This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There's a lot of afternoon baseball Saturday with 11 games kicking off by 4:05 p.m. EDT. As a result, we'll pivot from our usual focus on the night slate to afternoon offerings. Given the relatively high number of matchups, the quality of pitching options leaves something to be desired. We should expect to see some runs, with the Angels-Red Sox and Blue Jays-Rockies potentially being the most favorable targets.
Pitchers
Chris Sale ($9,400) immediately pops off the page as the top pitching option. He's one of five pitchers available Saturday with a strikeout rate over 30 percent, but he also boasts a dominant 26.2 K-BB rate. A matchup against the Marlins is positive as the lineup carries a collective .261 wOBA this season, allowing Sale a great chance at a win.
I'm not quite ready to buy into MacKenzie Gore ($8,800) at his new salary point, though he should at least be mentioned thanks to the matchup against the A's and at Oakland.
Moving down roughly a tier brings us to a trio of decent options in Ryan Pepiot ($8,100), Sean Manaea ($8,000) and Spencer Turnbull ($7,900). Manaea has the best matchup against Kansas City while Pepiot offers the highest strikeout upside at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park. The Pirates have shown moments of offensive promise, but they've struck out 22 times in the first two games of this series. And that puts Turnbull on the radar. Overall, I'd rank this group Pepiot, Manaea, Turnbull, yet all are in play.
There isn't much intrigue toward the bottom of the market, but Dean Kremer ($7,400) is worth a look. He's a strong pitcher with the exception of giving up too many homers. If he can keep the ball in the yard against the Brewers, he should return plenty of value at this salary.
Top Hitters
Tyler O'Neill ($5,000) entered the season healthy, and is absolutely crushing the ball with a .419 ISO. Griffin Canning has historically carried a home-run problem and has already served up four in 9.2 innings. The Red Sox would be a great stack if their lineup wasn't depleted by injury.
DL Hall has lost a lot of velocity switching from a relief role to the rotation and has missed very few bats as a result with a 13.3K rate. Because of that, I want some exposure to the Mets. For those willing to pay all the way up, Pete Alonso ($5,300) is the obvious option. Brandon Nimmo ($4,700) is a bit cheaper and another solid option.
Value Bats
The Twins are another lineup missing key bats, though Alex Kirilloff ($3,600) has remained healthy. He's also increased his flyball percentage, which has translated to a .324 ISO. That latter number can't be sustained, but the overall point is that he's reaching more power and that's not yet accounted in his value.
Going out of your way to roster White Sox players typically isn't the best strategy, yet Robbie Grossman ($3,100) deserves some consideration. He's leading off and draws Nick Lodolo on Saturday. Grossman maintained a .403 wOBA in 137 PA against southpaws last season while Lodolo may not be particularly sharp in what will be his first big-league start in almost a year.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Rockies (Dakota Hudson): George Springer ($4,600), Vladimir Guerrero ($5,000), Justin Turner ($4,000)
The Rockies were the offense that showed up for the series opener, but expect the tables to turn in Game Two. Hudson carries a career 15.6K percentage that has further declined in recent years. In his last two seasons, he's posted 2.9 and 3.1 K-BB rates with a SIERA above 5.00 both times. That makes Toronto's offense one to target, particularly as it's not cost-prohibitive to do so.
Angels vs. Red Sox (Cooper Criswell): Anthony Rendon ($3,300), Mike Trout ($6,000), Taylor Ward ($4,200)
If the Red Sox lineup were healthy, this would be a tremendous game stack. As things currently stand, the Angels offer the superior lineup. Rendon remains the regular leadoff hitter and has picked up his performance of late with a combined 26 DK points across his last two games. Trout has once again looked like one of the premier bats while Ward slots in at cleanup while contributing extra-base hits.
