This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
A limited seven-game slate awaits Saturday evening, where we have serious questions on the pitching mound. Pay up or don't pay at all appear to be your options.
Pitching
Clayton Kershaw, LAD at WAS ($11,000): He's $2,500 higher than the next arm, and the matchup isn't superb against a Nats lineup that fans a mere 23.6 percent of the time while posting a .330 wOBA against lefties, the eighth-best in the league. But Kershaw is surging, having fanned nine or more in four of his last five, showing a 70-point ceiling while posting at least 40 FanDuel points (FDP) in six of his last nine. Floor and ceiling both seem appropriately priced.
Alex Cobb, LAA vs. BAL ($8,500): Cobb is next up on the price tier and has a nice matchup against the Orioles, who rank 27th with a .292 wOBA while fanning 24.8 percent of the time against righties. Cobb has been polarizing of late, going for 30-plus FDP in five of his last seven with a 55-point ceiling, but his two fails yielded a mere three points each.
Jordan Lyles, TEX at SEA ($7,000): The Mariners are a favorable matchup, fanning 26.2 percent of the time while posting a 91 wRC+ and .163 ISO. Lyles is as erratic as you'd expect for this number, showing a 43-point ceiling and a minus-seven-point floor, but he's been around 4x this number six times in his last 10, and, paired with the opponent, there's reason for guarded optimism.
Top Targets
Shohei Ohtani, LAA vs. BAL ($4,500): Even without a smaller player pool, I think we'd see some heavy usage for Ohtani. He's white hot with multi-homer games in two of his last three, and the matchup couldn't be better. O's starter Jorge Lopez is getting pelted by lefties, particularly on the road, surrendering a .436 wOBA and 1.035 OPS while allowing 2.76 HR/9 in the process.
Nolan Arenado, STL at COL ($4,400): Arenado's form certainly doesn't merit this number, but the return to his old home is an angle I'll buy throughout the weekend just for fun. Pair that with Kyle Freeland being on the bump here, who is allowing a .436 wOBA and 1.027 OPS to righties, and the appeal grows.
Value Bats
Yuli Gurriel, HOU at CLE ($3,300): There appear to be some pretty obvious offenses to attack Saturday, and the way this column evolved, Houston options landed in this section rather than as a stack or a top target. Point being, don't omit them from your builds and feel free to use their top options against Eli Morgan, who, in a limited sample size, is allowing a .602 wOBA and whopping 1.456 OPS to righties at home. Gurriel certainly isn't the best Astro in an RvR matchup, but he's priced favorably and hitting in a run producing spot, so he should have his chances.
Will Smith, LAD at WAS ($2,600): Nats' starter Paolo Espino has been pretty solid, so I don't want to go too far in on the Dodgers' offense that has multiple favorable splits against righties. Enter Smith and his .420 wOBA and 172 wRC+ in this spot at a very low number. He didn't start Friday so seems assured of that opportunity here, hopefully hitting just behind Los Angeles' big bats.
Stacks to Consider
Rockies vs. Wade LeBlanc: C.J. Cron ($3,900), Brendan Rodgers ($3,400) Yonathan Daza ($3,100)
With Coors Field on the limited slate, you can expect plenty of usage across both lineups. Cards' starter Wade LeBlanc is allowing a .426 wOBA and 1.018 OPS to righties, but Rockies' star Trevor Story hasn't been great, so we can get a little different and hopefully gain some value across this lineup. Daza has almost no power, but likely hits near the top of the order, and his .364 wOBA is the lowest of this trio. Cron and Rodgers offer some upside, bringing a .411 and .479 wOBA against lefties, respectively, and a .265/.379 ISO.
Giants vs. Jake Faria: Mike Yastrzemski ($3,200), Buster Posey ($3,100) Brandon Crawford ($3,000)
Faria has been pretty darn good to date, but is making just his second start after a handful of relief appearances, and isn't fully stretched out, so he's not likely to go too long. And that's precisely the appeal as the Diamondbacks' bullpen is down right brutal. All three of these options qualify as values, so stacking them in a plus matchup opens avenues elsewhere. All hit righties well, too, with Posey leading the way with a .404 wOBA and 160 wRC+, while Crawford goes .387/.280 and Yastrzemski .385/148.
