This article is part of our DFS MLB series.
As is typically the case on Saturday, the 4:05 p.m. EDT slot is when the majority of games kick off. We have eight games to work with, and it's a very weak slate from the perspective of pitcher quality. There also aren't many standout hitting environments with some exceptions being Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati and Progressive Field in Cleveland, so we'll primarily rely on matchups to build our lineups.
Pitchers
It's worth lamenting the state of the pitching options, but Garrett Crochet ($10,400) has performed as a legitimate ace this season. He's also drawing a matchup against the Marlins, who've struck out at a 25 percent rate with a dreadful .260 wOBA over the last 30 days.
There are a trio of good options in the second tier in MacKenzie Gore ($9,500), Hunter Greene ($9,200) and Taj Bradley ($8,500). All three have relatively similar skills, though Greene stands out thanks his matchup against the Tigers. Detroit has been miserable in the last month posting a .276 wOBA (only the Marlins have been worse) with a 23.6 percent K mark. Bradley would be my second choice with his excellent 31.6 percent strikeout rate on the season.
After that, the dropoff occurs. David Peterson ($7,500) has been inconsistent, yet he's shown the ability to spike relatively big performances such as 21.3 and 17.8 DK points within his last three starts. He'll be facing the Pirates, who list the third-highest strikeout rate in the league against lefties this year.
As is typically the case on Saturday, the 4:05 p.m. EDT slot is when the majority of games kick off. We have eight games to work with, and it's a very weak slate from the perspective of pitcher quality. There also aren't many standout hitting environments with some exceptions being Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati and Progressive Field in Cleveland, so we'll primarily rely on matchups to build our lineups.
Pitchers
It's worth lamenting the state of the pitching options, but Garrett Crochet ($10,400) has performed as a legitimate ace this season. He's also drawing a matchup against the Marlins, who've struck out at a 25 percent rate with a dreadful .260 wOBA over the last 30 days.
There are a trio of good options in the second tier in MacKenzie Gore ($9,500), Hunter Greene ($9,200) and Taj Bradley ($8,500). All three have relatively similar skills, though Greene stands out thanks his matchup against the Tigers. Detroit has been miserable in the last month posting a .276 wOBA (only the Marlins have been worse) with a 23.6 percent K mark. Bradley would be my second choice with his excellent 31.6 percent strikeout rate on the season.
After that, the dropoff occurs. David Peterson ($7,500) has been inconsistent, yet he's shown the ability to spike relatively big performances such as 21.3 and 17.8 DK points within his last three starts. He'll be facing the Pirates, who list the third-highest strikeout rate in the league against lefties this year.
Andrew Heaney ($6,900) is undervalued. He carries the fifth-highest strikeout rate among starters available on Saturday. Heaney is also volatile, and that has been illustrated across his last five outings. The Rays have been hot on offense, but Heaney recently shut own the Orioles and also registered a solid start against the Mets three turns ago.
Top Hitters
There are few hotter hitters in the league than Vladimir Guerrero ($4,800). He'll go up against Emerson Hancock on Saturday, a talented pitcher who's struggled to generate whiffs in his first big-league sample.
It's not often we highlight Oakland bats, though Brent Rooker ($5,000) is another on fire with a .703 slugging percentage from his last 10 games. Like Guerrero, he also draws an inexperienced rookie pitcher in Cade Povich and his 14.9 percent strikeout rate while allowing an 11.8 percent barrel rate.
Value Bats
Taj Bradley can rack up the Ks, but also gives up a lot of hard contact - and in turn, home runs. We should get some Rangers in the lineup against him as a result, and Nathaniel Lowe ($3,800) has been great of late averaging 10.9 DK points while slugging .667 across his last 10 appearances.
Angel Martinez ($2,500) isn't a top prospect, yet he was recalled by the Guardians on Thursday and has hit second in the order in the two games since. That should set him up well to accumulate DK points, even if he doesn't offer elite skills or scouting reports. Kyle Harrison is coming off the injured list for the Giants, so this could be a good day to attack him.
Stacks to Consider
Giants at Guardians (Logan Allen): Jorge Soler ($4,300), Heliot Ramos ($4,700), Patrick Bailey ($4,200)
Allen has a homer problem, which isn't reason enough to stack against him. However, he's also conceded at least five earned runs four times in 17 starts and at least four on six occasions. The Giants offer a good chance to cash in as they've maintained a .331 wOBA and 119 wRC+ against left-handed pitching in 2024.
Orioles at Athletics (Luis Medina): Gunnar Henderson ($6,600), Adley Rutschman ($5,400), Ryan O'Hearn ($4,200)
It was tempting to look past this stack due to the matchup taking place at the pitcher-friendly Oakland Coliseum. But Medina has recorded the highest SIERA (5.29) among Saturday's pitchers and has only registered a 5.2 K-BB percent. The Orioles are a stellar offense with the league's highest ISO and third-best wOBA, so it's also possible to mix and match the lineup to fit salary cap needs.
