This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
After a full 15-game slate Friday, Saturday's main slate is more than cut in half, featuring seven games going off in the evening. There's solid form in all three of the five-figure priced pitchers, but only one seems to come in a matchup-proof spot. Values on the bump don't seem too obvious either.
Pitching
Walker Buehler, LAD at ARI ($11,000): If I'm paying for pitching Saturday, I'm going all the way up. Buehler is averaging "only" 38.07 FanDuel points (FDP), a low number for this cost. But he went for 52 FDP in an earlier meeting with Arizona, and the D'Backs offense leaves plenty to be desired, bringing only a .292 wOBA, 83 wRC+ and .133 ISO to the table. There's upside paired with great stability.
Patrick Sandoval, LAA vs. DET ($7,800): Personally, I think this is going to be a lazy GPP play to save some funds, as Sandoval's talent isn't something to bank on with regularity. But he's allowed two runs or less in five straight, mixing in a 10 K performance against Seattle to boot. The matchup couldn't be better, as Detroit whiffs at an obscene 29.4 percent rate against lefties while putting up just a .279 wOBA, 77 wRC+ and .129 ISO.
Josh Fleming, TB at SEA ($6,900): There aren't many viable bargains Saturday, but Fleming merits consideration in a favorable spot. Seattle's offense is bad against lefties, whiffing 27.6 percent of the time while posting only a .290 wOBA and 88 wRC+. There's always a question with Rays starters as it relates to how long they'll be allowed to work, and Fleming doesn't miss many bats. But he's been around 4x in two of three, three of five and around 3x in all but two outings to date.
Top Targets
Fernando Tatis, SD vs. CIN ($4,700): A lot of secondary offensive options are priced up Saturday, and given the pitching concerns, it's a slate that's hard to pay up for top bats. Or, you stack big names as contrarian options and see what happens. Tatis entered Friday night having homered in three straight and five of his last six. He's got a .408 ISO, .439 wOBA and 185 wRC+ against righties, and is clearly worth the large cost here; if you can fit him into a lineup.
Ronald Acuna, ATL vs. STL ($4,500): Acuna has now reached base in 26 straight contests but seems to be searching for power as he's been stuck on 99 career home runs since June 8. He stole his fourth base in seven games Friday, continuing to impact the game in multiple facets. His .412 wOBA, 162 wRC+ and .313 ISO are certainly nothing to scoff at. He and Tatis are clearly worth the expense, and there's no other must use bat Saturday evening. I just find it challenging to piece either into lineups.
Value Bats
Gavin Lux, LAD at ARI ($2,900): D'Backs starter Matt Peacock is allowing a .428 wOBA to lefties, a number that rises to .447 at home. The problem is the Dodgers have next to no lefties with Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Corey Seager all on the IL. That leaves us with Lux by default. His .343 wOBA isn't awful, and his .189 ISO isn't targetable either, but it's a plus matchup, and Lux won't need a ton of production to return at this number.
Yadier Molina, STL at ATL ($2,800): Molina hasn't gone yard since May 22, so temper expectations. But he's got a robust .489 wOBA, 218 wRC+ and .407 ISO against lefties, and those splits are hard to ignore. Braves' starter Drew Smyly has shown flashes but largely is allowing homers at a high clip, surrendering eight in 19.1 innings at Truist Park, where he has a 7.45 ERA and 7.25 FIP.
Abraham Almonte, ATL vs. STL ($2,500): The Braves seem happy to leave Almonte in the cleanup spot, and as such, we should seem happy to use him on a nightly basis at this number. As of submission, he'd batted three times in four innings Friday, all with runners on base, and reached base twice while driving in one. He's got plus splits against righties, and Cards' starter Adam Wainwright is allowing a .446 wOBA and 1.045 OPS to lefties on the road. Almonte is essentially a free square.
Stacks to Consider
Angels vs. Wily Peralta: Shohei Ohtani ($4,400), Jared Walsh ($3,800), Max Stassi ($3,600)
I could almost cut and paste this from Friday's column, as the Halos bats present nearly identically and positively. I have reservations about Stassi starting behind the dish, and Peralta is making his first Major League start since 2017, so he's not likely to go long even if successful. But the Tigers bullpen shouldn't scare us away, and there's obvious upside in Ohtani's .402 wOBA and .311 ISO, and Walsh's .437 wOBA and .302 ISO. I'm submitting this before the Angels play Friday night, so if you're looking to stack elsewhere, maybe find the bat that didn't have success last night and use them as a solo option Saturday.
Rockies vs. Adrian Houser: Ryan McMahon ($4,000), Charlie Blackmon ($3,900), Raimel Tapia ($3,600)
All aboard lefties against Houser, who's allowing a .425 wOBA and 1.001 OPS to lefties on the road. The Rockies have been pretty bad overall, but obviously better in the friendly confines for Coors Field. McMahon has the highest wOBA of this group against righties at just .364, but his .292 is certainly targetable. Blackmon has warmed considerably, hitting safely in 14 of his last 16 entering Friday, while Tapia is white hot, carrying a 14-game hitting streak into Friday, nine times collecting multiple knocks.
