Penned By: @Ryan_Humphries on Twitter/X and LineStar Chat.

• Rate LineStarApp on the App store and get a shoutout on Twitter from @LineStarApp official account!

• Have questions? Check out the LineStar Tutorial Wiki.

• LineStar’s 2025 MLB DFS Primer & Strategy Guide ⚾

Top DFS Offers 4/2/25 💸

Our editors found the top deals in sports-books so you don’t have to! Tapping below links will help support LineStar through an affiliate referral.

• Sleeper DFS - Deposit Match up to $100 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Underdog DFS - 50% Deposit Match up to $250 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Chalkboard DFS - Deposit Match up to $100 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Must be 18+ (some states may require 21+) and be present in an eligible state; if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.

OnDeck MLB DFS & Prop Bet Podcasts 🎙️

Like, Subscribe, and Comment @ LineStar YouTube channel! You never know when we’ll shout you out or give you something cool. New episodes drop Mon-Fri feat. hosts Shannon Sommerville & Tyler Wiemann! Every episode is quick, informative, & easy to watch.

Main Slate Rundown 🏟

It’s a getaway day for visiting teams today so the vast majority of games are frontloaded in the afternoon. There will still be an evening slate on the board with four games in the later window. However, keep in mind that this slate will get underway a bit earlier than usual at 6:35 ET. Four-game MLB slates can be tricky but this one does possess a solid mix of pitching and hitting so it should be a fun little slate to dive into. Quick note: this will be a brief newsletter today. Best of luck!

Main slate match-ups with implied run totals and moneyline odds:

💣4/2 Dinger Report💣

Today’s Top Dinger Odds (sorted by LineStar projected odds)

Main Slate Weather Outlook 💨🌦️☁️

Check LineStar's MLB Daily Dashboard to see an overview of the most up-to-date game forecasts.

• BOS at BAL (6:35 ET, 7.5 O/U): Low 50s with 15 mph winds blowing right-to-left, a bit OUT to left. Could also see some light rain here, but nothing too concerning.

• COL at PHI (6:40 ET, 7.0 O/U): High 40s temps with 10-15 mph winds mostly OUT to left, a bit right-to-left. And, once again, a chance for some light rain.

• ARI at NYY (7:05 ET, 7.5 O/U): Chilly temps in the low 40s with some stiff 15+ mph winds IN from right. Gonna be a bit more difficult to hit it over the short porch today. To sound like a broken record, there is also a chance for some light rain here as well.

Pitchers to Consider ⚾

Zack Wheeler (RHP), PHI | DK: $10k, FD: $10.7k | vs. COL

With just eight SPs on the mound for this slate, it’s going to be difficult to get away from the chalk. There are few starters in all of baseball, if any, who are as reliable as Zack Wheeler, and today he gets a dynamite matchup at home to boot. Wheeler had arguably the best Opening Day outing last Thursday when he went six full innings against the Nationals, allowing one run on two hits and striking out eight on 97 pitches. Wheeler is a workhorse, so it wasn’t too surprising to see him close in on 100 pitches right out of the gates. Wheeler pitched to a 2.31 ERA, .186 opp AVG, 0.94 WHIP, and 28.8% kRate in just over 100 innings at home last season. Though some winds are blowing out at CBP this evening, the cold temps should still make for some solid pitching conditions. You also don’t often see an MLB team as heavily favored as the Phillies (-360 ML) are today.

As for the matchup, the Rockies have picked up right where they left off last year, which is near the bottom of all offensive metrics. Across their 143 plate appearances through four games, Colorado has sputtered to a .211 AVG, .552 OPS, 45 wRC+, and 30.8% kRate (2nd highest). I wouldn’t be shocked if Wheeler is able to get through at least seven innings today and, to no surprise, the Rockies are pinned with a slate-low 2.8 implied run total.

Blake Snell (LHP), LAD | DK: $9k, FD: $10k | vs. ATL

I don’t make it a habit to spotlight the two most expensive pitchers on any given slate, but Wheeler and Snell are just so clearly the two best plays on this four-game slate. If you want to get different by going away from these guys, go right ahead. Just know that it’ll be a risk!

Snell wasn’t overly sharp on Opening Day against the Tigers as he gave up a couple of runs on five hits and, more concerningly, four walks, while striking out just two batters. However, he did get through five innings on 92 pitches and earned the win. And, despite the low number of Ks, he generated a solid 14.1% SwStr% and 28.3% CSW%, which is nearly on par with his career average of 14.3% SwStr% and 30.3% CSW% so the “stuff” was still pretty good. Just not his A-plus stuff and the plate command wasn’t the best. But we’ve seen Snell get off to these rocky starts before settling in the more live innings he gets to pitch.

If you’re not targeting my woeful 0-6 Braves with pitching, well, I might advise you to start. Nothing is connecting at the plate for these guys and, through six games, they rank dead last in the MLB in AVG (.137), OPS (.458), wOBA (.216), and wRC+ (36). Their 29.1% kRate is also the third-highest in MLB. They are also a comically bad 1-for-34 with runners in scoring position and have plated just nine runs (1.5 runs/gm). I will say, Atlanta is getting absolutely hosed in the luck department given their unsustainably low .178 BABIP. They’re also 5th in the MLB in Barrel Rate (10.7%). Well-struck balls just are not finding gaps or clearing fences. At some point, the tides will turn for the Braves bats but another road game against Blake Snell doesn’t seem like it will be said turning point.

