This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
A slightly larger than usual nine-game slate awaits Saturday evening. We've only got two contests with playoff implications, so all bets are off with regards to effort and lineups tonight. Only one arm is priced in five-figures as well, so it's a slate where everyone is likely to have their own opinions, and we won't see heavy usage anywhere. Keep an eye on weather as well, with rain in Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City potentially trimming this slate.
It's also my last regular-season column for the season. While we/I will obviously continue through October, now is a great time for me to thank everyone for reading and grinding throughout the season. Hope it was a successful one!
Pitching
Julio Urias, LAD vs. MIL ($8,900): Urias is a puzzling case, as he's got more wins than quality starts. But he appears to be in good form, having allowed two or fewer runs in 11 of his last 12 starts, oddly winning seven while earning just three QS. He's averaging a decent 9.4 Ks per nine, and the Brewers fan at a 24.0 percent clip against lefties. The expectation is he matches Corbin Burnes ($10,600) at worst, which works nicely for the cost savings.
Zac Gallen, ARI vs. COL ($8,400): The price dip to Gallen from the top options isn't significant, so we can't target him for cash lineups, but there's a certainty his ownership will be low for GPPs. He's fanned 15 across his last two starts and has at least seven in three of four, and turned in 52 FanDuel points (FDP) against the Rockies in an August 21 meeting. The Rockies are notably worse outside of Coors Field and have just a .307 wOBA against righties overall.
Carlos Carrasco, NYM at ATL ($7,000): The bottom of this pitching slate is less than stellar, so if you're belief is paying down, good luck with that selection. Carrasco lands here simply because I believe the Braves will again rest some regulars after putting together a patchwork lineup Friday. They are an offense that can tee off on any given night, but they also fan at a 24.6 percent clip, which can keep Carrasco's floor from bottoming out. He's allowed three runs or less in six of his last seven, reaching 4x this number in three of those contests. Not ideal, but if we get a softer Atlanta offense, it's reasonable he can get there Saturday.
Top Targets
Byron Buxton, MIN at KC ($4,100): Buxton's .418 wOBA, 169 wRC+ and .299 ISO against lefties hasn't been targetable for much of September in his return from injury, as it's taken a while for his timing to come back. But boy has it ever over the last week plus. He's hit safely in 12 of his last 13, collecting 18 hits total in that span, homering four times and stealing four bases. He's virtually certain to be in the middle of all of what the Twins do Saturday evening.
Frank Schwindel, CHC at STL ($3,700): I loathe this price and name matchup, but it's impossible to ignore Schwindel's success against lefties. He boasts a .501 wOBA 216 wRC+ and .407 ISO against southpaws across a smaller sample size (63 plate appearances). Kudos to Cardinals' starter Jon Lester for being better of late while pitching to contact, but in doing so, I'll trust Schwindel to put balls in play and create some offense.
Value Bats
Akil Baddoo, DET at CWS ($3,100): White Sox' starter Lucas Giolito is 0-3 against Detroit this season, allowing 16 runs (seven homers) across 24.2 innings. Stacking this Tiger lineup for GPPs would certainly be justified and contrarian, but I can't quite go all in. Baddoo has a team-high .356 wOBA against righties and is in good form, having hit safely in nine of 11 while reaching double-digit FDP in four straight.
Michael Brantley, HOU vs. OAK ($2,500): A's starter Paul Blackburn is allowing a .372 wOBA to lefties against a .337 wOBA to righties. Stacking here is certainly an option as the Astros have ample left-handed bats to target. But if you prefer spending elsewhere, Brantley is virtually a free square, as his price hasn't rebounded since being activated from the IL three days ago. He only has one hit in eight at bats since activation, but again, the price is just so low he doesn't need much to return. His season long .397 wOBA against righties continues to lead Astro regulars.
Stack to Consider
White Sox vs. Matt Manning: Tim Anderson ($4,100), Luis Robert ($3,800), Yasmani Grandal ($3,800)
For as diverse as I think this slate is overall, I also think the White Sox are the clear offense to target here, and I don't expect that to be a unique opinion, so expect high usage. They've gotten Manning for 11 runs in as many innings, taking him deep only once, so we're looking for contact over power upside with this stack. That fits Grandal and his .391 wOBA and 21.1 percent walk rate perfectly. Robert sports a .380 wOBA in this spot, and I'm siding with Anderson as a table setter over RBI guys like Jose Abreu ($3,900). He had four hits Friday and has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games, homering three times to boot.
