This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
After Friday's loaded 15-game main slate, we're reduced to a six-game main Saturday. It's not a slate that appears for the faint of heart on the bump, so paying a premium or not paying at all set up as my preferences, largely wanting to ignore the middle tier in favor of higher-priced bats.
Pitching
Robbie Ray, TOR vs. TB ($9,100): My job here is to make you as a reader think. As such, I'll present Ray over Walker Buehler ($10,500), who is the slate's clear top arm. Ray, however, is in a great groove, fanning at least nine in three straight and four of five, while Tampa fans at a 31.5 percent clip against lefties. He absolutely needs those strikeouts, having allowed at least three runs in all but one of his last five outings while going 6.2 frames or less. But the form and matchup suggest a 4x floor while opening up some spending offensively.
Dylan Bundy, LAA vs. OAK ($7,500): I liked Bundy last night when he was mistakenly listed as Friday's starter, his price hasn't changed, nor has the opponent, so why not rewrite this blip. He's in poor, poor form, having allowed 13 runs over his last 7.1 innings while facing the Dodgers and Red Sox. But his 9.6 K/9 is in line with his lines from the past two years, as is his 3.85 xFIP. Oakland isn't mashing at all, carrying a .298 wOBA, .163 ISO and 24.2 percent K rate. Bundy seems worth the risk for GPPs at this discount.
Ryan Weathers, SD vs. SEA ($5,800): Weathers offers an opportunity to punt the pitching position and still gain a return. He's not going to go more than four innings, but he can pile up Ks against a Mariners lineup whiffing at a 30.2 percent clip. That's almost one per inning, so 24 FanDuel Points (FDP) is good with minimal downside against a lineup with a .266 wOBA against lefties.
Top Targets
Fernando Tatis, SD vs. SEA ($4,500): Hot take, the top-priced bat is a top target. On this limited slate, it seems inevitable. Tatis is boasting a .402 wOBA, 159 wRC+ and robust .412 ISO while carrying just an 11.2 percent soft contact rate. The further appeal is his healthy teammates have been bad at best in this spot. Mariners' starter Justus Sheffield has surprisingly been more vulnerable to same-handed bats, but the Padres don't have viable lefty options, making this a prime spot for Tatis.
Nolan Arenado, STL vs. CHC ($4,200): The appeal here is stability. Arenado hasn't been superb but has been hot, boasting 12 hits in his last seven. He brings a .377 wOBA and .277 ISO against righties to the table, and while Cubs' starter Adbert Alzolay has been hit harder by lefties, the Cards don't have that clear option.
Value Bats
Nico Hoerner, CHC at STL ($2,700): I want a lot of pieces against Miles Mikolas, who's making his first start in nearly two years, but the Cubs' top options don't present overly favorably. Enter Hoerner, who has a .396 wOBA and 153 wRC+ against righties. He hits down in the order, limiting his upside, but he has six hits in four games, seemingly giving a 2x floor.
Jean Segura, PHI vs. BOS ($2,700): There's nothing sexy about Segura, as his .356 wOBA against righties isn't immediately targetable. But it's stable, backed up by his .327 BA. He hits in the upper third, so maybe that lends upside, but, on such a limited slate, I'll take roughly 3x with confidence, pay up elsewhere and move on.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox vs. Spencer Howard: J.D. Martinez ($4,300), Xander Bogaerts ($3,800), Rafael Devers ($3,800)
No reason to over-complicate this. Howard is being called up to start, and while his stuff is legit, his experience and success rate hasn't been. These three are mashing right-handed arms, with Bogaerts .250 ISO being the trio's lowest, and Devers' .417 wOBA and 167 wRC+ is the bottom option, yet he has a 55.8 percent hard hit rate against righties. All three of these names qualify as top options, and if you pair one with a lower-tier arm, you can get at least two into your lineup, if not three.
Blue Jays vs. Shane McClanahan: Vladimir Guerrero ($4,100), Teoscar Hernandez ($3,200) Randal Grichuk ($2,900)
Pro to this stack: Guerrero's .402 wOBA is the lowest of the group, while Hernandez and Grichuk carry at least a .278 ISO and 182 wRC+. The con is McClanahan has topped out at 5.1 frames, which gives this group two chances to strike as a base and three as a ceiling. We know the Rays will play matchups, so opportunities are likely shortened. Still, it's hard to omit at least some portion here with the limited slate.
