In partnership with

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 ⚾

The #1 AI Newsletter for Business Leaders

Join 400,000+ executives and professionals who trust The AI Report for daily, practical AI updates.

Built for business—not engineers—this newsletter delivers expert prompts, real-world use cases, and decision-ready insights.

No hype. No jargon. Just results.

Subscribe free—trusted by leaders

Top DFS Offers 8/29/25 💸

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

Offers for new users only, additional terms and conditions may apply — see operator site for full details. 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.

LineStar MLB DFS & Prop Bet Shows 🎙️

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. host Tyler Wiemann! Every episode is quick, informative, & easy to watch.

Keep an eye out for Tyler’s DFS and props videos, which will be posted on the LineStar YouTube channel (linked above) later today!

Main Slate Rundown 🏟

After today, only four MLB regular season Friday slates remain! I know everyone’s frothing at the mouth for football season (the first CFB newsletter goes out today, by the way), but here’s a reminder to cherish these big MLB slates while we have ‘em! Today’s main slate is loaded up with a dozen games. We’ll have some excellent pitching matchups on tap today with several aces on the mound, alongside some intriguing mid-range/value SP options, which include a couple of top-50 MLB prospects making their big league debuts (RHP Jonah Tong, NYM, and LHP Payton Tolle, BOS). On the offensive end, Coors Field is back on the docket for the first time in about a week, but around a half-dozen or so non-Coors stacks also stand out from the pack. Let’s get it going and head into the long Labor Day weekend on a positive note! Best of luck!

Note: I am traveling today, so this newsletter may be sent out around the regular time but is being written much earlier than usual. Keep that in mind for things like the weather outlook and projected lineups.

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

💣8/29 Dinger Report💣

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

Main Slate Weather Outlook 💨🌦️☁️

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

Once again, I am getting today’s newsletter together earlier than usual, so these forecasts may change a good bit between now and first pitch.

• PIT at BOS (7:10 ET, 8.0 O/U): Probably the riskiest game on the slate. Some afternoon rain looks to linger into the evening, which could/should cause a somewhat lengthy late start. The forecast does clear up later in the evening, so there is a decent chance they get a full game in tonight. But PPD potential is there, nonetheless. Assuming they play, it'll be in cooler temps in the 60s with light ~5 mph winds blowing OUT toward the Green Monster in left.

• MIA at NYM (7:10 ET, 8.0 O/U): 10 mph winds, a bit left-to-right, but mostly IN from left. Small bump to pitchers.

• SEA at CLE (7:10 ET, 7.5 O/U): Low-60s with light winds IN from center/left.

• SD at MIN (8:10 ET, 8.5 O/U): A few storm cells will be in the general area. If one rolls over the ballpark, a delay is on the table. But the game will play. Light winds blowing IN from center/left.

• CHC at COL (8:40 ET, 11.0 O/U): There is enough rain in the area to be cautious of a potential delay, but that’s about it.

• TEX at ATH (10:05 ET, 10.0 O/U): 90 degrees at first pitch, temps in the 80s for most of the night. Winds OUT to left around 10 mph. Pretty standard forecast for this ballpark and, as usual, it represents a great hitting environment.

Pitchers to Consider ⚾

George Kirby (RHP), SEA | DK: $9.2k, FD: $10.3k | at CLE

Like most Mariners pitchers, Kirby tends to be at his best back at home in the pitcher-friendly confines of T-Mobile Park. But, after a rough start to his 2025 campaign, which was delayed by an IL stint to begin with, Kirby has been generally great over the last month. In six starts (35.2 IP) since July 26th, Kirby has pitched to a 3.03 ERA, 3.58 xFIP, 1.26 WHIP, .241 opp AVG, 0.50 HR/9 Rate, and 25.5% kRate. If we exclude the very rough outing he had against the Mets a couple of weeks back, where he gave up 12 hits and seven runs across 4.2 IP, and just look at his other recent five starts, those previously listed numbers improve to a 1.45 ERA, 3.32 xFIP, 0.97 WHIP, .183 opp AVG, 0.30 HR/9 Rate, and 28.1% kRate. Sure, it’s easy to cherry-pick out one bad start from a pitcher’s recent stretch of games, but everyone has a bad day at the office once in a while, and this also reinforces the point that Kirby has been “generally great” of late.

A major draw, perhaps the main draw, for Kirby today will be his matchup with the stumbling Guardians. By all accounts, they have been *the* worst offense against RHPs L2Weeks, ranking dead last in that span in AVG (.180), OPS (.491), wOBA (.215), ISO (.076), and wRC+ (32). They’ve also posted the third-highest kRate (28.0%) in that span. When your wOBA is starting to look like an awful batting average, you’re in some trouble. And that’s across a solid sample size of 304 plate appearances. The one thing Cleveland does have going for them is an extremely lefty-heavy lineup. Given his traditional splits, Kirby doesn’t perform as well versus LHBs, and Cleveland should have as many as eight LHBs in the lineup today. But, aside from that aspect, everything else seems to work in Kirby’s favor.

