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3 Daily Fantasy Baseball Stacks for 3/29/19

Randal Grichuk and the Blue Jays disappointed on Opening Day, but will they get things going against Matt Boyd on Friday?





Now, let's get to the stacks.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays looked like a promising stack on Opening Day, but instead they were naturally one of a handful of teams to get blanked on a day that saw teams combine for 48 home runs.

But at least that means they remain cheap across the board, and while their 4.72 implied total against left-hander Matt Boyd wouldn't normally move the needle, it happens to be the highest of Friday's slate.

Boyd isn't quite the level of pitcher we normally want to attack with a stack, as last year's 4.31 SIERA and 22.4% strikeout rate weren't that awful, and he flashed enough potential that some believe he could improve in 2019. But he also allowed a 37.5% hard-hit rate and 49.9% fly-ball rate, leading to him giving up 1.43 home runs per 9 innings, something he's struggled with in his career. Now, that's something we can get on board with.

As for the Jays, the right-handed bats of Brandon Drury ($2,300), Randal Grichuk ($3,000), and Teoscar Hernandez ($3,000) should bat one through three, giving you a quick and easy stacking core, albeit ones who could be rather popular given their prices. Grichuk in particular seems like a must considering his power potential -- he was top 10 in barrels per plate appearance last year -- while Hernandez owns a .237 career ISO, also making him an ideal tourney play. However, you might consider fading Drury in large-field GPPs, as his near-minimum salary could lead to immense ownership.

Justin Smoak ($3,300) and Lourdes Gurriel ($2,900) should round out the top half of the order, although Smoak is more of a secondary choice, as he's typically shown better numbers from the left side against right-handed pitching.

Los Angeles Angels

On a slate lacking high implied totals, Mike Trout ($4,800) should be a popular fixture in lineups against Marco Estrada, who stands out as one of Friday's weakest pitchers.

The Los Angeles Angels are in Oakland -- not exactly the best venue for home runs -- but in 2018, Estrada owned an ugly 5.45 SIERA and 16.4% strikeout rate, and his 55.6% fly-ball rate lended itself to the home run ball. He gave up 1.82 home runs per 9 innings last year, which was the third-worst mark among pitchers with at least 140 innings.

Trout needs no explanation, and the left-handed bats of Kole Calhoun ($2,800) and Justin Bour ($2,900) that surround him in the lineup conveniently offer both salary relief and pop. Calhoun's 44.5% hard-hit rate ranked top 20 among batters with at least 500 plate appearances last season, while Bour owns a career .359 wOBA and .228 ISO against right-handed pitching.

The rest of the Angles might not be as exciting, but they're all under $3,000, allowing you some flexibility with the rest of your lineup. Injuries derailed Zack Cozart ($2,500) in 2018, but for what it's worth, he did slug 24 home runs with a .251 ISO in 2017.

Oakland Athletics

Over in the other dugout, the Oakland Athletics take on Matt Harvey, who put up a half-decent 4.18 SIERA last year, but his 19.8% strikeout rate was nothing to write home about, while he also allowed a career-worst 38.9% hard-hit rate. He's best attacked by left-handed bats, as 17 of the 27 home runs he allowed came off a 43.1% hard-hit rate and 42.9% fly-ball rate from that side.

Of course, Khris Davis ($4,300) is no ordinary right-handed batter, and any Oakland stack should include him by default. He can be joined on the left side from switch-hitters like Robbie Grossman ($2,300), Kendrys Morales ($2,600), and Jurickson Profar ($3,300). Morales may seem boring, but he posted a 40.6% hard-hit rate last year and ranked top 30 in barrels per plate appearance.

Meanwhile, Matt Chapman ($4,000) and Stephen Piscotty ($3,200) are righty bats, but neither one had any trouble teeing off against same-side pitchers last season, each posting ISOs above .230 and hard-hit rates above 43% in the platoon split.




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