This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The Saturday schedule is spread throughout the day, which leaves us with only a six-game main slate. The pitchers are also tightly packed together in terms of skill meaning there aren't many obvious spots to target.
Pitchers
Joe Musgrove ($9,900) is the highest-valued pitcher on the slate, and rightfully so due to a matchup against the Pirates. He hasn't given away any at-bats walking only 4.4 percent of the batters he's faced while limited opposing hitters to a .208 batting average.
There isn't much in the elite tier after Musgrove, though Tony Gonsolin ($9,100) would be my favorite target in the secondary group. There are two primary concerns regarding him, the first being his ability to pitch deep into games. However, Gonsolin has gone six innings in each of his last two starts. His walk rate also remains elevated, and Arizona's offense isn't the same easy matchup it was at the beginning of the season.
The Mets are a tough matchup, but Zach Eflin ($6,900) has quietly been excellent this season and comes in at a reasonable salary. He's posted a 3.38 SIERA and 13.8 K-BB%, and he'd be an obvious selection if not for the tough opponent.
Jose Urquidy ($6,000) is an okay punt play. He exploded for a 32-point performance his last turn through the rotation, though that shouldn't be the expectation Saturday. Urquidy lacks upside due to his relative lack of strikeouts, but he's allowed one earned run or fewer in five of eight starts.
Top Hitters
Taijuan Walker has maintained the lowest ERA of pitchers in the player pool, but with the highest SIERA. Regression doesn't all come at once, but Bryce Harper ($5,400) could be a relatively unpopular option while still being in a strong position to produce.
Matt Chapman ($3,700) doesn't fall neatly into a top or value hitter, so we'll put him here. Michael Lorenzen has struggled against lefty hitters for much of his career, but he's been crushed by them early this season (.392 wOBA, 2.08 HR/9). While small samples – particularly analyzing handedness – is dangerous, this is one of Lorenzen's longest runs as a starter in his career. Factors such as facing hitters multiple times can affect pitcher skills, and that could be the case here.
Jose Urquidy is a fine punt play, but there are serious flaws to his profile. Most specifically, he allows 1.6 HR/9, the highest mark of any starter on the slate. That makes Mariners bats intriguing, with Eugenio Suarez ($4,600) checking in as one of the more powerful bats in Seattle's lineup.
Value Hitters
For all of the reasons discussed for Matt Chapman, I like Raimel Tapia ($2,600) as a value pick. He's shifted to a near everyday role of late, but be sure to check lineups before locking him in.
Christopher Morel ($2,700) has been the Cubs' leadoff hitter for three consecutive games and has experienced a lot of success (10 hits, two home runs, two doubles in 32 at-bats) early in his career. Johnny Cueto has been very effective across two starts, but he's not a pitcher I'm going to avoid at this point of his career.
Three of Wil Myers' ($3,100) seven extra-base hits this season have come in his last 10 games. While that's not overly impressive, he's showing signs of turning things around at the plate and has not seen a resulting significant bump in value.
Stacks to Consider
Angels vs. Yusei Kikuchi: Shohei Ohtani ($5,600), Mike Trout ($5,700), Jared Walsh ($4,100), Max Stassi ($3,600)
The Angels lineup is a bit beat up between Ohtani and Taylor Ward both remaining day-to-day and Anthony Rendon landing on the injured list. However, there's still plenty of firepower atop the order and the injuries should allow cheaper players to move into more prominent spots. Kikuchi has turned in several consecutive effective starts, but he's allowed three free passes in each of his last three appearances. That's a dangerous path to success, especially against a lineup with the power bats LA boasts.
Dodgers vs. Merrill Kelly: Mookie Betts ($6,000), Freddie Freeman ($5,800), Trea Turner ($5,900), Will Smith ($5,000)
Merrill Kelly has pitched well this season, but the Dodgers' lineup is too strong to not mention for a slate of this size. With a few ways to save at pitcher, it's easier to fit even the top of the order into lineups.
Phillies vs. Taijuan Walker: Rhys Hoskins ($4,600), Alec Bohm ($4,100), Bryce Harper ($5,400), Nick Castellanos ($3,700)
Walker doesn't stand out in terms of name value as a pitcher to target on the slate. However, he enters with the lowest K-BB% of players available and the highest SIERA. That combined with salaries falling on Philaldelphia hitters makes this stack intriguing and easy to play.
