This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have a limited five-game slate on Saturday night. But as is typically the case, that remains the featured group of matchups. That gives us a wider range of contests and prize pools to work with, so it will be where our focus remains.
Pitchers
Julio Urias ($9,400) is the standout option in the pitcher pool. His 21.9 percent strikeout rate isn't lined up with the salary, but he's been elite at preventing runs and has topped 20 DK points in five of his last 12 outings. Urias isn't likely to produce a spike performance against the Guardians as they strike out at a league-low 17.9 percent rate.
Nick Martinez ($8,500) is the second-best option based on skills. However, he starts at Coors Field, which is particularly concerning given that his salary remains high.
From there, the options are sparse. Eight of the 10 pitchers on the slate have SIERAs between 4.03 and 4.97, so matchup and value play a heightened role. Dylan Bundy ($7,800) stands out in that regard as he takes on a Diamondbacks lineup that strikes out at the fourth-highest rate and maintains a bottom-seven wOBA.
Top Hitters
Manny Machado ($5,900) is an obvious play given Coors Field as the venue. Sometimes the obvious play is the right decision, particularly given that German Marquez has allowed 1.7 HR/9 on the season.
Eugenio Suarez ($4,600) has produced a .230 ISO against southpaws for his career and his .224 mark this season has fallen in line. He draws a matchup against Jose Suarez on Saturday, who's surrendered 1.7 HR/9 across 204.1 career innings and is the only pitcher in the pool with a SIERA above 5.00.
Paul Goldschmidt ($5,300) is another fairly automatic selection, especially because he's not valued among the other elite hitters. Kutter Crawford has a career 1.5 HR/9 and 4.64 SIERA, so the matchup is favorable.
Value Hitters
Matt Duffy ($2,600) has hit in the middle of the Angels' lineup since Anthony Rendon was sidelined. With news Rendon will be out for the season, Duffy's salary is likely to jump in the coming days. He's not a hitter to target based on his own skill, but the context of having Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and Taylor Ward batting ahead of him is a great position to be in.
Jarren Duran ($3,100) has officially assumed the leadoff role in Boston. Like Duffy, we don't necessarily need to target him on individual skills as much as having strong hitters behind him.
Alex Kirilloff ($2,100) was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul Friday and remains undervalued as a result. He posted a 1.415 OPS in the minors across his last 17 games, so his promotion was due despite the fact it took Jorge Polanco heading to the IL to make it back to Minnesota.
Stacks to Consider
Padres vs. German Marquez: Jurickson Profar ($4,400), Jake Cronenworth ($5,400), Manny Machado ($5,900), Luke Voit ($4,000)
The Padres are valued up due to Coors Field, but it's not too extreme. Profar and Voit in particular offer some savings, and there are other options projected to hit lower in the order such as Jorge Alfaro ($3,200) and Ha-Seong Kim ($3,000) that make it even easier to roster this stack. That makes it very likely the Padres will be chalky, so it could make sense to fade the Padres or this game altogether in larger-field tournaments.
Cardinals vs. Kutter Crawford: Tommy Edman ($5,100), Brendan Donovan ($3,100), Paul Goldschmidt ($5,300), Nolan Arenado ($4,900)
We talked earlier about small margins differentiating hitters on the slate. St. Louis has a positive matchup to take advantage of against Crawford, which was highlighted earlier in the column. However, Boston is also the third-best park in enhancing run-scoring according to Statcast, so that is another factor on their side. It's a high-salary stack to roster, but Donovan should provide enough salary relief to make the team viable to build around.
Dodgers vs. Cal Quantrill: Trea Turner ($5,800), Freddie Freeman ($4,900), Will Smith ($4,800), Max Muncy ($4,800)
Quantrill has among the higher SIERAs on the slate and has also allowed a lot of contact. That combination makes him someone to target, as does the fact Dodger Stadium is a top-10 park in scoring. There's not much explanation needed for rostering an LA stack, just watch for whether Mookie Betts is in the order after he was held out Friday due to a rib injury.
