This guide shows how to build MLB lineups with the free MLB lineup optimizer. It covers DraftKings and FanDuel. If you are new to the optimizer, read the lineup optimizer guide for every sport first.
MLB Roster Rules
| Site | Salary cap | Roster | Max hitters per team |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings classic | $50,000 | P, P, C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF | 5 |
| FanDuel | $35,000 | 9 players | 4 |
Set Up the Build
The header has "Date", "Site", "Slate", "Projections" and "Contest". DraftKings showdown slates show in the "Slate" list next to the classic slates. "Contest" has "Cash / H2H", "20-Max", "Single Entry", "3-Max" and "150-Max". The default is 20-Max.
The position buttons include "All Batters", "P", "C", "1B", "2B", "3B", "SS" and "OF". The "Ord" column shows the batting order spot. Hitters at the top of the order get more plate appearances.
Use a Preset
Open "Advanced Settings". The "Contest Type" row has "Cash", "Single-Entry", "3-Max", "20-Max" and "150-Max". All five presets work in MLB. Each preset sets the lineup count for its contest. Click "Custom" to set the tabs yourself.
Stack Your Hitters
Runs come in groups. When a team scores five runs, several of its hitters score points. A stack puts four or five hitters from one team in your lineup. The "Stacks" tab controls this.
- "Choose Stack Types" sets the stack form. "5-3" means five hitters from one team and three from another. Other forms include 5-2, 4-4, 4-3 and 4-2.
- "Max Hitters Per Team" caps the hitters from one team. The site maximum is 5 on DraftKings.
- "Avoid Pitcher vs My Stack" keeps your pitcher off the team that faces your hitters. It is on by default.
- "Rank stacks by correlated sim ceiling" ranks stack options by their high outcomes, not their average.
If you select no stack type, the optimizer can use up to the site maximum from one team. For tournaments, select 5-3 or 4-4.
Pitchers
On DraftKings you roster two pitchers. The "Exposure" tab has "Pitcher max %" and "Hitter max %". A lower pitcher maximum spreads your lineups across more pitchers.
The "Ownership" tab has two pitcher controls. "Min Pitcher Ownership %" never rosters a pitcher below the ownership that you set. A value of 0 turns it off. "Chalk Pitcher Rule" puts a highly owned pitcher in some of your lineups. You set "Min count", "Own % threshold" and "Lineup %". Set all three to 0 to turn it off.
Build and Review
Lock or exclude two players on DraftKings, then click "Optimize". Each card shows points, ceiling, salary and total ownership.
Click "Export DK CSV" to download the lineups for DraftKings.
Weather and Late Swap
Rain can delay or stop a game. Check the weather before lock. MLB games start at different times, so Late Swap helps. On classic slates, upload DKEntries.csv in the "Late Swap" tab. Turn on "Keep stacks" so the swap does not break your stacks.
How MLB Players Score Together
Correlation shows how closely two players' DraftKings points rise and fall together. We measured it on about 2,450 MLB games from the most recent season.
| Pair | Correlation |
|---|---|
| Two hitters next to each other in the batting order | 0.16 |
| Two hitters two spots apart | 0.14 |
| Two hitters on the same team | 0.11 |
| Two hitters four to seven spots apart | 0.09 |
| A hitter and his own team's pitcher | 0.06 |
| The two starting pitchers in one game | -0.15 |
| A hitter and the pitcher he faces | -0.30 |
| A team's total hitter points and the pitcher they face | -0.67 |
Hitters next to each other in the order have the strongest link. When one hitter gets on base, the next hitter can drive him in. One hitter scores a run and the other gets an RBI. So stack hitters in a row, such as spots 1 to 5.
A pitcher against your own hitters is the worst pair. When your hitters score, the pitcher they face has a bad game. The team total against that pitcher is -0.67. Keep "Avoid Pitcher vs My Stack" on.
| Batting order spot | Average DK points |
|---|---|
| 1 | 8.3 |
| 2 | 8.0 |
| 3 | 7.8 |
| 4 | 7.3 |
| 5 | 6.9 |
| 6 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 6.1 |
| 8 | 5.7 |
| 9 | 5.3 |
Hitters at the top of the order get more plate appearances, so they score more. A starting pitcher averages 13.5 points, the most of any player.
MLB Strategy by Contest Type
Cash games
- Use the "Cash" preset. Pay for two strong pitchers first.
- Use hitters from the top of the order. Small stacks of two or three are fine.
Single entry and 3-max
- Use the "Single-Entry" or "3-Max" preset.
- Build around one stack of four or five hitters in a row from a team with a high implied total.
20-max and 150-max
- Use the "20-Max" or "150-Max" preset. A preset sets the stack types for you. To choose your own, click "Custom" and select 5-3 or 4-4 on the "Stacks" tab.
- Use more than one primary stack across your lineups. A stack with lower ownership and a real chance to score gives you leverage.
- Use "Chalk Pitcher Rule" to decide how many lineups use the most popular pitcher.
Weather and Late News
Check the weather and the confirmed lineups before each game. Rain can delay or stop a game. A hitter who moves down the order loses plate appearances. Use Late Swap with "Keep stacks" on for slates that run from afternoon into night.
Common Mistakes
- A pitcher against your own stack.
- A stack with gaps in the order, such as spots 1, 4, 7 and 9.
- A stack built before the lineups are confirmed, with no plan to swap.
A Simple MLB Plan
- For cash games, use the Cash preset. Pay for two strong pitchers.
- For a 20-max tournament, use the 20-Max preset and select a 5-3 or 4-4 stack.
- Keep "Avoid Pitcher vs My Stack" on.
- Check lineups and weather before the first pitch.
See today's numbers on the MLB DFS projections page. Then go back to the lineup optimizer guide hub for the other sports.
DFS contests use real money. Only play what you can afford to lose. 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.