This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have a strong stable of arms on the main slate Saturday, which may make it frustrating to try to identify strong hitters in a favorable matchup. However, that gives us the chance to get a more creative in who we roster.
Pitchers
The top of the pitcher pool is interesting with no elite strikeout pitchers. However, five hurlers also have a SIERA below 3.50. Yu Darvish ($10,400) and Brandon Woodruff ($9,600) are my favorite based on the combination of value, matchup and skill. Darvish doesn't boast an elite strikeout rate, but has a 20.2 K-BB% and has only allowed 1.05 HR/9. He faces a Royals offense that enters with the fifth-lowest wOBA the last 30 days and is striking out at the fourth-highest rate during that span. Woodruff offers the best K-BB% percentage among the pitcher pool and also enjoys a favorable matchup against the Cubs, who have shown comparable success to the Royals of late.
David Peterson ($8,700) isn't at a desirable salary point, but he's someone I'd be willing to turn to in tournament contests. He's spiked two starts of 21 or more DK points in two of his last five outings and gets a matchup against Colorado. The Rockies come in with the fifth-lowest wOBA and a middle-of-the-road strikeout rate away from Coors Field this season.
Alex Cobb ($8,200) has a 3.15 SIERA – lowest on the slate – and comes at a minimum discount compared to the other pitches with SIERAs below 3.50. Minnesota isn't a terrible hitting side on paper, but they don't have Byron Buxton and are also a bottom-third offense as measured by wOBA over the last month.
Eduardo Rodriguez ($7,300) and Domingo German ($7,100) are the two value options I'd be willing to consider. German goes against the Athletics, which makes him quite appealing. Meanwhile, Rodriguez looked good in his first effort since returning from the injured and restricted lists in his start last Sunday.
Top Hitters
Giancarlo Stanton ($5,200) returned from the injured list a bit earlier than expected Thursday. He and the Yankees draw a matchup against Adam Oller, who has a 1.4 K-BB% and a 1.9 HR/9 across 60.1 innings.
Javier Baez ($3,900) has endured an abysmal season, but his salary has sunk to a level that makes him appealing in strong matchups. Specifically, he's posted a .344 wOBA and .194 ISO against lefties this season. Dallas Keuchel has no business being in a big-league rotation with a 4.3 K-BB% while serving up 1.8 HR/9 this season.
Mitch Haniger ($4,100) has a .500 slugging percentage in 2022 across a limited sample of 102 at-bats. Zach Plesac doesn't miss bats (17.8 K%) and has allowed 1.2 HR/9, so there isn't reason to avoid Seattle hitters.
Value Hitters
The Nationals are a decent team to get exposure to against reliever-turned-starter Luis Cessa. Alex Call ($2,000) has had the chance to leadoff on several occasions in recent games. There's not much more to the recommendation, but he could easily be leading off in a positive matchup and at the minimum salary point.
Kyle Freeland enters with the third-lowest strikeout rate on the slate, which makes Mets hitters viable. On the other hand, he's only allowed 1.1 HR/9, so it may not be the day to invest in the team's studs. Darin Ruf ($3,300) represents a nice option having maintained a .254 ISO against southpaws this year.
Emmanuel Rivera ($2,600) is hitting second in the Diamondbacks lineup consistently, so that alone makes him a decent value. He'll draw a matchup against Austin Martin, who has been okay in his first taste of the majors. The Diamondbacks have a strong enough lineup where they should be able to rack up runs, making players toward the top of the order particularly interesting.
Stacks to Consider
Yankees at Athletics (Adam Oller): DJ LeMahieu ($4,500), Aaron Judge ($6,200), Giancarlo Stanton ($5,200)
Oller's struggles have already been discussed, so there's little reason to believe he'll find success against the Yankees on Saturday night. The primary problem is the salary to stack the top of the lineup. If both LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres are starting, they provide a nice way to get value and exposure to the lineup. Anthony Rizzo ($5,000) is also a bit cheaper than Stanton and offers significant savings compared to Judge.
Nationals vs. Reds (Luis Cessa): Luis Garcia ($3,700), Nelson Cruz ($3,100), Luke Voit ($3,400)
This might the first - and last - time I recommend stacking the Nationals. However, there's two things that make them intriguing Saturday. First is the matchup against Cessa, who has been crushed as a reliever for most of the season. There's no reason to think that will change now shifting to the rotation. The Nationals are also a secondary stack option to supplement an expensive primary stack such as the Yankees.
Mariners vs. Guardians (Zach Plesac): Julio Rodriguez ($6,200), Jesse Winker ($4,000), Mitch Haniger ($4,100)
There's a bit of a problem matching up promising matchups with good lineups on this slate, and the Mariners against Plesac offers some intersection of those two factors. Plesac doesn't have a terrible K%, BB%, or HR/9, but is vulnerable enough in each area to post a 4.46 SIERA. Seattle offers a below-average offense for the season, but the top of the lineup should be able to put up runs.
