This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Ten games await Saturday evening, a larger than normal Saturday main, but one that seemingly could have been bigger if included the plethora of 6:00 p.m. ET starts. Still, we've got ample aces on the bump with some secondary options in favorable matchups. Pitching choices are plentiful, making offensive options a bit more obvious and likely forcing the need to get weird as a result.
Pitching
Kevin Gausman, SF vs PIT ($11,000): Gausman is the clear and obvious choice atop this pitching slate. He faces a light hitting Pirates side that has just a .299 wOBA and .131 ISO against righties. They don't fan much, just 22.0 percent, but Gausman got them for 12 in an earlier meeting. He should have tremendous run support with his team facing Wil Crowe, making him a good bet for a win. The floor is incredibly stable and high, and the ceiling is 60 plus FanDuel points (FDP).
Framber Valdez, HOU vs TEX ($8,200): Valdez hasn't been great of late, averaging just 19.3 FDP across his last three outings, but this looks like a decent bounce-back opportunity. Texas fans only 23.7 percent of the time against lefties, but they check in 28th with a 2.94 wOBA, adding a meager .135 ISO and 85 wRC+. He profiles similarly to Gausman; a stable floor with potential for upside in a plus matchup.
Casey Mize, DET at KC ($6,900): Mize is in a funk, going for less than 20 FDP in three of his last four, and he hasn't lasted more than four innings in three straight, causing his price to plummet and bring considerable risk to your lineup. His strikeout rate is down, too, at just 7.2 per nine, and the Royals don't K often (22.0 percent). But that's identical to the Pirates above, and their .301 wOBA and .143 ISO isn't scary. He went for 30 FDP against the Royals previously, which is 4x return.
Top Targets
Shohei Ohtani, LAA at MIN ($4,400): Truthfully, the top bats don't have perfect matchups, so I don't feel great about forcing one into your lineup, but rather building more depth across your offense. Mookie Betts is the clear top choice if healthy, but if you need an offensive anchor, Ohtani should be a top choice. He took Friday off, so he'll be rested, and has homered previously against Twins' starter Jose Berrios.
Pete Alonso, NYM vs. TOR ($3,700): This should be a fascinating matchup, as Alonso hits lefties well, to the tune of a .404 wOBA, 159 wRC+ and massive .369 ISO, but Jays' starter Hyun Jin Ryu is a pretty difficult opponent, allowing only a .294 wOBA to righties. Alonso is in the midst of a power surge however, launching four bombs in as many games, leading to seven RBI, and he carries a seven-game hit streak into Saturday, hopefully giving him a stable floor without the need for power.
Value Bats
Akil Baddoo, DET vs. KC ($3,100): Baddoo is streaky, but he leads the Tigers with a .392 wOBA against righties, adding a 150 wRC+ and .259 ISO. Hitting atop the lineup, he should have two or three cracks at a vulnerable Carlos Hernandez.
Michael Brantley, HOU vs. TEX ($3,100): Rangers' starter Kyle Gibson has faced the Astros three times and been pretty decent, allowing just four runs across 19.0 innings. But he also seems to be fading, having allowed 18 hits and 13 runs in his last two starts, both against light-hitting Detroit, so I want to take a shot on this Houston offense. Brantley leads the team with a .414 wOBA and 170 wRC+, and is 13-of-38 (.342) against Gibson.
LaMonte Wade, SF vs. PIT ($2,700): It makes too much sense to stack Giants against Wil Crowe, who is allowing a 6.67 ERA and 7.03 FIP on the road. But the Giants continue to be smoke and mirrors, winning and scoring with no clear top option. Wade offers a cheap in to this positive spot, carrying a .402 wOBA, 156 wRC+ and .294 ISO against righties.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Kyle Freeland: Chris Taylor ($3,800), Justin Turner ($3,700), Albert Pujols ($2,300)
We know we want plenty of shares against Kyle Freeland and his 5.22 ERA/5.65 FIP. But with Max Muncy on the IL, and Mookie Betts a question, we can target some lefty mashers that may not be as obvious. Taylor has a .431 wOBA, 193 wRC+ and .296 ISO, while Turner goes .379/142/.257. Pujols remains a guy to target against lefties at a discount, posting a .410/162/.286 slash. Keep an eye on the lineup however, as Betts would be a terrific part of this stack, or a great individual target if he's deemed available.
Rays vs. J.C. Mejia: Brandon Lowe ($3,600), Austin Meadows ($3,300), Joey Wendle ($2,700)
Sometimes, things just set up too perfectly. Mejia is allowing a .409 wOBA to lefties, and the Rays conveniently have three atop their order, all of whom have at least a .364 wOBA against righties. Not much else needs be said, but if you need further convincing, Mejia has allowed 16 runs across his last 11 innings. Meadows is the preferred stand alone option if necessary.
