This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have a stacked schedule early Saturday with an eight-game main slate kicking off at 1:05 pm EDT. The Atlanta-D.C. game has already been postponed, so be sure not to include any players from those rosters. As for a broad overview of the player pool, we have a few elite pitchers with a fairly gentle decline from there, a positive given the relatively small number of games to work with. There aren't many of the obvious hitters, though Citizen Bank Park and Fenway Park project to be most favorable offensive environments.
Pitchers
Brandon Woodruff ($11,800) and Zack Wheeler ($11,000) are the top pitchers to work with, both of whom are worthy of consideration and boast remarkably similar skills. Siding with matchup, Wheeler is slightly preferable thanks to facing the Mets, a lineup that has struck out 24 percent of the time in the last 30 days. Woodruff is still a fine choice against the Marlins, but the matchup suggests his strikeout upside could be a bit more limited.
The case can be made to bypass both Wheeler and Woodruff in favor of the next pair of pitchers in terms of salary. Sonny Gray ($9,800) draws a matchup against the Angels, who list the third-highest strikeout rate in the league across the last month at 26.5 percent. As for his own performance, Gray has topped 20 DK points in three of his last five starts. Jesus Luzardo ($9,500) will take on the Brewers, a near league-average lineup against lefties. He offers more of a ceiling to the safety of Gray, so the type of contest would likely dictate my choice between the duo.
Now, it's time to shift down the salary range. Nick Pivetta ($7,700) has been a bit uneven of late, but he's in a good spot against the White Sox and their fourth-lowest wOBA in the league from the last 30 days. Carlos Rodon ($7,300) has quietly shown signs of putting his lost season behind him with 26.5 and 25.4 DK points from his last two starts. And a matchup against Arizona isn't particularly intimidating.
Zack Littell ($6,700) represents today's punt option, though there's some elevated risk against the Blue Jays.
Top Hitters
It's not often we target the Athletics for their bats, but they're in a decent position Saturday against Joey Wentz with his combination of a homer problem and general struggles in the majors this season. Zack Gelof ($4,800) regularly operates as the second hitter in the A's lineup and has posted a .611 SLG over his last 10 games.
It's possible to pick any Cubs hitter in the middle of the lineup against Chris Flexen, who's gotten hit hard as a member of the Rockies regardless where he's pitched. Seiya Suzuki ($4,400) is the cheapest option of the middle of the lineup, so he's the choice.
Value Bats
Bobby Dalbec ($2,700) is back in the bigs and has been a regular in the lineup of late. He's experienced some short-term success and benefits from one of the better parks of the day. The matchup against Dylan Cease is hit or miss, but getting cheap exposure in a hitter-friendly environment isn't a bad thing.
The Yankees are a prime target for young value bats as they've generally embraced a youth movement now that their playoff hopes are gone. Oswaldo Cabrera ($2,700) has shown pretty well in his sample of late and appears to maintain a regular role.
Stacks to Consider
Cubs vs. Rockies (Chris Flexen): Ian Happ ($4,700), Dansby Swanson ($5,300), Seiya Suzuki ($4,400)
The Cubs' middle of the lineup is red-hot, so picking any combination of those hitters makes sense. In this instance, we are without Cody Bellinger ($6,500), whose value point would be difficult for anyone to work with who also wants to pay up at pitcher. Either way, Flexen is an obvious choice to target as he's allowed 2.3 HR/9 and a K-BB% of only 8.6 - the worst mark of all pitchers taking the mound on this slate.
Twins vs. Angels (Kenny Rosenberg): Jorge Polanco ($4,900), Kyle Farmer ($2,400), Ryan Jeffers ($3,500)
The Twins lineup is watered down considerably due to the absence of Carlos Correa (foot) and Royce Lewis (hamstring), yet this is such a good matchup they have to be considered. Rosenberg has worked at least five innings in four of his five big-league appearances and has given up at least three earned runs on three occasions. Using this cheap stack means it could be a secondary option to a team like the Cubs or a primary stack on a roster with more premium pitching.
