MLB is a daily sport with the deepest player pools and the most stack-driven scoring. Runs come in bunches, and the hitters who bat back to back share them. DFS Hero supports MLB on DraftKings and FanDuel in classic and single-game formats, with batting-order data in the Player Pool and batting-order-aware stack rules in Build Settings.
Sites and formats
| Site | Format | Roster | Salary cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | Classic | P, P, C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF (10 players) | $50,000 |
| DraftKings | Showdown | CPT, UTIL, UTIL, UTIL, UTIL, UTIL (6 players) | $50,000 |
| FanDuel | Classic | P, C/1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, UTIL (9 players) | $35,000 |
| FanDuel | Single-game | MVP, UTIL, UTIL, UTIL, UTIL, UTIL (6 players) | $60,000 |
Slot rules that matter:
- The P slot takes a starting pitcher or a relief pitcher on both sites.
- FanDuel's C/1B slot takes a catcher or a first baseman. FanDuel UTIL takes any hitter.
- The CPT and MVP slots score 1.5 times the player's points and cost 1.5 times the salary.
Team and game limits:
- DraftKings classic needs players from at least 2 games and allows at most 5 hitters from one team. A pitcher from that team can ride along as a sixth player.
- FanDuel classic needs at least 3 teams and allows at most 4 hitters from one team, with one pitcher from that team on top.
- Showdown and Single-game allow at most 5 players from one team.
The Player Pool
The H tab lists every hitter. MLB adds the Order column: the hitter's spot in the batting order, 1 to 9, with a dot that shows whether the lineup is confirmed. With Advanced Mode on, the grid adds Hand, Runs, ERA, wOBA, and ISO.
The Filters popover adds a Player Status section with Confirmed, Projected, and Not Projected. A hitter with more than one position, for example 2B/SS, gets a dropdown in the Pos column so you can force one slot.
Build Settings
Sport Rules
Open Build, then expand SPORT RULES on the Basic tab.
| Control | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Prevent Opposing Pitchers | Stops a lineup from rostering both starting pitchers from the same game. | Off |
| FLEX Position | FanDuel only. Limits the UTIL slot to the positions you pick: C, 1B, C1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF. | Off |
| Hitters vs Pitcher | Limits how many hitters a lineup can roster against its own pitcher. Auto, the default, allows 2 on slates of 3 games or fewer and none on bigger slates. Manual sets your own Allow number, 0 to 5; it starts at 0, which allows none. | Auto |
Min Unique Players goes up to 9 on DraftKings and 8 on FanDuel.
Stacks
- A Team Stack rule sets a Stack Size from 2 up to the site's hitter cap (5 on DraftKings, 4 on FanDuel), a Max Gap between batting-order spots (ANY, NO GAP, 1 PLAYER, 2 PLAYERS, 3 PLAYERS), a For Teams list, Batting Orders 1 to 9, Positions, and a Max exp %/team. Up to 5 rules can run at once.
- Quick Stack shows a Stack Mix table of preset shapes: 5-3, 5-2, 5-1, 5-X, 4-4, 4-3, 4-2-2, 4-2, 4-1, 4-X, and No stack on DraftKings. FanDuel's list starts at 4-4. Give each shape a Weight. The weights of the checked rows must total 100%, and No stack is the share of lineups that gets no stack at all.
Showdown and Single-game slates use the Showdown Distribution table instead. No stack is on by default.
Min/Max
On classic slates, MAX PLAYERS PER TEAM and GENERAL PER TEAM default to a maximum of 6 on DraftKings, which is the 5-hitter cap plus a pitcher. FanDuel classic caps at 5 per team. On both sites the setting can only go lower.
Features that apply
| Feature | MLB support |
|---|---|
| Late Swap | Classic slates on both sites. Turn on Maintain stacks to keep a 4-hitter stack together. |
| StackIQ | Classic slates on both sites. |
| Game Sim | Classic slates on both sites and DraftKings Showdown. Not on FanDuel Single-game. |
| Hero Chat pivots | Yes, on the Power plan. |
The Game Sim outlook fills in as lineups are confirmed. Hitters without a confirmed lineup spot use the normal projection draw until then.
Stack shapes
The standard MLB GPP lineup is a 5-hitter stack from one team plus a 3-hitter stack from another, the 5-3 shape on DraftKings. FanDuel's 4-hitter cap makes 4-4 and 4-3 the equivalents. A Max Gap of NO GAP or 1 PLAYER keeps the stack in one part of the batting order. Cash lineups take the two best pitchers and fill the hitters by value, with no stack rule.
Tips
- Build after lineups are confirmed. Filter to Confirmed in Player Status and check the dot in the Order column before you trust a batting-order spot.
- Set Batting Orders 1 to 5 in your Team Stack rule. Hitters in spots 6 to 9 lose a plate appearance most nights.
- Use StackIQ to compare team totals and stack ownership. A team with a high TeamPts and a low Own% is the GPP target.
- In cash contests, turn on Prevent Opposing Pitchers, and set Hitters vs Pitcher to Manual with Allow 0. A run against your own pitcher costs you twice.
- In a large GPP, use Quick Stack with 60% on 5-3 and 40% on 4-4, then raise Min Unique Players to 3.
- On a slate with staggered start times, run Late Swap with Maintain stacks on after the first lock.
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