This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Per usual, Saturday's slate of games is split nearly in half, with eight games remaining for our featured, main contest. There appears to be a rapid descent on pitching after the first tiered group, so paying up seems like a necessity regardless of the type of league you're entering.
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PITCHER
Vince Velasquez, PHI at SFG ($8,400): This slate is a tough one to feel great about any pitcher. The top two choices have challenging matchups, Walker Buehler is in Colorado, and Chris Archer is priced largely based on his recent run than overall body of work. Maybe Velasquez sneaks through the cracks among bigger names here. San Francisco is fanning 24.9 percent of the time against righties, and while Velasquez's K rate is higher at home, his road ERA is just 3.06 (versus 5.40 at home). He's allowed just 11 runs over his last 27.1 innings while fanning 36 in his last five starts.
GPP Fade: Zack Greinke, ARI vs. MIA ($9,100): Despite difficult matchups for Justin Verlander ($11,200) and Jacob deGrom ($10,600), they've been too good, against quality competition, to go against. That leaves Greinke, who seems like an obvious choice for high ownership against the Marlins. Miami has been a bit of a giant killer however, most recently touching up Max Scherzer for four runs over six innings, while previously getting to Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw. Greinke has gone more than six innings just once in his last seven starts, and while he's only allowed more than two runs once in that span, he's also fanned more than six just once. There's just not enough upside for me when paired with the likely ownership tally.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Marco Gonzales, SEA vs. TAM ($7,800): The Rays aren't an incapable offense against lefties, bringing a .324 wOBA to the table, but a 24.1 percent fan rate plays well with the hot Gonzales, who hasn't allowed a run in his last three starts, a span of 19.1 innings. The game has a low total of 7.5, and while run support may not be ideal for Gonzales, a pitcher's dual appears in order. And truthfully, the bottom falls out on arms after Gonzales, as you're only five steps removed from the bottom priced pitcher.
I don't trust Mike Montgomery ($6,900) to work deep into his start, but the Mets' dreadful lines against lefties certainly put him in play.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Eric Hosmer, SDP vs. CIN ($3,500): A classing lefty vs. righty matchup here, with Hosmer going for a .384 wOBA and 149 wRC+ against opposite-handed arms while Matt Harvey allows a .416 wOBA to left-handed bats. Hosmer also comes in good form, as he entered Friday night having collected eight hits over his last 11 at bats.
SECOND BASE
Cesar Hernandez, PHI at SFG ($3,200): Hernandez has better power from the left side, but he's making more contact as a righty, carrying a .366 wOBA and 132 wRC+ against southpaws into Saturday, best amongst Phillie regulars with Rhys Hoskins sidelined. Giants starter Andrew Suarez has been hit hard by righties, to the tune of a .420 wOBA, making for a solid stacking opportunity, with Hernandez leading the pack statistically and atop the batting order.
THIRD BASE
Eugenio Suarez, CIN at SDP ($3,700): There's nothing wrong with Justin Turner at the same price here, but Suarez is a near automatic play against lefties. He's cooled some, but still checks in with a .575 wOBA, 273 wRC+ and .429 ISO against southpaws. Padres starter Eric Lauer has been crushed by both-handed batters, and boasts a 9.28 home ERA while allowing a .515 wOBA to righties. Stack your Reds freely here.
SHORTSTOP
Jean Segura, SEA vs. TAM ($4,000): There may not be a more locked-in hitter than Segura, who had multiple hits in four straight and five of six entering Friday, where at the time of writing he was already one for two. His .353 wOBA and 127 wRC+ against righties don't ooze upside, but he's as stable an option as they come, giving him a stable floor with opportunistic upside against Chris Archer.
OUTFIELD
Carlos Gonzalez, COL vs. LAD ($3,700): Gonzalez is on a nice five-game run, collecting eight hits, including a long ball, while putting up double-digit fantasy points in three outings. True, he's not the sure thing he once was, but there appears to be a little left in the tank, and Gonzalez brings an eye-opening .540 wOBA, 235 wRC+ and .459 ISO against righties at home to the table.
Matt Kemp, LAD at COL ($3,400): Exposure in Colorado is never a bad thing, and when it comes at a price that isn't elevated, I'm all in. Kemp is quietly tied for the league lead with a .341 batting average, adding a team-high .369 wOBA and 131 wRC+ against righties. He'll face a predictably struggling German Marquez at Coors Field, where he has a 7.54 ERA and is allowing a .416 wOBA to same-handed bats.
Odubel Herrera, PHI at SFG ($2,800): Having already included a Phillie, I will give the caveat here that I'm not in love with using multiple bats from this lineup, despite the aforementioned Suarez's struggles. But Herrera's price has simply fallen too far to be ignored. This is a guy who reached based for more than a month straight and flirted with pricing in the $4,500 range for much of the season's first two months. He's only gone deep twice since May 7, so there isn't major power upside, but his .360 wOBA against same-handed pitching represents a safe floor at a bargain price, suggesting at least a solid cash game play.
UTILITY
Chris Taylor, LAD at COL ($3,700): The Dodgers offense is slowly coming to life and enjoyed their first taste of Coors Field Friday on their way to 11 runs. But their season-long struggles have kept their prices flat given the ballpark advantage of the weekend; making a stack quite affordable. Taylor's right/left splits are virtually identical, and while his .338 wOBA may not be overly enticing, his .217 ISO gives him solid tournament upside from atop the Dodgers' lineup, which was on full display Friday when he put up 41.4 fantasy points.
