MLB DFS Top Stacks: Wednesday, April 17th
MLB DFS is complex. Most articles on MLB DFS picks are about the individual players most likely to succeed on any given day, but the MLB DFS picks most likely to succeed aren’t always the MLB DFS picks we should be most likely to play. In this article, we will look at the MLB DFS process over the MLB DFS picks. And we’re looking at teams over individual players, using the features of the RotoGrinders Top Stacks tool. We’ll still look at the player projections that are available in our MLB Lineup Optimizer, LineupHQ. However, we’ll be more focused on collective ownership, optimal scores, and matchups of full stacks within the context of game selection and leverage.
We have some afternoon baseball on this wonderful Wednesday! Both sites are going with an 11-game main slate that gets started at 1:05 PM ET.
Baltimore looks to be the main concern as far as weather goes, and that is potentially impactful because the Twins have a great matchup against Bruce Zimmermann. I am certainly not Kevin Roth, so be sure to check the MLB Weather page for the most recent forecast before loading up on Twins bats.
Let’s dive in and discuss which offenses I am targeting on Wednesday.
MLB DFS Picks: Top Stacks for Wednesday, April 17th
CHALK STACKS
Royals at Jonathan Cannon
The Royals and White Sox were postponed on Tuesday, so a juicy matchup for the Royals gets pushed back to this slate. Jonathan Cannon is expected to make his MLB debut for the White Sox. Cannon was a 3rd-round pick for the White Sox in the 2022 draft, and he is a ground-ball pitcher by trade who lacks overpowering stuff. He posted solid results in High-A in his first full professional season in 2023, but he was quite underwhelming after a mid-season promotion to Double-A, where he posted a 5.77 ERA and just a 17.3% strikeout rate. Cannon gets the call to the bigs after just two Triple-A starts this season, as the White Sox desperately search for anything resembling an MLB-caliber starting pitcher.
The Royals have been an above-average offense to begin the 2024 campaign, posting a 106 wRC+ through their first 17 games. Bobby Witt Jr. is rightfully the most expensive hitter in the lineup by a huge margin, but he is the clear top option. On FanDuel, every other hitter in the lineup is $3,100 or below. They are a bit more expensive relative to the salary cap on DraftKings, but no one, other than perhaps Maikel Garcia, stands out as overpriced.
With Cannon displaying pretty heavy ground-ball tendencies throughout his rise up the minors, I am targeting fly-ball hitters first. Nelson Velazquez and MJ Melendez stand out as extreme fly-ball hitters. Their troublesome strikeout rates should be offset by Cannon’s lack of ability to miss bats dating back to Double-A last season.
Vinnie Pasquantino and Hunter Renfroe add two additional options with above-average fly-ball tendencies. Both hitters have struggled to barrel the ball consistently, but their raw power has still allowed them to post respectable ISOs.
Kyle Isbel has a fly-ball profile as well, but his barrel rate is just 5.5% and his ISO sits at just .138 against RHP. He would be an option only in a full stack for me.
I do not think Cannon is able to last all that deep into this game, and a terrible White Sox bullpen awaits behind him.
PIVOT STACK
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