This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
A different schedule awaits Saturday FanDuel players with the main slate starts at an early 1:05 p.m. EDT and goes through the 4:10 window to cover 12 games. Rain looks to be a potential concern in D.C. and K.C., so be ready to adjust if necessary.
Pitching
Anthony DeSclafani, SF at DET ($9,900): Graham Ashcraft ($10,000) represents the slate's top option and I think he merits consideration as a contrarian play, but there seems little reason to fade DeSclafani in this soft matchup with Detroit. The Tigers strike out 25.6 percent of the time against righties while only producing a 71 wRC+. DeSclafani has been great to date by allowing just one run across 12.1 innings. There's a nice floor and nice ceiling here.
Carlos Carrasco, NYM at OAK ($7,500): Carrasco's form, or lack thereof, will certainly test the thought we can target Oakland on a nightly basis. He's given up 10 hits and 11 runs through his first 8.2 innings, and that's come against the Marlins and Brewers who aren't exactly elite offenses. But this needs to be a get-right spot for Carrasco considering Oakland has posted a 25.2 percent strikeout rate against righties, a 94 wRC+ and .302 wOBA.
Matt Strahm, PHI at CIN ($7,000): While I feel the first two targets are pretty obvious, Strahm should come with very low usage and possibly provide a springboard to GPP success. It's always a risk taking an arm in Great American Ballpark, but he's been perfect so far with no runs against over 10 innings. Strahm doesn't have longevity potential, but the Reds offense shouldn't scare us either with just a 77 wRC+ against lefties while fanning 24.2 percent of the time.
Top Targets
A's starter Shintaro Fujinami ($6,000) has been so bad to start the year that he hasn't pitched enough innings to be targeted against from a specific side of the plate. And I expect Met bats will be incredibly popular. As such, give me Pete Alonso ($3,800) and/or Francisco Lindor ($3,600) as lineup anchors, and I'll look to differentiate elsewhere rather than fully loading up.
Ronald Acuna ($4,300) is playing on a different level right now. His .381 wOBA versus lefties isn't elite, but he's cut down on his strikeouts and is collecting hits at a high rate - including six across two games and 12 in five. Rain is the only thing preventing me from recommending a Braves stack Saturday with Austin Riley ($3,500) valued too low and Ozzie Albies ($2,800) looking lost at the plate, but a known lefty masher.
Bargain Bats
I've never been a big fan of Jays' starter Yusei Kikuchi and think this game shoots out (more on that below). As such, a Tampa hitter makes sense. And while it's a remarkably small sample size and not in line with prior years, a hot Harold Ramirez ($3,000) carries a robust .599 wOBA, 302 wRC+, and .583 ISO against southpaws through 13 plate appearances.
For the same salary, we can consider the dynamic and erratic Jazz Chisholm ($3,000), whose value has risen $700 from a low but is still low enough for upside in GPPs. He had a six-game hitting streak snapped last night, during which he posted 18.7 FDP or better three times. Pair that with a matchup with Ryne Nelson ($7,600) - who's giving up a .429 wOBA and .990 OPS to lefties - and there's clear potential.
Looking toward the bottom-priced players, Josh Bell ($2,200) looks to be warming up. He's collected four hits, including his first homer of the season last night against his former team. Nats' pitcher Chad Kuhl ($6,300) should certainly be targeted - if not stacked against - as he's bringing a 7.87 xERA and 6.77 xFIP into Saturday.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Calvin Faucher (opener): Bo Bichette ($4,400), Vladimir Guerrero ($3,900), George Springer ($3,700)
This stack is a tad expensive, but doable if we go cheaper on pitching, and I think it will be far underused compared to some of the bigger names and stacking opportunities above. Faucher is only going to open, so this group is only going to get one look at him. He's allowed a run in each of his last three appearances, and I like the Jays' chances of getting off to a hot start. I also noted I see plenty of offense from this matchup, so let's grab the top of the Jays' lineup. Bichette is a nice anchor while Guerrero's discounted thanks to a power drought. And Springer is quietly riding a 7-game hitting streak, homering three times during that stretch.
Cardinals vs. Roansy Contreras ($7,300): Nolan Arenado ($3,700), Nolan Gorman ($3,400), Willson Contreras ($2,400)
Contreras offers the stuff to make this stack completely bust, but he's also not in great form yet. Because of the other top options Saturday, it's not likely feasible to target both of the Cardinals big bats, so Arenado gets the nod over Paul Goldschmidt ($3,900) simply to save a few bucks - though a mini-stack of the pair is certainly in play. Gorman's salary his increased, but he's surging and has recorded a team-leading .494 wOBA, 211 wRC+ and .378 ISO in 45 plate appearances against righties. Contreras offers some further salary relief thanks to an incredibly slow start. It's possible we're seeing a decline, but it's also possible he's due to rebound. His presence in this stack doesn't give us a hitter from the front of the order, but can provide a likely 4-5-7 batting order option with each helping the others produce.
