MLB DFS Slate Preview: Tuesday, April 25
Erik Wardenburg previews the Tuesday, April 25th slate, breaking down his favorite MLB DFS picks, the top stacks, and some optimizer values at DraftKings & FanDuel. Sign up for MLB Premium to build DFS lineups like a pro!
Solid nine-game main slate today with no rain to worry about. It looks like a pretty wide-open SP day as there are some nice expensive options and some value arms that could put up strong numbers.
It’s also looking similar to yesterday as far as the top stacks, with TOR, ATL, LAA, and ARI all with 5+ run totals currently. Let’s check out some MLB DFS picks along with some news and notes for today!
MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel & DraftKings
This daily article highlights some of RG’s most helpful MLB DFS tools, including our industry-leading MLB DFS projections and MLB DFS optimizer, with some picks and analysis along the way. I will focus on the main slate of the day, but you can still find plenty of other tools, content, and analysis on RG for other slates. Let’s get to it!
MLB DFS Weather Check
Before we look at the projected lineups and MLB DFS picks for the day, it’s crucial to understand how the weather will impact the slate. Then we can better understand if we want to target certain games with ideal hitting conditions, for example, and possibly avoid games at risk of delay or postponement. Two tools to use are the MLB Weather Report and MLB WeatherEdge, which are both managed by RG’s Chief Meteorologist, Kevin Roth. You should also be following Roth on Twitter for his important weather news and updates.
- The best hitting conditions are in ATL and LAA, with both in the 60s.
- SD/CHC will have the coolest temps in the low 40s to high 30s and 9mph wind blowing in from left. WSH/NYM, NYY/MIN, and STL/SF will be on the cooler side as well with temps in the 50s.
- CHW/TOR, DET/MIL, and KC/ARI are today’s dome games.
MLB Projected Lineups – Analysis & Top Stacks
There are ways to get edges in MLB DFS, such as stacking a lineup or targeting guys higher in the order (since they are more likely to see an extra at-bat). We should always look for value bats that arise each slate. They allow us to fit those extra one or two players into our lineup who are likelier to hit home runs and get us those ceiling games we need to win tournaments.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at MLB Starting Lineups to see what the likely batting orders are for this slate, which teams I’m looking to stack, and any other interesting notes. Going forward, the projected lineups will usually be pretty consistent daily, with the main changes being based on the opposing pitcher being a righty or lefty. Also, certain players are more likely than others to get a day off if playing a day game after a night game.
- Springer should be back in there after getting a day off yesterday, and Luis Arraez is likely back for Miami after sitting a couple of games.
- For STL, it looks like Nootbaar will stay at leadoff against righties and Gorman in the 3-hole as they break up the three righties of Goldy, Arenado, and Contreras a bit. Two of DeJong, Donovan, and Edman will get the nightly starts at the 2B/SS spots.
- SF got back Mitch Haniger yesterday, but Joey Bart is dealing with some groin tightness, so look for Sabol to start at C today.
- My top stacks today are TOR and ATL, with LAA and ARI close behind them. NYM, MIL, and KC are other stacks I like having exposure to.
Make sure to follow the RG MLB Twitter feed for confirmed lineups, as well as our DFS Alerts page for important news and analysis.
MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Optimizer Picks
With a good feel for the projected lineups, weather, and strong stacks to consider, let’s check out the RotoGrinders MLB DFS optimizer, LineupHQ. With this tool, you can create up to 300 MLB DFS lineups in seconds, all of which will adhere to the custom settings you input. For insight into how one of the best MLB DFS players uses LineupHQ, read this article and watch the embedded videos from the GOAT himself, CheeseIsGood.
If we click on the “P/$” column header in the LineupHQ grid, it will rank all of the available players from highest to lowest based on their expected fantasy points per dollar of salary on the specific DFS site you have selected — this is one of the best starting points for finding value on every slate. Let’s do that now and see what stands out on FanDuel and DraftKings.
