3 FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks for Monday 5/20/24

Stacking is an integral part of daily fantasy baseball. Correlation drives upside, giving your lineups a slate-winning ceiling when your stacks explode.

This piece will do the digging and the dirty work each day to determine which stacks are worth rostering on FanDuel's main slate. While we want upside, we also need to factor in game theory, especially in a sport as random as baseball.

The MLB DFS heat map at numberFire is a quick way to get a feel for the overall slate and which offenses are in a good spot. You can also check out our daily fantasy baseball projections -- which are powered by numberFire -- to identify the slate's best bats.

Let's look at the top stacks for today's main slate.

MLB DFS Stacks

Los Angeles Dodgers

Implied Total: 4.98 | Opposing Pitcher: Joe Mantiply

The Arizona Diamondbacks are expected to have Joe Mantiply operate as an opening pitcher on Monday versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. Across 21 relief appearances this season, Mantiply is in the fifth percentile in barrel rate (13.2%) and eighth percentile in hard-hit rate (47.2%).

Slade Cecconi is expected to replace Mantiply -- who has yet to pitch more than 1.2 innings in an outing this year -- once the veteran southpaw exits the contest. Despite Cecconi producing solid expected numbers, he doesn't miss many bats with a 20.4% whiff rate and 18.3% strikeout rate, and he's given up six earned runs in two of his last three starts.

While Mantiply is a left-handed pitcher, we should feel comfortable using lefties and righties in Los Angeles' lineup on Monday. Cecconi is recording a .326 wOBA, 2.35 HR/9, and a 12.5% strikeout rate versus left-handed hitters, compared to a .241 wOBA, 0.75 HR/9, and 26.7% strikeout rate versus right-handed hitters.

Mookie Betts ($4,300), Shohei Ohtani ($4,600), Freddie Freeman ($3,400), and Will Smith ($3,600) are undeniably the primary targets in Dodger stacks. Teoscar Hernandez ($3,500) is also worth consideration as he is amid a four-game hit streak, and he's capable of hitting for power against both left and right-handed pitchers.

There is plenty of value to be had at the bottom of the order for the Dodgers. Gavin Lux ($2,500), Andy Pages ($2,900), Jason Heyward ($2,500), and Enrique Hernandez ($2,400) are all viable if they are confirmed in the lineup. Heyward has produced 12-plus FanDuel points in back-to-back games.

There's also a chance we see Miguel Vargas ($2,000) make an appearance in Los Angeles' lineup on Monday.

Houston Astros

Implied Total: 4.58 | Opposing Pitcher: Reid Detmers

At the beginning of the season, it appeared that Reid Detmers was turning a corner for the Los Angeles Angels. Detmers tallied seven-plus strikeouts and allowed one or fewer earned runs in his first four starts, which all came against AL East opponents.

However, in his last five starts, Detmers has reached seven strikeouts just twice and he's permitted four-plus earned runs in each appearance. Entering Monday's matchup, Detmers is in the 26th percentile in barrel rate (9.4%), which isn't ideal against a team like the Houston Astros that excels against left-handed pitching.

Besides having the lowest strikeout rate (16.8%) versus left-handed pitchers, the Astros boast the fourth-best wOBA (.342), fourth-best wRC+ (123), and eighth-best ISO (.165) in the split. Along with Detmers' woes in recent starts, the Angels' bullpen is tallying the ninth-worst SIERA (3.82), the fourth-worst HR/9 (1.24), and the fifth-worst flyball rate (39.9%).

Jose Altuve ($3,700), Kyle Tucker ($4,500), Yordan Alvarez ($3,700), and Jeremy Pena ($3,300) are all in excellent spots against a struggling lefty. Tucker has posted 12-plus FanDuel points in 11 of his last 13 contests, totaling seven home runs and 12 RBIs in that span.

Alex Bregman ($2,900) has performed better as of late, finishing with double-digit FanDuel points in three of his last six outings. Houston also has righties Yainer Diaz ($2,800), Jake Meyers ($2,700), and Mauricio Dubon ($2,400) who can provide much-needed value at the bottom of the order.

While Jon Singleton ($2,600) performs better against right-handed pitching, he is still registering a decent .311 wOBA and 102 wRC+ when facing southpaws this year.

Minnesota Twins

Implied Total: 4.46 | Opposing Pitcher: Mitchell Parker

Mitchell Parker showed upside in his first few starts for the Washington Nationals, but his tendency to give up hard contact could be an issue moving forward. After recording a win in his first two starts, Parker has allowed multiple earned runs in three consecutive starts.

Parker is currently in the 19th percentile in average exit velocity (90.3 MPH), 37th percentile in barrel rate (8.3%), and 21st percentile in hard-hit rate (43.8%). Additionally, Parker has a -0.075 difference from his SLG (.353) and xSLG (.428), suggesting that his numbers are expected to worsen as he continues to get hit hard.

On the season, the Minnesota Twins are logging the 10th-best wOBA (.322), 10th-best wRC+ (109), and 11th-best ISO (.149) versus left-handed pitching. The Twins have plenty of right-handed bats and switch-hitters they can deploy in the lineup against a southpaw.

Aside from Ryan Jeffers ($3,800) and Willi Castro ($3,100), Minnesota's lineup doesn't have anyone else who is projected to play on Monday holding a salary above $3,000. This will come in handy with the Dodgers and Astros having plenty of high-salary bats we want to fit into our lineups.

Carlos Correa ($2,900), Jose Miranda ($2,800), Byron Buxton ($2,700), and Carlos Santana ($2,900) are all in advantageous matchups with Parker on the bump. Buxton has scored a run in five of his last six games while Santana is rocking a .340 wOBA, .256 ISO, and 122 wRC+ against lefties this season.

If you are really desperate for value, Manuel Margot ($2,400) and Kyle Farmer ($2,300) should be active versus a left-handed starter.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.