I’m Kayla, and I play MLB DFS most nights, usually with a cold iced tea and a little too much hope. I’ve tested a bunch of tools, but the one I keep coming back to for FanDuel is RotoGrinders LineupHQ. Folks call it a “lineup builder.” I call it my panic button at 6:45 p.m. If you want the full, step-by-step breakdown of my test run—including screenshots and settings—I posted an extended recap right here.
Let me explain how it went, with real slates, real hits, and yes, a few whiffs.
If you’re brand-new to DFS or just need a refresher on the nuts and bolts of roster construction, the comprehensive MLB DFS Strategy Guide: Mastering Daily Fantasy Baseball is a terrific place to start before diving into the examples below.
What I Used, Plain and Simple
- RotoGrinders LineupHQ for building FanDuel MLB lineups
- RG projections and ownership, sometimes swapped with NumberFire projections
- Weather notes from Kevin Roth (wind at Wrigley still scares me)
- 50–150 builds for large-field GPPs; 3–5 builds for single entry
I also peek at SaberSim for a second view, and I’ve used FantasyCruncher. I’m not married to one tool. I’m married to whatever helps me stop tinkering.
A Real Night That Paid For Groceries
Friday main slate, windy Wrigley, and a Coors game. I set this up:
- Stack rule: 4–4 and 5–3 stacks
- Teams: Cubs, Dodgers, and a sneaky Mariners stack
- Pitcher pool: Spencer Strider, Zac Gallen, one cheap dart (yes, I regretted that dart)
I boosted Cubs righties +6% because of the wind. I gave Mookie Betts +4% because… well, it’s Mookie. I capped exposures at 60% for any one hitter, 45% for any one team.
Result? One of my 20 lineups hit top 3% in a $3 tournament. Not crazy money, but enough to make me smile. The stack that worked was 5 Cubs and 3 Dodgers. Cody Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki did just enough, and Mookie did Mookie things. Strider was chalk, but I was fine eating it.
Was it perfect? Nope. That cheap dart pitcher I sprinkled in gave up 5 runs in the first. I said some words. Then I moved on.
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A Night I Still Think About (In A Good Way)
Early slate, weather was messy, and ownership was glued to Yankees bats. I went the other way and boosted Guardians lefties +8% after a late scratch for the opposing pitcher. The builder caught the change fast, which I liked.
I ran 50 lineups with 4–4 stacks and set max 35% for any player. I also used “randomness” at 20% so I didn’t get 10 copies of the same near-chalk mess.
One lineup cracked the top 1% in a $0.50 mini. It wasn’t a yacht win, but the process felt sharp. And you know what? Feeling sharp matters when the ball dies on the track.
What I Liked (And Why It Stuck)
- Speed when news hits: Late scratches update quick. I’ve seen it miss once or twice, but most nights it’s fast.
- Stack rules that make sense: 5–3, 4–4, even 4–3 with a one-off. Easy to set and re-run.
- Exposure caps: I can keep one bat from taking over every lineup. Saves me from myself.
- CSV export: 50, 100, 150 lineups—click, export, upload. Done.
- Ownership blend: I can see chalk coming and plan around it. Pain now, profit later.
What Bugged Me
- Late swap is still a little clunky: It works, but I wish it felt smoother when games lock in pockets.
- Multi-position choices: It gets cute with 2B/SS or OF/1B tags sometimes. You’ll see good players sit in weird spots. Not wrong—just odd.
- If you chase every projection bump, you’ll overthink: I did this for a week and turned solid builds into mush.
A Concrete Example: My “Play It Safe, But Not Boring” Setup
For a 10-game main slate, this is what I usually set:
- Stacks: 5–3 and 4–4
- Team pool: 3 primary stacks, 2 secondary stacks
- Pitchers: 3–4 arms, cap at 55% for the top one
- Ownership rule: If hitter ownership > 25%, drop projection by 3–5% unless part of a full stack
- Salary: Leave $200–$700 on the table for GPPs, so my lineup isn’t cloned 500 times
One night with Yankees chalk, I ran 4–4 Mariners + Rangers with Zac Gallen at pitcher. I left $500 on the table. That lineup finished 68th out of about 6,000. Not a trophy, but it felt clean.
Tiny Tips I Learned The Hard Way
- Don’t stack against a top 3 pitcher… unless weather or ump says “go.”
- If Coors is chalk, consider a 5-man stack from the second-highest total and be different at pitcher.
- Use team groups. I tag “Hot Wind” for Wrigley days. It’s goofy, but it helps.
- Check plate order. Batting 2nd vs 6th is huge in baseball. Projections help, but still look.
- Leave some salary. It’s okay. The best lineup isn’t always maxed.
Who Should Use This
- If you’re building more than 3 lineups, a builder saves time and your nerves.
- If you like single-entry, it still helps you test a few angles fast.
- If you hate tinkering, this may not fix you. But it might slow you down, which is good.
For a broader look at optimization strategies across different DFS sports, I recommend reading the free resources over at Optimization World, because they break down the math in plain English.
The Bottom Line
I keep RotoGrinders LineupHQ in my nightly routine because it balances control and speed. It gets me to a smart build without me rewriting the book every slate. It’s not magic. You still need a plan, and you’ll still have nights where your “lock button” goes 0-for-4 with two K’s.
But when it hits? It feels great. Groceries paid, heart rate down, and I get to bed before midnight. Well… most nights.
And if you’re already planning tweaks for next season, the forward-looking MLB DFS Strategy Tips to Dominate in 2025 article dives into how shifting rules, ballparks, and analytics will change the way we build FanDuel lineups.
One last thing—set limits, play within your means, and breathe. Baseball is swingy. That’s why we love it. And why we sometimes talk to our lineups like they can hear us.