Other Pitchers to Consider

Garrett Crochet (LHP), BOS | DK: $8.5k, FD: $9.5k | at BAL

Carlos Rodon (LHP), NYY | DK: $8.3k, FD: $8.7k | vs. ARI

Zach Eflin (RHP), BAL | DK: $7k, FD: $7.9k | vs. BOS

Team Stacks to Target 🎯

Disclaimer: Stacking in MLB DFS is not a requirement but it is a very common strategy used to take down GPPs. This strategy is covered in more detail in the MLB DFS strategy guide linked in the header at the top of this newsletter. Check out the MLB StackFinder on LineStar.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Bryce Elder (RHP), ATL

This stack suggestion likely needs little explanation. The magic (read: “luck”) that Bryce Elder displayed in the first half of the 2023 season quickly wore off in the second half which led to him being relegated to “emergency starter” status in 2024. Elder rocked a 6.52 ERA, .309 opp AVG, and 1.63 WHIP across 10 starts and 49.2 IP last year. And he wasn’t exactly sharp in 12.2 IP in the spring -- 4.97 ERA, .275 opp AVG, and 1.50 WHIP.

Across 162 plate appearances versus RHPs thus far, the Dodgers currently own an .842 OPS, .360 wOBA, .252 ISO, and 137 wRC+… and you could argue that those are somewhat bad numbers for this lineup. In 56 PA vs. Elder, the current Dodgers roster has put up a .292 AVG, .331 xBA (expected batting average), .427 xwOBA, and have had an average exit velo of 91.2 mph. The Braves also pitched some of their better bullpen arms last night, so a couple of those arms may not be available tonight.

Favorite LAD Bats: Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman (Would favor Freddie Freeman over Edman if he is back in the lineup tonight)

Bargain Bat: Max Muncy

Boston Red Sox vs. Zach Eflin (RHP), BAL

This Red Sox lineup is pretty stacked but they’ve gotten off to a sluggish start and currently rank 24th with a 69 wRC+. Strikeouts have been an issue for Boston as their 28.9% kRate is the 4th highest in MLB right now.

Eflin is a solid starter but he isn’t a big strikeout guy, which may be a good omen for Red Sox bats as they should put plenty of balls in play tonight. Eflin posted a below-par 19.6% kRate last season, a 17.0% kRate across 11.2 IP in Spring Training (to go along with a poor 5.40 ERA, 4.99 xFIP, and 1.54 WHIP), and he notched just two strikeouts across 6.0 IP against the Blue Jays on Opening Day. In 67 PA vs. Eflin, the current BoSox roster has posted a quality .308 AVG, .367 wOBA, and 92.8 mph average exit velo. Hitting conditions also aren’t too bad in Baltimore today. It’ll still be fairly cold this time of year, with temps in the 50s, but there are some 15 mph winds expected to blow out to left field at times this evening.

Favorite BOS Bats: Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Alex Bregman

Bargain Bat: Kristian Campbell

Low-Owned Stack That Just Might Work Out 🤔

Atlanta Braves vs. Blake Snell (LHP), LAD

This is just contrarian for contrarian’s sake on a small four-game slate. But, as mentioned in the Snell spotlight above, despite their pitiful offensive numbers, the Braves are still putting some barrels on the ball and have struggled in the “BABIP luck” department. Also, if Snell struggles with walks again, as he did in his season debut, Atlanta may be able to make something of that. 8-of-9 hitters in the projected Braves lineup also have a ≤ 11% pOwn%, which is more relevant on a small slate like this one. I maybe wouldn’t go stacking four or five Braves into lineups, but a two or three-man stack could pay off at low ownership.

Favorite ATL Bats: Marcell Ozuna, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies

Bargain Bat: Eli White (or Stuart Fairchild, if he’s in the lineup)

Home Run Calls of the Day 💣

Make sure you’re following @LineStarApp on Twitter/X. Retweet the Home Run Calls of the Day tweet for your chance to win prizes!

Ryan’s PrizePicks Power Play of the Day

Here is a two-pick “Power Play” I’m liking for today's MLB action over on PrizePicks! Nothing is ever a guarantee to hit but I put my own money on these picks so I don't just lightly throw them out there without believing they'll cash! If it hits, it will return 3× the wager.

Shohei Ohtani MORE than 9.0 Hitter Fantasy Score

Eugenio Suarez MORE than 0.5 Total Bases

🔥 Props AI 🔥

In LineStar’s ongoing mission to improve, innovate, and help you reel in some cash, we are introducing Props AI for MLB! This tool can help you find value and mispriced odds on player props from sportsbooks and, more specifically, for PrizePicks and UnderDog Fantasy!

Speaking of props, put the Props AI tool to use by signing-up for UnderDog Fantasy for a month of LineStar Premium (Promo code: LINESTAR). Plus deposit match for new customers.

Best of luck out there today, everyone!