This article is part of our DFS MLB series.
We have another lighter schedule of day games on Saturday, which leads us into the main slate starting at 7:10 p.m. EDT with 10 matchups and a pretty uninspiring day on the pitching side. There are some favorable offensive matchups to take advantage of along with home games at Great American Ballpark, Truist Park, Target Field and Angel Stadium.
Pitchers
We're lacking aces on the slate, and that's illustrated in the salaries as no pitcher is at five-digits. The first decision is whether to pay all the way up for Jack Flaherty ($9,800), who's the only arm in the top tier I'd consider. He draws a surprisingly tough matchup against the Athletics, so there are reasons not to roster him in his Dodgers' debut.
Hunter Greene ($8,700) is quietly in the midst of a breakout campaign. He's topped 25 DK points in three of four starts and is averaging 20.6 from his last 10 outings. The main factor working against him is his home park, though that risk is offset by the fact the Giants are striking out at a 26.1 percent clip over the last 30 days.
Sticking in the same tier, we have Bailey Ober ($8,400) matched up against the hapless White Sox. He offers strikeout upside thanks to a 26.8 percent rate and should win. Ober also has a strong chance to be the highest raw-points scorer of all available pitchers.
We can conclude with two options in the $7,000 range. Grant Holmes ($7,700) carries
We have another lighter schedule of day games on Saturday, which leads us into the main slate starting at 7:10 p.m. EDT with 10 matchups and a pretty uninspiring day on the pitching side. There are some favorable offensive matchups to take advantage of along with home games at Great American Ballpark, Truist Park, Target Field and Angel Stadium.
Pitchers
We're lacking aces on the slate, and that's illustrated in the salaries as no pitcher is at five-digits. The first decision is whether to pay all the way up for Jack Flaherty ($9,800), who's the only arm in the top tier I'd consider. He draws a surprisingly tough matchup against the Athletics, so there are reasons not to roster him in his Dodgers' debut.
Hunter Greene ($8,700) is quietly in the midst of a breakout campaign. He's topped 25 DK points in three of four starts and is averaging 20.6 from his last 10 outings. The main factor working against him is his home park, though that risk is offset by the fact the Giants are striking out at a 26.1 percent clip over the last 30 days.
Sticking in the same tier, we have Bailey Ober ($8,400) matched up against the hapless White Sox. He offers strikeout upside thanks to a 26.8 percent rate and should win. Ober also has a strong chance to be the highest raw-points scorer of all available pitchers.
We can conclude with two options in the $7,000 range. Grant Holmes ($7,700) carries an inflated value considering he only has one big-league start to his name. He was also used primarily as a reliever in the minors, so it's difficult to project his strikeout upside - yet he benefits by facing the Marlins.
The final comfortable option to consider is Zach Eflin ($7,200). This is a bet on skills over matchup, as he lists the seventh-best SIERA of the available pitchers while being buried in terms of salary. Eflin will be forced to square off against the Guardians, which is a very tough matchup.
Top Hitters
It's long been a rule to not roster Rockies hitters away from Coors Field, but Michael Toglia ($4,000) has broken through that this year with a .333 road ISO while crushing lefties. And that's a nice combo with Martin Perez on the mound for the Padres.
Atlanta's star bats are starting to heat up, and they're a solid stacking option against Kyle Tyler – a converted reliever. Matt Olson ($4,900) and Austin Riley ($5,100) stand out as the best options.
Value Bats
Victor Robles ($3,400) is making a bid to be the next post-hype sleeper, having nearly doubled his barrel rate from his career norms this season. He's regularly operating as the Mariners' leadoff hitter and Kolby Allard has never shown the ability to consistently get outs in the majors.
Kyle Harrison isn't a particularly obvious option to attack Saturday, though it's usually a smart idea to roster players in favorable hitting parks. Ty France ($2,900) made his Reds debut last night and batted cleanup, which will be a valuable spot to consider if he sticks there moving forward.
Stacks to Consider
Orioles at Guardians (Joey Cantillo): Anthony Santander ($5,400), Gunnar Henderson ($6,000), Adley Rutschman ($5,600)
The Orioles are struggling for an extended stretch for the first time in 2024, yet that hasn't primarily come due to their bats. They face a rookie making only his second career big-league start. The Phillies got to Cantillo in his first appearance, and the Orioles boast an equally talented and deep group of hitters.
Rangers vs. Red Sox (Tanner Houck): Josh Smith ($4,300), Corey Seager ($5,500), Marcus Semien ($4,800)
Houck started the season in strong form, though things have gone poorly of late. In his last five starts, he's posted a 15:15 K:BB while giving up 15 earned runs across 25.2 innings. Houck has the talent to turn things around, though it's worth noting he's already surpassed his highest innings count by 20. The Rangers don't offer a great overall lineup, but Semien and Seager have picked things up of late and Smith is a decent value as the leadoff.
