This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
DraftKings has an interesting set of offerings for Saturday with 10 games in the contests that lock at 4:05 p.m. EDT, which is the biggest slate and offers the largest tournament payout. There's also a more traditional schedule starting at 7:35 p.m. EDT and carries a more well-rounded set of tournaments from a prize perspective. Given the discrepancy in matchups, we'll focus on the earlier set in this article, though it's a good day to set lineups throughout the afternoon and evening.
Pitchers
Freddy Peralta ($10,000) is the most expensive pitcher available, but he's worth considering. He's one of only two starters taking the mound Saturday to maintain a strikeout rate above 30 percent, and a matchup against the Tigers is above-average when it comes to suppressing runs and racking up Ks.
Kyle Bradish (8,700) comes with a lot of risk, yet there's plenty of potential payoff. He's the other arm who exceeds the 30-percent strikeout threshold while the Rays are an average team against right-handed pitching from a K percentage paired with a comfortably subpar .294 wOBA.
From there, we can dip into the mid-tier of pitcher valuation. We'll land first on Alec Marsh ($7,600), who draws the dream matchup against the Mariners. Seattle is capable of doing some damage, but the club carries a 28.1 percent strikeout rate against right-handed pitching - the highest mark in the league by 1.6.
To round us out, we can consider two inconsistent veterans in Kyle Gibson ($6,900) and Andrew Heaney ($6,700). Gibson has an inferior skillset, but benefits from a matchup against the Rockies away from Coors Field. Meanwhile, Heaney lists a solid 16 K-BB% on the season, yet faces a Giants' lineup that has hit lefties quite well this season (.326 wOBA, 116 wRC+).
Top Hitters
The Orioles are a potential stacking option as Taj Bradley has gotten hit hard (2.4 HR/9, 20 percent barrel rate against) early this season. He also boasts the skill to shut down any team. While grabbing a few Baltimore bats looks risky, we could still take one or two star players. Gunnar Henderson ($6,100) would be the obvious option while Ryan O'Hearn ($4,200) presents a bit more value.
Ben Brown offers plenty of talent, but he also gives up a lot of hard contact (11.9 percent barrel, 53.2 percent hard-hit rate) and I want exposure to Great American Ballpark. TJ Friedl ($4,300) is a relatively cheap leadoff hitter in a great offensive environment, making him a standout option to target.
Value Bats
It's not very likely the Athletics do damage against Kevin Gausman, though he's given up at least five earned runs in four of his 12 starts. I'm looking for some value in Oakland, and Zack Gelof ($3,400) has posted six extra-base knocks across his last 10 appearances.
Dansby Swanson ($3,700) represents a borderline value when it comes to salary, but he's a solid option to get another player at Great American Ballpark into the lineup. He also could move up in the Cubs' order if either Seiya Suzuki (oblique) or Nico Hoerner (hand) remain sidelined.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox at White Sox (Nick Nastrini): Jarren Duran ($5,100), Enmanuel Valdez ($3,400), Rafael Devers ($6,000)
The Red Sox continue to lose hitters to injury at an alarming rate, though it shouldn't matter Saturday in a matchup against Nastrini. He's only recorded a 20-inning sample in the majors this season, yet that comes with a -5.8 K-BB% and a 6.91 SIERA. Boston is a pretty obvious stack to target, and they list a lot of cheap options to work with. Rob Refsnyder ($3,800) has regularly hit third in the order and comes to mind along with the more obvious names atop the lineup.
Brewers at Tigers (Casey Mize): William Contreras ($5,500), Christian Yelich ($5,400), Willy Adames ($4,500)
Things haven't come together as hoped for Mize. He has a relatively limited ability to miss bats (15.9 K%) and has also struggled to work deep into games of late. That combination suggests he'll either give up plenty of runs or be forced to turn the ball over to the Tigers' bullpen early with their 4.12 ERA. Either will be a positive for the Milwaukee offense, and the stars come in at fairly reasonably values.
