | 10 |
| Aaron Nola | 5 | 7 | 4 | 17 |
| Clay Holmes | 6 | 2 | 7 | 13 |
| Gavin Williams | 7 | 14 | 6 | 16 |
| Will Warren | 8 | 11 | 5 | 21 |
| Nick Martinez | 9 | 5 | 10 | 18 |
| Jose Quintana | 10 | 13 | 14 | 8 |
| Jordan Hicks | 11 | 3 | 9 | 14 |
| Jameson Taillon | 12 | 10 | 12 | 22 |
| Chris Paddack | 13 | 19 | 17 | 9 |
| Eduardo Rodriguez | 14 | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| Hunter Dobbins | 15 | 12 | 16 | 24 |
| Michael Lorenzen | 16 | 17 | 11 | 4 |
| Zack Littell | 17 | 21 | 18 | 15 |
| Tomoyuki Sugano | 18 | 16 | 20 | 2 |
| Bryse Wilson | 19 | 24 | 19 | 3 |
| Kyle Hendricks | 20 | 20 | 22 | 6 |
| Randy Vasquez | 21 | 15 | 24 | 1 |
| Roki Sasaki | 22 | 18 | 15 | 19 |
| Osvaldo Bido | 23 | 22 | 21 | 5 |
| Antonio Senzatela | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
Analyzing Team Stack Rankings for Maximum DFS Impact
Here is how each team ranks in implied runs, home run rate and how popular we expect each team stack to be in GPPs:
| Team | Implied Runs | HR Rate | Stack Popularity |
| Padres | 7.2 | 19 | High |
| Yankees | 6.6 | 1 | High |
| Orioles | 5.7 | 8 | High |
| Diamondbacks | 5.5 | 6 | Medium |
| Brewers | 5.2 | 20 | High |
| Marlins | 5.2 | 15 | Medium |
| Astros | 5.0 | 17 | Medium |
| Dodgers | 5.0 | 2 | High |
| Red Sox | 4.9 | 9 | Medium |
| Athletics | 4.9 | 7 | Medium |
| Mets | 4.8 | 11 | Low |
| Giants | 4.8 | 13 | Medium |
| Rockies | 4.8 | 21 | High |
| Rays | 4.7 | 18 | High |
| Twins | 4.7 | 16 | Medium |
| Royals | 4.5 | 23 | Medium |
| Phillies | 4.4 | 12 | Low |
| Angels | 4.2 | 4 | High |
| Mariners | 4.1 | 5 | Low |
| Guardians | 3.9 | 10 | Low |
| White Sox | 3.7 | 24 | Low |
| Cubs | 3.6 | 3 | Low |
| Blue Jays | 3.2 | 22 | Low |
| Reds | 2.8 | 14 | Low |
My primary team stack targets
Dodgers vs. LHP Rodriguez (5.92 ERA, 1.7 HR/9). Key pieces: Will Smith, Miguel Rojas, Freddie Freeman, Enrique Hernandez, Shohei Ohtani
Padres vs. RHP Senzatela (5.84 FIP, 2.1 HR/9). Key pieces: Luis Arraez, Jake Cronenworth, Jackson Merrill, Fernando Tatis, Manny Machado
Athletics vs. RHP Warren (5.65 ERA, 1.54 WHIP). Key pieces: Shea Langeliers, JJ Bleday, Tyler Soderstrom, Brent Rooker, Jacob Wilson
Giants vs. RHP Paddack (5.52 FIP, 1.7 HR/9). Key pieces: LaMonte Wade, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Mike Yastrzemski, Wilmer Flores
Key Matchups and Batter vs. Pitcher Insights for DFS Success
Notable hitter matchups against the opposing starter today:
- Steven Kwan: 3-for-3, 1 HR; 1.000 BA, 3.000 OPS
- Wilmer Flores: 6-for-12, 2 HR; .500 BA, 1.583 OPS
- Mike Yastrzemski: 7-for-15, 2 HR; .467 BA, 1.596 OPS
- Freddie Freeman: 6-for-12, 1 HR; .500 BA, 1.372 OPS
- Jake Cronenworth: 7-for-15, 4 XBH; .467 BA, 1.400 OPS
- Enrique Hernandez: 5-for-11, 1 HR; .455 BA, 1.273 OPS
- Manny Machado: 9-for-23, 1 HR; .391 BA, 1.096 OPS
- Shohei Ohtani: 3-for-13, 1 HR; .231 BA, .873 OPS
- Julio Rodriguez: 3-for-11, 1 HR; .273 BA, .818 OPS
For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, lineups, roster changes and more, head to RotoWire's Fantasy Baseball News & Latest MLB Updates or follow @RotoWireMLB on X.
