This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
After Friday's large 14-gamer with minimal pitching options, Saturday gives us the opposite. We've got just six games, but they're littered with top-tier arms, likely forcing a pay up. Not much if anything leaps off the page offensively either, further enforcing the need for stability on the mound and multiple dart throws across your hitters.
Pitching
Gerrit Cole, NYY at HOU ($10,600): Given the matchup for the next name in this column, Cole profiles as a GPP pivot who will likely be infrequently used. He's allowed nine runs in his last 8.1 frames, and we have to go back to May 28 to find a game with one or zero runs allowed. And we know the Astros can rake. But I expect a little extra juice here from Cole against his former mates, Everything points to ignoring Cole here, which is why I find him to be a GPP target.
Walker Buehler, LAD at ARI ($10,400): Chalk city. The Diamondbacks have the league's second worst wOBA against righties at .290, bringing with it an 80 wRC+ and .130 ISO while fanning 24.4 percent of the time. Buehler has faced them twice, and been worth 52 and 59 FanDuel points (FDP) in those contests. Nothing suggests this outing will be different. Huge cash game usage can be anticipated, and the potential for 5x makes him a GPP option as well.
Patrick Sandoval, LAA at SEA ($7,700): This presents as the clear and easy pay-down spot. Sandoval has fanned six or more in four of his last five, 36 total in his last 27.2 frames. That figures to play well against a Mariners lineup that fans 27.3 percent of the time against lefties while posting a .295 wOBA, the league's second-worst total.
Top Targets
Fernando Tatis, SD vs. COL ($4,300): With the limited options, lineup builds are choosing between Tatis and Shohei Ohtani, and I'm obviously going with the former. Tatis' RvR splits are so much better than in an LvR spot, and his .458 wOBA vs. righties is .094 higher than the next closest Padre regular. Rockies starter German Marquez has been worse outside of Coors Field oddly, surrendering a 4.67 ERA and 4.10 FIP on the road against a 3.06/3.09 at home.
Truth be told, I don't love any additional top bats, preferring to pay up for arms and using cheaper shares of offenses below. Nick Castellanos ($3,800) and Paul Goldschmidt ($3,800) have favorable splits, but challenging matchups, and when paired with the number, I can't get there.
Value Bats
Justin Turner, LAD at ARI ($3,000): I'm anticipating Dodger bats being popular, so my strategy is to take a small piece and load up with lower-used options. The entire lineup is priced favorably, and has plus splits against lefties, but D'Backs' starter Caleb Smith has been pretty tough to solve if not walking batters. Turner offers great stability for this number, carrying a .392 wOBA, 152 wRC+, .258 ISO and just a 19.6 percent K rate.
J.P. Crawford, SEA vs. LAA ($2,600): Crawford entered Friday without a hit in his last 11 at bats but was hot prior, collecting 29 hits in 19 games. He leads the Mariners with a .354 wOBA against lefties, a less than stellar number, but it plays up against Patrick Sandoval, who is allowing a .390 wOBA to lefties on the road.
Stack to Consider
Cubs vs. Kwang Hyun Kim: Javier Baez ($3,600), Kris Bryant ($3,400), Anthony Rizzo ($2,700)
I initially had Kim pegged as a pay down pitching option, and while he very well could be given the Cubs' overall 25.4 percent K rate, their core looks great in this spot, if healthy. Bryant is the health wild card, but if he's in the lineup, he brings a .476 wOBA, 204 wRC+ and .388 ISO against lefties. Baez goes .415/164/.373 and Rizzo .401/155/147, the latter showing his dwindling power but still producing in an RBI lineup spot.
