Today’s “Stack the Deck” article will focus on the both the early and late slates today. Feel free to play around with a few combos of your own. As always, things can change based on lineups and weather, so don’t stay up to date using the Playbook Pro tools.
96.4% of all lineups that cashed last season on DraftKings stacked at least two players.
Stacks for Saturday, April 15
Cubs
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It will be approaching 80 degrees at Wrigley this afternoon, and early reports show the wind blowing 19 mph out to right center field. The Pirates are rolling out Tyler Glasnow, who failed to go a full two innings in his first start, walking five while allowing four hits in just 1 ? innings. The Cubs are one of the most potent offenses on paper in the league, but have yet to show it much so far this season.
Cubs hitters have 10 Extra-Base hits out of 37 total hits (just 27.0%) versus RHP this season (Rank: 29th of 30 in MLB; League Avg: 36.4%), as well as a Well-Hit avg of just .075 (6/80) against right-handed relievers this season (Rank: 29th of 30 in MLB; League Avg: .154).
Their power has also been missing, having homered every 47.0 at-bats this season (Rank: 27th of 30 in MLB; League Avg: 30.1) If Glasnow tries to have better command today, the Cubs are slugging .815 (22 total bases in 27 ABs) on the first pitch of at-bats this season (Rank: 3rd of 30 in MLB; League Avg: .542).
With the wind blowing out, and at home on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Chicago, I’ll be all over the Cubbies this afternoon.
Top targets: Kyle Schwarber, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Jason Heyward
Toronto
At the time of this writing, the Cubs run total is not out yet, leaving the Blue Jays with the highest implied run total of the early slate at 4.88 runs. Personally, I’ve been stacking the Jays, and receiving little in return to start the year. If off the Cus this afternoon, the Jays are yet again expected to light up the scoreboard today.
As mentioned, the Jays have not started well on the offensive side this season, as they have just 3 HRs in 240 ABs (80.0 AB/HR) versus RHP this season. That number drops to 0 times in 66 PAs with the pitcher behind in the count this season (Rank: Tied for 28th of 30 in MLB).
The Jays are facing Alec Asher today, who the O’s received from a trade in late March, and will be making his first start of the season today. Asher has thrown at least two strikes in his first three pitches to 81.8% (27/33) of opposing batters vs right-handed batters since the 2016 All-Star Break (Rank: 1st of 184 qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 63.7%).
Let’s hope the Jays are aggressive early vs Asher today. While I doubt I would take a chance with Russell Martin’s .071 avg, Bautista, Morales and Tulu are worth a look over the bottom half of the Jays roster. 21.6% of Troy Tulowitzki's plate appearances have lasted only one pitch (8/37 PAs) this season, and hopefully he will have a better luck at the plate today with some runners on base for him.
Top targets: Jose Bautista, Troy Tulowitzki, Kendrys Morales, Steve Pearce, Kevin Pillar
Dodgers
Patrick Corbin receives the start for Arizona tonight, and will be on the road for the first time this year, and has yet to give up a homer in his two starts. He has thrown his slider 50.0% of the time (13/26) vs left-handed batters this season (Rank: 1st of 63 qualified SPs in MLB; League Avg: 19.9%). While the slider is a nasty pitch if it doesn’t stay up in the zone, hitters seem to have a good eye on Corbin’s pitching so far this season, as opponents swung at 75.6% of his pitches in the zone (65/86) this season.
The Dodgers have put 45.3% of their swings in play (126/278) versus starting pitchers this season (Rank: 2nd of 30 in MLB), and if they can keep turning the lineup over, opponents have a Well-Hit Avg of .289 (11/38), and an OBP of .455 against Patrick Corbin as a starter when going through the lineup the third time in a game since the 2016 All-Star Break.
Yasiel Puig is off to a fast start, and has an OPS of 1.783 at home this season (Rank: 1st of 113 full-time hitters in MLB; League Avg: .751). Focusing on the right handed hitters for the Dodgers is the safest route, as Seager and Gonzalez have a combined 13 K’s vs 8 hits lifetime vs Corbin.
Top targets: Yasiel Puig, Justin Turner, Logan Forsythe, Scott Van Slyke
Rangers:
Texas is my higher risk, lower owned, stack of the night. Seattle’s pitcher, James Paxton, has been stellar this season, striking out 13 batters in 13 innings, scattering six hits without yielding a run yet through his first two starts. Diving deeper into Paxton’s hot start, right-handed hitters have a Well-Hit Avg of .049 (2/41) this season, and allowed a slugging percentage of .174 (8 Total Bases / 46 ABs).
How have the Rangers looked so far this year? In their four wins this season, they have scored at least 8 runs. The issue with them, is that they have to attack pitchers early on, and especially against Paxton today. Texas is averaging just 3.5 Pitches per Plate Appearance (237/68) versus LHP this season (Rank: 29th of 30 in MLB; League Avg: 3.9), but are slugging .853 (29 total bases in 34 ABs) on the first pitch of at-bats this season (Rank: 2nd of 30 in MLB). The higher risk comes with Paxton, and the Rangers striking out 72 times in 294 PAs (24.5%) this season. If your early contests don’t go well, take the high risk, low owned Rangers stack tonight.
Top Targets: Jonathan Lucroy, Carlos Gomez, Mike Napoli, Nomar Mazara