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 12-game main slate, sorted by projected fantasy points.
Visit RotoWire's MLB Daily Lineups to find out where the hitters slot in!
*No postponements expected
Tonight's large slate brings us three starters in the $10k range, led by our preferred choice in Garrett Crochet. Boston's ace leads the slate in strikeout rate, and he gets a second straight matchup against the Yankees, who lit him up for five runs last week. Even so, Crochet still managed his ninth 20+ DK point performance of the year.
We've also starred Bryce Elder, Luis Castillo and Charlie Morton in our optimizer. As of this article being posted, Castillo hasn't officially been announced the starter, so double-check that before locking him into your lineup. Meanwhile, Morton has some GPP appeal due to the matchup and recent good stretch before getting roughed up last time out. Note that the Rangers have yet to name a starter and have been left off the table below (we're projecting Dane Dunning or an opener). Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clay Holmes and Adrian Houser all rank well in the metrics below and can also be considered.
Here's how each pitcher ranks in key categories (stats are from 2025 season only):
| Pitcher | Fantasy Points | FIP | K% | Opponent K% |
| Garrett Crochet | 1 |
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 12-game main slate, sorted by projected fantasy points.
Visit RotoWire's MLB Daily Lineups to find out where the hitters slot in!
*No postponements expected
Tonight's large slate brings us three starters in the $10k range, led by our preferred choice in Garrett Crochet. Boston's ace leads the slate in strikeout rate, and he gets a second straight matchup against the Yankees, who lit him up for five runs last week. Even so, Crochet still managed his ninth 20+ DK point performance of the year.
We've also starred Bryce Elder, Luis Castillo and Charlie Morton in our optimizer. As of this article being posted, Castillo hasn't officially been announced the starter, so double-check that before locking him into your lineup. Meanwhile, Morton has some GPP appeal due to the matchup and recent good stretch before getting roughed up last time out. Note that the Rangers have yet to name a starter and have been left off the table below (we're projecting Dane Dunning or an opener). Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clay Holmes and Adrian Houser all rank well in the metrics below and can also be considered.
Here's how each pitcher ranks in key categories (stats are from 2025 season only):
| Pitcher | Fantasy Points | FIP | K% | Opponent K% |
| Garrett Crochet | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 |
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto | 2 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| Bryce Elder | 3 | 15 | 12 | 2 |
| Gavin Williams | 4 | 18 | 4 | 7 |
| Clay Holmes | 5 | 11 | 8 | 8 |
| Luis Castillo | 6 | 8 | 14 | 13 |
| Freddy Peralta | 7 | 12 | 5 | 19 |
| Michael Wacha | 8 | 6 | 15 | 16 |
| Nick Martinez | 9 | 5 | 17 | 5 |
| Logan Webb | 10 | 1 | 3 | 17 |
| Taj Bradley | 11 | 17 | 11 | 20 |
| Charlie Morton | 12 | 21 | 9 | 1 |
| Luis Severino | 13 | 10 | 19 | 23 |
| Erick Fedde | 14 | 16 | 22 | 14 |
| Chris Paddack | 15 | 14 | 16 | 18 |
| Colton Gordon | 16 | 7 | 6 | 15 |
| Ryan Yarbrough | 17 | 20 | 7 | 4 |
| Keider Montero | 18 | 22 | 21 | 6 |
| Adrian Houser | 19 | 3 | 10 | 11 |
| Stephen Kolek | 20 | 13 | 18 | 21 |
| Ryne Nelson | 21 | 9 | 13 | 22 |
| Jack Kochanowicz | 22 | 23 | 20 | 3 |
| German Marquez | 23 | 19 | 23 | 9 |
Analyzing Team Stack Rankings for Maximum DFS Impact
Here is how each team ranks in implied runs, BABIP (batting average on balls in play) and how popular we expect each team stack to be in GPPs:
| Team | Implied Runs | BABIP | Stack Popularity |
| Orioles | 6.9 | 13 | High |
| Braves | 6.5 | 11 | High |
| Rangers | 5.5 | 24 | High |
| Diamondbacks | 5.5 | 16 | Medium |
| Mets | 5.2 | 19 | Medium |
| Red Sox | 5.1 | 1 | High |
| Royals | 4.9 | 10 | High |
| Dodgers | 4.9 | 2 | Medium |
| Brewers | 4.6 | 17 | Low |
| Tigers | 4.5 | 3 | Medium |
| Padres | 4.5 | 15 | High |
| Astros | 4.2 | 7 | Medium |
| Twins | 4.2 | 12 | High |
| Angels | 4.1 | 23 | High |
| Reds | 3.9 | 8 | Medium |
| Yankees | 3.8 | 5 | Low |
| Mariners | 3.7 | 14 | Low |
| Guardians | 3.6 | 21 | Low |
| Athletics | 3.5 | 6 | Medium |
| White Sox | 3.4 | 22 | Medium |
| Cardinals | 3.3 | 4 | Low |
| Rays | 3.2 | 9 | Low |
| Giants | 2.9 | 20 | Low |
| Rockies | 2.4 | 18 | Low |
My primary team stack targets
Orioles vs. RHP Kochanowicz (5.47 FIP, 1.5 HR/9). Key pieces: Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser
Braves vs. RHP Marquez (7.00 ERA, 1.68 WHIP). Key pieces: Matt Olson, Michael Harris, Marcell Ozuna, Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna
Twins vs. LHP Gordon (5.11 ERA, 1.5 HR/9). Key pieces: Ryan Jeffers, Willi Castro, Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton
Angels vs. RHP Morton (5.24 FIP, 1.6 HR/9). Key pieces: Nolan Schanuel, Jorge Soler, Mike Trout, Luis Rengifo, Zach Neto
Key Matchups and Batter vs. Pitcher Insights for DFS Success
Notable hitter matchups against the opposing starter today:
- Pedro Pages: 2-for-2, 2 HR; 1.000 BA, 5.000 OPS
- William Contreras: 8-for-14, 2 HR; .571 BA, 1.625 OPS
- Ozzie Albies: 6-for-14, 2 HR; .429, 1.286 OPS
- Luis Rengifo: 4-for-10, 1 HR; .400 BA, 1.200 OPS
- Max Muncy: 9-for-27, 3 HR; .333 BA, 1.195 OPS
- Jose Ramirez: 6-for-25, 3 HR; .240 BA, 1.029 OPS
- Christian Yelich: 8-for-15, 2 2B; .533 BA, 1.229 OPS
- Salvador Perez: 4-for-15, 2 HR; .267 BA, 1.086 OPS
- Matt Olson: 6-for-13, 2 2B; .462 BA, 1.149 OPS
- Willson Contreras: 7-for-24, 2 HR; .292 BA, 1.035 OPS
- Rhys Hoskins: 10-for-34, 3 HR; .294 BA, .988 OPS
- Nolan Arenado: 10-for-36, 4 HR; .278 BA, .944 OPS
- Mookie Betts: 10-for-29, 2 HR; .345 BA, .987 OPS
- Shohei Ohtani: 4-for-11, 2 2B; .364 BA, 1.079 OPS
- Steven Kwan: 6-for-14, 1 2B; .429 BA, .967 OPS
- Freddie Freeman: 14-for-37, 1 HR; .378 BA, .951 OPS
- Carlos Santana: 3-for-16, 1 HR; .188 BA, .810 OPS
- Lane Thomas: 4-for-14, 1 HR; .286 BA, .857 OPS
- Fernando Tatis: 4-for-11, 2 2B; .364 BA, .962 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.
