MLB DFS Top Stacks & Top Pitchers: July 22, 2026

Eric MacPherson is back with his daily card, breaking down the hitting stacks and starting pitchers he's targeting on this slate. Take his picks into the Stokastic MLB Sims and build by win probability across thousands of simulated contests.

EARLY Top Stacks 7/22 ⚾️🎇

NYY vs RHP MitchKeller 5.3 runs: This has been a rough stretch for Keller who has allowed 3+ runs in 10 of his last 11 starts, with 49 in the 56.1 IP, with the 42 Ks barely offsetting 21 BBs and 11 HRs. Look to the LHBs first, with Paul Goldschmidt an honorable mention for stacks from the 3-hole.

SFG at RHP Seth Lugo 4.9 runs: Two of Lugo's three mound meltdowns have occurred in his last five starts and the 8 HRs in 25.1 IP is concerning to say the least. Though the Giants have plated only 11 runs in the last four games, this is not the time to back away from the top-7, who provide tournament differentiation from a variety of positions and reasonable salaries for the matchup.

BOS vs RHP Dean Kremer 4.7 runs: The BoSox are on the cusp of tying a franchise record 15-game win streak and the LHBs look delightful against Kremer, along with Willson Contreras and Caleb Durin who have been locked in during this stretch.

ATH at RHP Merrill Kelly 4.7 runs: It appears that the end is nigh for Kelly, with righties now joining lefties in collecting XBHs against the 37yo. Even though the A's are down several key hitters, they still have some oomph in the lineup and look to be a fine mini-stack for gamers prioritizing the Coors Field Extravaganza.

EARLY Pitchers 7/22 ⚾️ 🏖️

Gerrit Cole vs PIT 3.7 runs: The Bucs are second in the league for runs scored, total bases and strikeouts, ranking 8th in steals and 9th in home runs. Oneil Cruz, Endy Rodriguez and Spencer Horwitz are all on the IL which has the bottom of the order looking pretty thin. Cole has an 8-year low with his 23.9 K%, though he has a still solid strikeout per inning, even after missing last year with Tommy John surgery. Cole's original team should be putting forth at least four high-strikeout candidates (HKCs), which bodes well for his DFS backers.

Reid Detmers vs STL 4.5 runs: This matchup is not for the faint of heart, though the Red Birds roster lacks power against southpaws aside from Jordan Walker and small sample size contributors Nelson Velazquez and Blaze Jordan. The 5.5 Ks for Detmers is juiced to the over at -150 and a quality start is in play if he stays out of trouble.

Emerson Hancock vs CIN 3.9 runs: This is Hancock's first appearances since the ASB and he was part of a committee on the final Sunday, recording just 19 pitches. He should be well rested and in his last 14.1 IP he has allowed only one runs with 13 Ks and 6 BBs. There are 4 HKCs in the Reds projected lineup and while they have plenty of power, T-Mobile VERY pitching friendly.

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Pitchers 7/22 ⚾️ 🚀

Peter Lambert vs MIA 4.2 runs: There are no "safe" picks tonight, particularly with LHP Ranger Suarez (groin) maybe returning to the rotation and LHP Max Fried (elbow) unlikely to go more than 60-65 pitches. Lambert washed out of the league after being a pre-Pandemic prospect for COL, reinventing himself in the NPB last year. His walk rate is better, but still high and most projection systems (ZiPS, Steamer, The Bat, etc.) have him losing some K-rate efficiency. To his credit, he has 25+ DKFP in 4 of his last 6 appearances, albeit aided by the win bonus in a trio of tilts. MIA is pesky, but in consistent, which leaves the door open for Lambert to make some noise on the DFS front.

Sandy Alcantara at HOU 4.3 runs: On the other side of this matchup, Alcantara continues chugging along, with 20+ DKFP in 7 of 8 games, averaging nearly 7 IP per appearance in this stretch. The top-six for the 'Stros will be doing their best to make life miserable for Alcantara, though the back of the lineup is weak.

Kyle Bradish is a tournament target in BOS, while Colin Rea is a DK SP2 salary saver with neutral Wrigley Field weather conditions. Griffin Jax has been impressive with his strikeout rate, though Ks are likely to be tough to accumulate in Toronto against the stingy Blue Jays.

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Top Stacks 7/22⚾️🎇

CLE vs RHP Bailey Ober 4.3 runs: This is a selective recommendation with the Guardians swinging the stick from the left-side of the plate fine for one-offs and mini-stacks as Ober is a friend to all opposite-handed batsmen. Look to Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, Kyle Manzardo and Brayan Rocchio as the preferred target order and providing cheap differentiation.

PHI vs LHP Eric Lauer 4.9 runs: Lauer has notched 40.1 IP in six outings as a Dodger, though he has just 21 Ks in that stretch. He has avoided any mound meltdowns, but the Phillies have enough power to make him uncomfortable. The only concern for the home team is that manager Dave Roberts will not be afraid to pull the plug and lean on the bullpen if things go awry early.

LAD vs RHP Aaron Nola 5.0 runs: Nola has his strikeout rate at a four-year high, though his walk rate is the second-worst of his career and his 2.01 HR/9 is dreadful. He has been unlucky with a .319 BABIP, though he was at .315 last year and has a .295 for his career. DK assigned appropriate salaries for the key Dodgers, though with little to chase at the two SP slots, building around the boys in blue is not particularly daunting.

NYY vs RHP Bubba Chandler: The Yankees have a fun matchup in the second game of the double-header as Chandler tends to hand out a lot of free-passes and he is going to be walking the high-wire against a mostly left-handed lineup. Do not lose sight of Ryan McMahon on DK ($2.6k) where he is at a ridiculously low salary.

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