Jonah Tong (RHP), NYM | DK: $8.5k, FD: $8.8k | vs. MIA

There are safer SP options you can roll with out of this general price range, LHP Robbie Ray (DK: $9k, FD: $9.7k) at home versus an O’s team that is struggling to hit lefties would probably be my pick. But, if you’re a regular reader of these MLB newsletters, you know I have a hard time ignoring highly touted pitching prospects making their MLB debuts, so Jonah Tong gets the spotlight today.

At 22 years old, Tong is rated as the No. 44 overall prospect in baseball (via MLB.com), and his results from the minor leagues have been nothing short of bewildering. Across 113.2 IP between Double-A and Triple-A this year, Tong has boasted a 1.43 ERA, 2.16 xFIP, 0.92 WHIP, 0.16 HR/9 Rate, 52.9% GroundBall%, and an absurd 40.5% kRate. Walks have been a bit of an issue (10.6% BB%), and most of Tong’s work in the minor leagues this season has come at the Double-A level (102.0 IP) as opposed to Triple-A (11.2 IP). But the results still speak for themselves. As for his arsenal, Tong features a quality four-seamer that sits mid-to-upper 90s, backed up by a devastating changeup and sweeping curveball. Tong’s lean frame (6’1”, 180 lbs) and over-the-top delivery have led many scouts to draw comparisons to Tim Lincecum.

A matchup with the Marlins may not be a breeze, but speaking of breezes, Tong will be making his debut at home with some helpful (to pitchers) 10 mph winds generally blowing in from left field. The Marlins also own a subpar .700 OPS and 95 wRC+ against RHPs L2Weeks. Their kRate of 19.4% hasn’t been overly high in that span, but they also haven’t been drawing many walks (6.2% BB%, second-lowest), which could help negate Tong’s main drawback (allowing walks). The Mets (-181 ML) are also sizable favorites today, and, as long as he isn’t treated with kiddie gloves and gets pulled at the first sign of trouble, Tong’s outlook is mostly positive today.

Payton Tolle (LHP), BOS | DK: $7.6k, FD: $5.5k | vs. PIT

Reminder: Keep an eye on the weather for this game.

What? We get two top-50 prospects debuting on the mound today, and I’m supposed to stay quiet about it? At the risk of sounding like a bit of an ass, once you write about 100 MLB articles in a season, talking about a shiny new, highly-touted pitching prospect is much more exciting than lobbying for guys like Seth Lugo and Jeffrey Springs. But I have the same feelings towards DFS lineup construction… putting a potential future ace in their debut in some lineups just adds a little more juice to the whole DFS experience, if you ask me. I digress.

Payton Tolle steps in as the No. 28 overall prospect in baseball (MLB.com) and the No. 3 left-handed pitcher. Like the aforementioned Jonah Tong, Tolle is also making his big league debut at 22 years of age and has been cruising in the minor leagues. He was playing collegiate ball just last year and was selected in the second round (50th overall) in the 2024 draft last summer. Tolle began the year in High-A but, through sheer dominance, progressed rapidly up the farm system to Triple-A within a few months. Overall, across 91.2 IP in the minor leagues this season, Tolle has procured a 3.04 ERA, 2.55 xFIP, 0.99 WHIP, .201 opp AVG, 0.98 HR/9 Rate, and 36.5% kRate. Perhaps those results aren’t as impressive as Tong’s, but we’re not exactly in the market of comparing the two, and Tolle is considerably cheaper as a DFS option as well. Tolle also displayed sharp control of the plate with just a 6.3% BB% this MiLB season. One thing Tolle does have over Tong is physical stature, as he stands 6’6”, 250 lbs, which leads to some elite extension (averaged 7.3 feet of extension in Triple-A).

The matchup could be considered a little tricky. The Pirates have not had great success at the plate for most of this season, but they haven’t been complete pushovers lately. Against LHPs over the last month, they’ve put up a respectable 113 wRC+ (ranks 10th) and, though they’re not hitting for average (.230 AVG) in that stretch, they have had plenty of pop with a .218 ISO (ranks 4th). The kRate has been slightly above league-average at 22.4%. The Pirates have been boosting their OBP numbers via walks, leading the MLB with a 12.9% BB% vs. LHPs L30Days. But, again, walks aren’t something that Tolle has seemed to struggle with, at least not at the minor league level. This is also a rare occurrence where FanDuel has a guy priced much lower than DraftKings. Tolle is a worthy SP2 candidate on DraftKings, regardless, but $5,500 is the lowest price FanDuel puts on pitchers -- typically on relievers. He may not clear 6+ innings, but Tolle could still clear five innings, assuming no significant restrictions. How about facing off with Paul Skenes in your big league debut, too? Exciting stuff.

