Tuesday’s slate is behind us. We can all be grateful for that.
Today we’ve got a deep and interesting pitching pool, a couple of chalk options that are going to be in pretty much everyone’s lineup, and a handful of stack spots that should keep the slate from being a complete chalk fest. Good news is there’s still some offense to like.
Also, if you haven’t tried our free DFS optimizer yet, what are you waiting for? Sign up for a free 7-day trial and run your own lineups before lock. The tool handles the heavy lifting of stack construction, so you can focus on locking in your exposures.
Let’s get into it.
UPDATE: HOU-BAL was postponed. Welp!
Top Pitcher Picks for 4/29
- Cristopher Sanchez ($9,700, vs. SF)
- David Peterson ($6,200, vs. WSH)
- Tarik Skubal ($10,700, at ATL)
- Logan Webb ($8,700, at PHI)
- Bubba Chandler ($7,500, vs. STL)
- Brandon Williamson ($6,700, vs. COL)
- Chris Bassitt ($6,300, vs. HOU)
- JR Ritchie ($8,500, vs. DET)
Cristopher Sanchez is the ace of the aces today at $9,700 against San Francisco. He’s been one of the better pitchers in baseball this season; the barrel rate has ticked up a bit to 11% in 2026, but we’re not panicking over that when the groundball rate is still elite (58.3% career, similar marks this year) and the average exit velocity against him sits at 89.4 mph. That’s not a profile that’s going to get him killed. San Francisco isn’t an offense that’s going to do a lot of damage, and the matchup is about as clean as it gets. Sanchez is going to be heavily owned, which is fine. He’s earned it.
David Peterson is the best play on the board at $6,200. The ownership projections are sky-high (40%) for a matchup against Washington, he’s just way too damn cheap. His groundball rate (54.7% in 2025, similar to the start of 2026) keeps him out of big innings. Washington is also a great matchup for lefties, as their best hitters are left-handed. The salary is the selling point. If you roster Sanchez or Skubal at the top and Peterson at the bottom, you get incredible value.
Tarik Skubal ($10,700, at ATL) is the other ace, and he’s been…fine? The numbers are pretty good – 2.72 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 38 Ks against just 6 walks in 36.1 innings – he’s also had some weird outings. The issue today is he’s on the road in Atlanta, where the Braves have been one of the better lineups in baseball. $10,700 is a lot to pay for a road start against a talented offense, and you can’t always afford the salary without making some sacrifices. I think Sanchez is probably going to be the chalkier option, which makes a potential ownership discount with Skubal pretty intriguing despite the risky matchup.
Logan Webb ($8,700, vs. PHI) is an interesting one. The ERA (4.86) and WHIP don’t look great early in 2026, but the underlying profile is still very much what Webb always is. His groundball rate (58.9%) is one of the best marks in the majors, and the 32:13 K:BB ratio through 37 innings shows his stuff is still there. He gives up soft contact and doesn’t walk guys. I’m not in love with this matchup despite the Phillies’ early-season shittery, but $8,700 is pretty nice.
Bubba Chandler ($7,500, vs. STL) had a rough one last time out – 6 runs in 4 innings against Texas. The stuff is good, though. His 25% K-rate from 2025 was solid, and he’s awfully cheap and at home against a generally mediocre Cardinals offense. Young pitchers are volatile but there are a lot of Ks in the STL lineup, especially toward the bottom.
Brandon Williamson ($6,700, vs. COL) is another discounted option. The ERA and WHIP in 2026 aren’t pretty (5.40, 1.52), but he’s a lefty going up against the Rockies, a lineup we don’t mind targeting on the road. Colorado is striking out a lot vs. LHP (25.9%), though there is still risk at GABP.
Chris Bassitt ($6,300, vs. HOU) is another cheap guy. The problem is he’s old and kinda sucks, and the Astros have actually been hitting this season. It’s their pitching that sucks now. I’d just play Peterson.
JR Ritchie ($8,500, vs. DET) makes his second career MLB start today, and the debut could not have gone much better. 7 innings, 7 strikeouts, 2 walks in his first outing. The issue is $8,500 is a lot to pay for a relative unknown, and the Tigers are a capable offense.
SP Rankings
- Sanchez
- Peterson
- Skubal
- Webb
- Chandler
- Williamson
- Ritchie
Top Stacks for 4/29
- Orioles (vs. Peter Lambert)
- Reds (vs. Tomoyuki Sugano)
- Brewers (vs. Eduardo Rodriguez)
- Cardinals (vs. Bubba Chandler)
- Astros (at Chris Bassitt)
- Diamondbacks (at Brandon Sproat)
- Nationals (at David Peterson)
The Baltimore stack is where I want to start. Peter Lambert (3.27 ERA, 1-1) is facing the Orioles on the road, and while his numbers look okay on the surface, I am not sold. The O’s hit for a ton of power vs. RHP (.204 ISO, 11.1% barrels), and the lineup is a good mix of pricey and cheaper hitters. This is my favorite stack of the day. Taylor Ward, Gunnar Henderson, Samuel Basallo, Pete Alonso…it’s all good. The Astros’ bullpen is also big trash, of course.
Cincinnati against Tomoyuki Sugano is another spot I love. The Reds are one of the better offenses in the NL, and this is among the best HR parks in the league. Sugano has had some success early on, but he’s still getting barreled up at a double-digit clip by hitters from both sides. Elly De La Cruz leads the way, and Matt McLain is a good value at $3,200. Sal Stewart and TJ Friedl round out a stack that comes together pretty affordably. Spencer Steer and Tyler Stephenson are solid adds at the back end.
The Brewers against Eduardo Rodriguez at home is another spot I like. E-Rod has shown flashes but he’s been hittable, and Milwaukee’s lineup – even with some injury issues – has William Contreras and Brice Turang near the top. E-Rod has been hittable with LHBs over the years, so I’m OK with Turang and Sal Frelick in full stacks. Brandon Lockridge is a cheapie projected to lead off, while Gary Sanchez is still thwackin’ lefties. Luis Rengifo is on this team! Whoa!
The Cardinals vs. Chandler is a solid GPP spot. Chandler is good, and I’m using him as a pitcher in many lineups, but I’m looking at JJ Wetherholt ($5,300) at the top with Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, and Jordan Walker filling out the stack. There are still some capable bats here, and I think Chandler’s likely to be somewhat popular. Pretty good lev.
Houston against Bassitt is also on the radar. Yordan Alvarez is the top overall hitter on the slate at any position. Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker are the complementary pieces, with Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa rounding things out. Bassitt has a 9.3% strikeout rate this year.
Arizona’s lineup against Brandon Sproat gives you Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, Nolan Arenado, and a few cheap plays like Ildemaro Vargas ($4,000) and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ($3,300). Sproat hasn’t proven much at the big league level yet, and this lineup is getting healthy. I don’t love ARI as a primary stack but the combo of Carroll and Marte at the top is one of the better 1-2 punches you can build around today.
The Washington mini-stack against Peterson is purely a leverage play. James Wood ($6,100), CJ Abrams ($5,700), and Daylen Lile ($4,600) are a talented trio. I wouldn’t go more than 3-deep here considering it’s not a great lineup or spot, but obviously these guys can do some damage.
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