I can't tell you how excited I am to see a full slate of baseball. Something about the everyday grind of MLB keeps me coming back for more, and it's hard to believe we're just getting started. With that said, this is one of the most challenging days from a DFS standpoint. It's Opening Day for all of these teams, and that means every club is throwing out its ace. That makes it nearly impossible because we have too many pitchers to pick from, and nearly every hitter is in a tough matchup. That's a fun challenge to try to dissect, so let's get started by talking about the arms.
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Pitching
Freddy Peralta, NYM vs. PIT ($9,600)
The Mets made some serious moves during the offseason, and adding Peralta atop this rotation could be a game-changer. This guy was already a stud in Milwaukee, maintaining a 3.33 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 31 percent K rate since 2020. That's a ridiculous run, and we have to anticipate Peralta being even better in NY since Citi Field is the most pitcher-friendly environment in baseball. That home matchup against Pittsburgh couldn't be better, too, with the Pirates ranked dead last in runs scored and wOBA last season. That's why we're looking at a minuscule 6.5-run total.
Jacob Misiorowski, MIL vs. CWS ($8,800)
Misiorowski struggled in the second half of last season, but the talent is undeniable. He earned a surprising All-Star appearance behind a 2.70 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 12.7 K/9 rate through his first seven starts. That's the prospect pedigree we saw in the minors, and Miz should be ready to roll after registering a 1.50 ERA throughout last year's playoffs. Earning that Opening Day start shows just how much Milwaukee trusts this guy, and he couldn't have a better matchup. The White Sox ranked 27th in wOBA and runs scored last season, with Miz entering this matchup as a -200 favorite.
Top Targets
Junior Caminero, TB ($3,800) vs. Matthew Liberatore
Caminero broke out with 45 bombs last season, and this is a great spot to continue that success. The third baseman had a .370 OBP during Spring Training, but what we really love is that he faces one of the worst lefties on this slate. That's Liberatore, who posted a 4.21 ERA and 1.31 WHIP last season. If you want to stack Rays, Yandy Diaz ($3,100) is a great pairing with Caminero given his .395 OBP and .976 OPS against lefties since 2023.
Yordan Alvarez, HOU ($3,800) vs. Jose Soriano
Alvarez is coming off the worst season of his career, but injuries tend to do that. There simply weren't many more consistent hitters in baseball before that, with Alvarez posting a .390 OBP and .973 OPS through his first six seasons. He also never finished below a .877 OPS, so a bounce-back season feels like a near guarantee. That won't bode well for Soriano because Alvarez hits from the left side, while the righty posted a 1.40 WHIP last season. Guys like Jose Altuve ($3,20), Christian Walker ($3,000) and Isaac Paredes ($3,000) are good pairings with Alvarez in a 'Stros stack.
Bargain Bats
Caleb Durbin, BOS ($2,700) vs. Andrew Abbott
It was unclear if Durbin would be a regular for the Red Sox before spring training, but he secured a starting spot with his stellar play. Durbin finished the spring with a .426 OBP and .926 OPS across 48 at-bats. A hot bat like that makes it hard to believe his salary is this low, especially since he gets the platoon advantage in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in baseball. Abbott's preseason performance only adds to Durbin's intrigue, with the southpaw sporting an 11.72 ERA across six Cactus League starts. Willson Contreras ($3,000) and Trevor Story ($3,400) also have the platoon advantage against Abbott.
Andrew Vaughn, MIL ($2,700) vs. Shane Smith
Why are people still sleeping on Vaughn? This first baseman was quietly one of the Brewers' best bats last season, and he should be in the heart of their lineup once again. After being acquired from the White Sox, Vaughn amassed a .375 OBP and .869 OPS across his final 64 fixtures last year. That's an All-Star run, and it's no surprise since he's much happier with the Brew Crew. They're also one of the highest-scoring projected lineups on this slate, and we'll dive into that more in the Stacks To Consider section.
Stacks to Consider
Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals (Cade Cavalli): Pete Crow-Armstrong ($3,400), Michael Busch ($3,300) and Ian Happ ($3,100)
There aren't many poor pitchers on this slate, but Cavalli is one of them. He's getting the Opening Day nod for the Nats because they don't have better options, but it's difficult to overlook his 2025 form. Cavalli has a 5.09 career ERA and 1.51 WHIP. That's bad news since Chicago was a top-five offense in nearly every metric last season.
PCA was just rewarded with a massive contract, and he's the best piece of this stack. He finished with 31 homers and 35 steals last season while providing an .838 OPS against righties. Busch was also a breakout last year, totaling a .910 OPS against right-handers. Happ is the final piece of the stack, generating a .362 OBP and .808 OPS against righties over the last three seasons.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago White Sox (Smith): Christian Yelich ($3,400), Brice Turang ($3,100) and Vaughn ($2,700)
There are only a few pitchers we want to stack against on this Opening Day slate, but Shane Smith is one of the toughest to trust. The sophomore had a 3.81 ERA across 29 starts last season. That's not bad, but the Brewers are projected to score five runs in this spot. That's one of the highest totals on this slate, but it's less surprising since Smith had a 10.13 ERA during spring training.
Yelich had 29 homers and 16 steals last year while accruing a .382 OBP and .879 OPS against righties over the last three years. Turang and Vaughn are the cheap pieces of the stack, with Turang tallying a .358 OBP and .812 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor last season.