Other Pitchers to Consider

Paul Skenes (RHP), PIT | DK: $10.6k, FD: $10.7k | at BOS (Monitor weather)

Blake Snell (LHP), LAD | DK: $9.8k, FD: $9.9k | vs. ARI

Robbie Ray (LHP), SF | DK: $9k, FD: $9.7k | vs. BAL

Cristian Javier (RHP), HOU | DK: $7.9k, FD: $7.8k | vs. LAA

Cade Horton (RHP), CHC | DK: $7.8k, FD: $7.9k | at COL (Monitor weather)

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.

Obligatory Coors Field Stacks

Chicago Cubs vs. German Marquez (RHP), COL

Colorado Rockies vs. Cade Horton (RHP), CHC

Non-Coors Stacks

New York Yankees vs. Yoendrys Gomez (RHP), CWS

Gomez has mostly pitched out of the bullpen this season, but he has a couple of solid starts under his belt this month. But I’m not putting much stock in it. His lackluster 4.73 ERA on the season is backed up by a worse 5.50 xFIP, and he’s not a big strikeout guy (19.3% kRate). Gomez has also allowed a ton of flyballs lately -- 47.5% FlyBall% over the last month.

That could be bad news against this Yankees lineup, which has, far and away, the top HR/FB Rate (27.1%) against RHPs L2Weeks. The other metrics are just as impressive for the Yankees against RHPs lately. In that same two-week span, they’ve mashed for a .970 OPS (1st), .407 wOBA (1st), and .309 ISO (1st by a mile). The White Sox bullpen is also regressing following a solid few weeks post-All-Star Break. They own the worst ERA (8.58) and WHIP (1.98) over the L2Weeks and opponents are hitting for a .345 AVG against them in that span.

Favorite NYY Bats: Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge (it’s tough to ignore Ben Rice & Giancarlo Stanton, too)

Bargain Bat: Ryan McMahon

Kansas City Royals vs. Chris Paddack (RHP), DET

The Royals have been one of those notoriously tricky teams to get right this season, but they’ve been reasonably consistent of late. Spanning their last 16 games against RHPs (432 PAs), the Royals rank 5th or better in AVG (.279), OPS (.842), wOBA (.363), ISO (.211), wRC+ (130), and they’ve posted the lowest kRate at 16.4%.

Meanwhile, outside of the occasional “okay” outing, Chris Paddack has been plagued by inconsistency, hard contact, and barreled balls. Over his last 13 starts, Paddack has supplied a 6.55 ERA, 4.62 xFIP, .307 opp AVG, .379 opp wOBA, 1.90 HR/9 Rate, and 15.7% kRate. He is bottom 10th percentile in average exit velocity (92.1 mph) and barreled balls allowed (10) over the last month. He will be backed up by a Tigers bullpen that is in strong form, but if the Royals get an early jump on Paddack, they may not face the top relievers out of the Detroit pen.

Favorite KC Bats: Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez

Bargain Bats: Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Massey

Low-Owned Stack That Just Might Work Out 🤔

Texas Rangers vs. Jeffrey Springs (LHP), ATH

Eight of nine hitters in the projected Rangers lineup have a < 10% pOwn%. I’d imagine Coors Field being on the slate is driving down the ownership numbers in this game, which has the second-highest total on the evening (10.0 over/under) and, once again, great hitting conditions (warm temps with 10 mph winds out to left) at the #2 most hitter-friendly ballpark.

The Rangers are banged up, no doubt. Corey Seager is out after undergoing an appendectomy yesterday, and other guys like Marcus Semien, Evan Carter, and Sam Haggerty are on the IL. But, as a team, the Rangers have been hitting LHPs well with a .359 wOBA and 132 wRC+ L2Weeks.

Jeffrey Springs has also been giving up a ton of flyballs, with a 50.7% FlyBall% over the last month. He’s bottom 5th percentile in average batted ball distance (209.3 feet) in that span as well. This ballpark is not one where a flyball pitcher often thrives, and Springs has had a 1.89 HR/9 Rate at home this season. The A’s bullpen has been holding it down with an MLB-best 1.94 ERA L2Weeks, but they’re certainly due for some regression, which could happen against a fairly hot-hitting, albeit banged-up, Rangers squad.

Favorite TEX Bats: Wyatt Langford, Adolis Garcia, Kyle Higashioka

Bargain Bat: Ezequiel Duran

Unfortunately, I’m short on time today and need to hit the road, so no one-off or bargain bat lists today. I’ll pick those back up on Tuesday -- no newsletter on Monday (Labor Day). Enjoy the long weekend!

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!

Note: The Home Run Calls contest will be posted on the LineStar Twitter later today (around 3 pm ET).

🔥 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!