This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
FanDuel is rolling with a limited four-game slate Saturday evening. Miraculously, we've got all eight starting arms named. The slate isn't much above a showdown format, where we should know the obvious chalk and need to seek differentiating value.
Pitching
Nathan Eovaldi, BOS vs. NYY ($8,200): There isn't an arm that distinguishes itself on this slate, so you're forced to take a leap of faith regardless of the choice. The Yankees whiff at a 25.0 percent rate against righties, which should allow Eovaldi to offset any runs he may give up. The Yanks are also homer dependent, and Eovaldi keeps the ball in the yard, allowing only one bomb in 56.2 home frames. Sure, he could hang one, and the meat of this order could square up a fast ball. But the Yankees aren't a lineup built to string hits together to manufacture runs, lending confidence toward Eovaldi.
Dinelson Lamet, SD vs. ARI ($7,500): Lamet is going to be wildly popular, but an innings cap and high usage puts him in a fade category for me. His Ks are down, but still sit at 10.4 per nine, and the D'Backs are putrid, ranking last in the league with a .286 wOBA and 79 wRC+. But they fan "only" 24.9 percent of the time, which forces Lamet to be nearly perfect for a 4x return. He's stretching himself at five innings, taking a quality start off the table as such. And he's just too obvious a choice with a substantial lack of upside. He'll be heavily used in cash lineups for sure, but I just can't get there personally.
Top Targets
Fernando Tatis, SD vs. ARI ($4,700): The cost is huge but can be absorbed by not using big-priced bats. Tatis' splits against righties are terrific: .464 wOBA, 201 wRC+ and .429 ISO. D'Backs starter Merrill Kelly has dramatic home/road splits with the worst of him showing away from Phoenix, as he's allowed a .370 wOBA and .877 OPS to righties here. Given the slate's limited options, I'd assume heavy usage here, so fading for GPPs is certain to be contrarian. Just ensure you have some piece of the Padres lineup.
Ramon Laureano, OAK at SF ($3,800): Laureno mashes lefties to the tune of a .429 wOBA, 180 wRC+ and .236 ISO. He's hit safely in six of eight since returning from injury, going yard twice. Meanwhile, Giants' starter Alex Wood has allowed four or more runs in for of his last five outings. I'd expect A's stacks to be popular as such, but Laureano offers a reasonable in without going full boar on popular options.
Xander Bogaerts, BOS vs. NYY ($3,700): Conventional thought is load up on Red Sox versus the lefty, as splits suggest as such. But there's some head-to-head struggles as Jordan Montgomery has been pretty darn good against this lineup. The exception is Bogaerts, who is 6-of-14 against him, albeit without any power. Pair that with a .411 wOBA and 163 wRC+ against lefties, and we've got an in for a little discount and can go contrarian elsewhere.
Value Bats
Mike Yastrzemski, SF vs. OAK ($3,500): A's starter Frankie Montas has more favorable splits against righties, but the LvR matchup against Yastrzemski is too hard to resist. The price isn't a full-on bargain, but the left-handed bat that has a .394 wOBA, 155 wRC+ and .322 ISO against righties is. Mix in six hits in his last five games entering Friday, three of which left the yard, and a spot atop the order? Good times should be ahead.
Ketel Marte, ARI at SD ($3,400): Marte simply gets a name drop here. I have no expectation he'll suit up if there's a sniff of an injury, but he's priced so good here he has to be used if he's in the starting lineup. Don't forget about him come lineup lock.
Gavin Lux, LAD vs. CHC ($2,700): Cubs starter Alec Mills hasn't been awful as a starter, and he's not stretched out enough to expect more than five innings from him, so I don't advise going heavily on the Dodgers' top bats. But overall, Mills has been brutal away from home, and against lefties, where he is allowing a .483 wOBA and .921 OPS. The Dodgers lineup is flush with lefty bats, so using Cody Bellinger ($4,000) and/or Max Muncy ($3,600) as a pivot to Tatis above makes sense, but if not, Lux offers position flexibility and a nice salary reduction, even if he hits in the bottom third of the order.
Stack to Consider
Cubs vs. Julio Urias: Kris Bryant ($3,500), Anthony Rizzo ($3,000), Willson Contreras ($2,700)
These limited slates almost force you to choose....use the top pitcher or target bats against him. I'm going with the latter here, as these three Cubs hit well against lefties and are priced very favorably. Bryant leads the way with a .538 wOBA, 247 wRC+, .473 ISO and 48.7 percent hard hit rate. Rizzo continues to offer next to no power (.107 ISO) but fans only 4.6 of the time against lefties, giving him a chance to make due on his 151 wRC+. Contreras likely hits atop the lineup, immediately making him a bargain in a run scoring position, and his .422 wOBA, 171 wRC+ and .317 ISO don't hurt. Mix in the fact that Urias appears to be tiring, having allowed six runs twice in his last five and 18 runs total in that stretch, and there's a path to the Cubbies teeing off.
