This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The players featured in this piece will be building blocks that can work in several lineup configurations (cash and GPP). A slight majority of the games on the schedule Saturday will be played during the afternoon, so let's focus on the early slate for DraftKings.
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STARTING PITCHERS
Aaron Nola, PHI vs. TOR ($12,200): Few elite options take the mound Saturday, leaving Nola to stand out against the crowd. He has followed up his strong 2017 campaign with a stellar start to this season, posting a 2.37 ERA and a 2.84 FIP. He's done an excellent job keeping runners off base with a 1.02 WHIP and working ahead in the count by throwing a first-pitch strike to a career-high 65.7 percent of the batters that he has faced. His 7.9 K/9 is down significantly from last year, but his swinging-strike rate is actually higher at 11.6 percent. Expect his strikeouts to increase as the season wears on. The Blue Jays won't have the benefit of the designated hitter in this game, further strengthening the case to put Nola into your entry.
GPP Fade: Bartolo Colon, TEX vs. KC ($7,400): Colon's 3.51 ERA and 0.92 WHIP look nice, but a deeper dive indicates he is not pitching nearly that well. Not only does he have a 5.20 FIP, but he's also been aided by an extremely low .207 opponents BABIP. He has already allowed 13 home runs in 56.1 innings and doesn't strikeout many batters either with a 5.8 K/9. He gets a lot of headlines around the league, but his overall performance leaves a lot to be desired.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Daniel Mengden, OAK vs. ARI ($7,000): Mengden is quietly off to a strong start, recording a 3.30 ERA, 3.46 FIP and 1.08 WHIP across 10 starts. He only made seven starts for the Athletics last year, but did a great job keeping runners off base then as well with a 1.05 WHIP. He's been locked in lately, allowing two runs or fewer in each of his last four starts. That's even more impressive when you consider two of those four outings came against the Red Sox and Astros. He doesn't have a lot of strikeout upside with a 6.0 K/9, but he's priced low enough to be a viable option in tournament play, considering the Diamondbacks entered Friday having scored the second-fewest runs (180) in baseball.
CATCHER
John Hicks, DET vs. CWS ($3,400): Hicks will face left-hander Hector Santiago, who has struggled with a 5.17 ERA and 5.92 FIP. He has issued a staggering 4.9 BB/9, which has helped to result in a bloated 1.51 WHIP. Hicks is getting his first taste of everyday playing time after appearing in only 60 games last season and is making his mark against lefties with a 194 wRC+ entering play Friday.
FIRST BASE
Mark Reynolds, WAS at MIA ($3,900): Reynolds was called up when Ryan Zimmerman (back) hit the DL and has shown his power stroke is still alive and well. He's not always going to play against right-handed pitching, but he won't have to worry about that against lefty Wei-Yin Chen on Saturday. Chen's wOBA against right-handed hitters for his career is 44 points higher than it is against lefties.
SECOND BASE
Jed Lowrie, OAK vs. ARI ($4,300): Lowrie has been one of the anchors for the Athletics' lineup this season, hitting for both power and average. He's never hit more than 16 home runs in a season and has been aided by a .357 BABIP, so he could be in line for some regression. That might not be a problem though against righty Clay Buchholz since Lowrie had a .353 wOBA against righties last year and has a .402 wOBA against them entering play Friday.
THIRD BASE
Mike Moustakas, KC at TEX ($4,300): The Royals entered Friday with the second-fewest home runs (42) in baseball, but Moustakas has hit 10. He mashed a career-high 38 homers last year and is becoming one of the elite power-hitting third baseman in baseball. After posting a .353 wOBA against righties last year, he has a .391 mark this year.
SHORTSTOP
Tim Anderson, CWS at DET ($3,500): Anderson has shown a better eye at the plate this season as he already almost has as many walks as he had in 144 games last year. He has struggled with his batting average, but his BABIP is about 70 points lower than his career mark. Anderson only has a .282 wOBA for his career against right-handed pitchers, but he's much tougher on lefties with a .350 wOBA and will face one Saturday with Francisco Liriano scheduled to take the mound.
OUTFIELD
Nicholas Castellanos, CWS at DET ($4,300): Stacking Tigers righties against Liriano could pay off since Liriano isn't nearly as tough on them as he is lefties. Castellanos also hits lefties well, recording a .388 wOBA against the last year and a .475 wOBA this season entering Friday.
Nomar Mazara, TEX vs. KC ($4,200): Mazara is only 23 and is already in his third season in the majors. Not only did he hit exactly 20 home runs in both of his first two seasons, but he recorded 101 RBI in 2017. He's put up even better power numbers this season, which could mean trouble for Kennedy, who has allowed at least 1.5 HR/9 in each of the last three seasons.
Brandon Nimmo, NYM at MIL ($4,000): Injuries to Yoenis Cespedes (hip) and Juan Lagares (toe) have opened up playing time for Nimmo, who has played so well that the Mets have been batting him leadoff. He entered Friday with a 17.4 percent walk rate and should continue to hold onto that role whenever he is in the lineup. He also has a lofty .385 wOBA against righties for his career, leaving him as a viable option against Chase Anderson.