- For the price, matchup, and likely run support behind him, I’m leaning towards Jose Berrios ($7,800) as my cash game SP today. The White Sox aren’t the best matchup on paper today, but they still have only a 3.7-run total currently, and Berrios is just a bit too cheap for someone with 7+ strikeout upside as a big home favorite.
- I’m expecting all of Steele ($11,400), Ryan ($11,000), Cortes ($10,500), Morton ($9,800), and Lauer ($9,300) to show up across cash games today, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Canning ($8,800) as well. Even Snell ($7,600) is looking like a strong play pitching in cold temps with wind blowing in, and Miller ($7,500) might be the only SP that can throw 100+ mph today so I like having exposure to him as well in GPPs. Overall pitching is wide open today so I like spreading out exposure in GPPs, while Berrios is where I’ll likely go in cash games to fit in as many top bats as possible.
- George Springer ($3,100) and Daulton Varsho ($2,900) are who I’m starting my cash game build with, as both are way too cheap on one of my top stacks of the slate.
- Next, I’m looking at a mini ATL stack of Eddie Rosario ($2,200), Ozzie Albies ($3,100), and Austin Riley ($3,400) as all are very affordable with big upside today.
- KC/ARI didn’t produce as much as I’d have liked yesterday, but it has the highest game total of the slate again today. Bobby Witt ($3,300) remains a fantastic play at a great price, and Corbin Carroll ($3,200) continues to be too cheap for someone with huge SB upside and some power. Melendez ($2,700), Pasquantino ($3,000), and Marte ($3,000) are other cheap plays I like from this game.
- Mason Miller is a top prospect for OAK and not the best matchup for LAA, but Taylor Ward ($3,000) remains super cheap, along with Rendon ($2,800) if you want some value from the Angels. I also like Yelich ($3,200), Winker ($2,900), Marte ($3,000), and Nimmo ($3,500) as top p/$ OF targets today.
- Steele ($10,100) and Ryan ($10,500) are the only SPs over $10k on DK, and between them I prefer Steele for cash games. Jose Berrios ($8,100) isn’t as much of a relative value as he is compared to FD, but I still don’t mind him in cash games and will definitely have exposure in GPPs. Charlie Morton ($8,600) is standing out as a top cash game SP, as he’s over $1k cheaper than FD and draws a great matchup against Miami. Griffin Canning ($6,400) is also looking like a top-value SP against OAK, while Mason Miller ($5,700) is super cheap, and I would make sure to have him somewhere in a GPP today.
- Springer ($5,000) and Varsho ($4,400) remain my top targets from TOR, while Albies ($4,300) and Rosario ($2,300) are top-value options from ATL, especially Rosario.
- Pasquantino ($3,500) is one of my favorite p/$ 1B options today, and at 2B I don’t mind stacking him with Massey ($2,300) for basically min price. Walker ($3,200) and Smith ($3,200) are my top targets from ARI. Check out our Underdog Fantasy promo code for new signups, where I like taking higher on 7.5 fantasy points for Pasquantino today.
- Other cheap bats I like today include Brandon Belt ($2,200), Daniel Vogelbach ($2,400), Jesse Winker ($3,300), and LaMonte Wade ($2,700).
MLB Premium subscribers will have access to all of this data in LineupHQ, so be sure to keep checking there as we start getting the confirmed lineups and projections update. The very best P/$ plays tend to be pretty consistent throughout the day for MLB. That being said, projections can always change if someone is hitting higher in the order than initially projected or if a player with a low salary gets a spot start for an injured/resting player.
MLB DFS – RotoGrinders Premium Tools Pre-Lock
If you have any tough last-minute decisions or need some quick MLB DFS picks, our MLB Premium package also contains Consensus Value Rankings, an Expert Survey, and daily LineupHQ Premium tags from our MLB DFS experts.
And for up-to-the-minute news and analysis leading right up to lock, make sure to watch MLB Crunch Time later in the day.
Good luck today!