DraftKings MLB: Saturday Breakdown

DraftKings MLB: Saturday Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.

Saturday's nine-game evening slate presents pitchers at every salary tier, which should allow prospective poolies to get creative with lineup construction. We will also take a look at three hitters under the $3,500 mark for those who like to hunt for value plays.

Pitching

A matchup against the Braves isn't ideal for DFS purposes, but I'm more focused on the salary of Brandon Woodruff ($9,800) as it's dipped below $10,000 for the first time in 10 starts. This has to be considered value as he'll enter the contest with a 30 percent strikeout rate and a 2.14 ERA. It's also worth noting Atlanta has managed a 25 percent strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers, which rates as the ninth-highest mark in the league.

The Cubs fall just outside the bottom-10 against right-handed pitching according to wOBA while also carrying the highest strikeout rate in the league versus orthodox hurlers. Joe Ross ($8,100) has enjoyed a fantastic summer after a shaky start to the season by only allowing 10 earned runs over 44 innings in June and July.

Tyler Anderson ($7,000) has been surprisingly effective in July with a 2.51 ERA across 18 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .261 wOBA. Meanwhile, the Rangers carry the lowest wOBA in the league against southpaws with a .289 mark in over 1,200 plate appearances. While Anderson's DFS scores haven't quite mirrored his statistics this month, he did post a hefty 28.2 points against the Pirates on Jul. 4.

Top Hitters

Rich Hill seems to be showing signs of fatigue in his age-41 season considering his strikeout rate has declined while his walks have risen the last two months. This has contributed to a bloated 6.30 xFIP in 17.2 innings in July. Jonathan India ($5,300) isn't the most powerful bat in the Cincinnati lineup, but the .429 wOBA he's logged over 72 at-bats against lefties makes him someone to strongly consider against the fading veteran.

Mitch Haniger ($5,700) has shown tremendous power against southpaws in 2021 with a .287 ISO and a .372 wOBA from 122 at-bats. Taylor Hearn likely isn't stretched out enough to provide much length Saturday, but DFS players should take advantage of the start since he's allowed eight home runs to right-handed hitters in only 30 innings.

Triston McKenzie may be the closest thing we have to "Wild Thing" Rick Vaughn, as the right-hander can seemingly get hit hard or twirl a gem on any given day.  Jose Abreu ($5,000) is a prime candidate to succeed against a flamethrower like McKenzie as he's cut his strikeout rate to under 20 percent in July to go with a .244 ISO across 90 at-bats.

Bargain Bats

Brent Rooker ($3,300) demolished Triple-A arms in 218 at-bats this season with a .307 ISO. He's followed up that performance against same-handed pitchers by hitting four homers over 37 at-bats. Jake Woodford has allowed just a .277 wOBA against righty hitters, but his 5.58 xFIP tells us something has to give. 

It's unfortunate the Cardinals don't offer the left-handed bats to take full advantage of a pitcher like Bailey Ober, who has been stung by his opposite hand to the tune of a .588 slugging percentage in 20.2 innings. Dylan Carlson ($3,100) isn't exactly a power hitter, but he's begun to show more pop as of late with a .206 ISO over 91 at-bats this month.  

It's hard to overstate how badly Yu Darvish has struggled in July. The former Cy Young Award runner-up's ERA has exploded to 7.32 through 19.2 frames on the back of a .613 slugging percentage allowed to opposing hitters. This gives us the opportunity to plug in Ryan McMahon as a value option due to his .225 ISO against right-handed pitchers in 244 at-bats.

Stacks to Consider

Reds against Rich Hill: Jonathan India ($5,200), Tyler Stephenson ($4,100), Kyle Farmer ($3,500)

We may need to pay up for India, but the Reds lineup features a few bats who specialize in hitting against southpaws that we can roster for salary relief. Farmer is the most attractive target in this regard with a .241 ISO and .397 wOBA from 58 at-bats against lefties.

Nationals against Kyle Hendricks: Juan Soto ($5,800), Josh Bell ($4,200), Alcides Escobar ($4,100)

Kyle Hendricks has produced a solid season overall, but opposing hitters have been teeing off on him since the All-Star break thanks to a .561 slugging percentage against across 19.2 innings. Bell's power numbers have risen steadily since March, culminating in a .267 ISO over 86 at-bats this month.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Christopher Olson plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: Sommerset, FanDuel: Christop, Yahoo: Martins.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher Olson
Christopher Olson writes DFS articles and blogs for a variety of sports including MLB, NFL and MMA. Follow him on Twitter @RealChrisOlson
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