This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
FanDuel has given us a rare elongated Saturday main slate that starts at an earlier than usual 2:10 p.m. EDT and stretches until 4:10 p.m starts. That gives us 10 games to sort though, and currently 19 arms to target and against, with Toronto not currently confirming their starter. Only two are priced in five-figures and two more in the 9k range. Two of those come in the Houston-Detroit matchup, which predictably comes with the slate's lowest run total at 7.5. Atlanta-Tampa Bay comes with the highest expected total at 9.0, while five more games sit at 8.5 runs.
Weather looks completely dry, so we can freely target all games. Winds look like they could play a factor. We could reportedly see gusts up to 17 mph blowing out in San Francisco, while Baltimore, Washington and New York could see double-digit gusts blowing in.
Pitching
Grayson Rodriguez, BAL vs. PHI ($9,800): One of the few things I got right last night was Hunter Brown against Detroit, so going back to that well with Justin Verlander makes plenty of sense, even if his form is weak. But to look elsewhere atop the arms, I like Rodriguez in this spot. Camden Yards doesn't give up many homers, and neither does Rodriguez at 0.9 per nine. He's a fly ball guy, and if we accept fly balls die in Camden, and the wind blowing in, the Phillies are going to have to make a lot of consistent contact to generate runs. Mix in Rodriguez' 10.1 K/9, and it's fair to question whether they can, or will, despite their lineup depth.
Bailey Ober, MIN vs. OAK ($8,100): To be honest, I don't like much on the mound Saturday. Ober is in pretty bad form, allowing 20 runs across his last five starts, 23.2 innings. He enters with a 5.13 ERA, but more palatable 4.12 xFIP. Oakland isn't the pushover offense they've been in previous seasons, but still come with a mediocre, at best, .293 wOBA, 91 wRC+ and targetable 26.9 percent strikeout rate off righties. It's unlikely to be clean, but Ober should get some run support and pile up a handful of Ks.
DJ Herz, WSH vs. MIA ($6,600): When we don't like many of the options at a position, maybe we just punt? Herz has made two starts, allowed six runs across 8.1 innings, but struck out eight against offenses that are statically solid or better against lefties in the Braves and Mets. Miami does not qualify as that, with a .265 wOBA, 69 wRC+ and .097 ISO. They don't fan often at just 20.7 percent, but we can expect some soft contact. It's another game with winds blowing in, which can't hurt. Herz needs to limit his walks, as he sits at 5.4 per nine, but the Marlins counter by walking just 5.7 percent of the time.
Top Targets
Happy Elly De La Cruz ($3,800) day! Brewers starter Bryse Wilson enters with a .429 wOBA and .991 OPS allowed to lefties, and De La Cruz is 2-for-3 with a homer off Wilson.
Most other matchups don't stand out atop this slate, despite some questionable pitching. As such, we should go with what we think are sure things. Jose Ramirez ($4,200) doesn't have an RBI in three games, so he's overdue. Royce Lewis ($4,000) got a surprise off day Friday but has been productive almost every time he plays. He'll face Joey Estes who has a 6.27 road ERA and 5.55 FIP. He's been far more vulnerable to lefties, however, so perhaps the Twins can be stackable based on their batting order, with hopefully Willi Castro ($3,100) and Max Kepler ($2,900) hitting near Lewis.
Bargain Bats
If we trust the wind in San Francisco to be gusting out, this game can offer ample value to your builds, but the offenses likely aren't trustworthy enough to stack either side. Giants' starter Keaton Winn has been better at home, but is still allowing a .401 wOBA and .930 ISO to righties. Logan O'Hoppe ($3,000) is hot, with 13 hits including five doubles and a homer, scoring eight times. On the other side, you can't deny Heliot Ramos' ($3,600) current form, and he sits with an unsustainable .581 wOBA, 289 wRC+ and .536 ISO. Matt Chapman ($2,900) is just 1-for-10 off Angels' starter Patrick Sandoval, but has a .419 wOBA, 179 wRC+ and .242 ISO off lefties to date.
Are the Braves back? I have doubts, but they've now scored 13 runs in their last two games. Rays' starter Ryan Pepiot has a 1.50 road ERA and 0.97 FIP, so perhaps stacking isn't the right play. And with Michael Harris' injury Friday, there's going to be some lineup shakeup. But Matt Olson ($3,200) and Austin Riley ($2,800) are just too cheap for what they can provide. Olson extended his hitting streak to eight games Friday, while Riley went 3-for-4 with a long overdue homer.
Stack to Consider
Orioles vs. Taijuan Walker (Phillies): Gunnar Henderson ($4,400), Adley Rutschman ($3,700), Anthony Santander ($3,200)
Walker is getting mashed by lefties, allowing a .411 wOBA that rises to .518 on the road, surrendering a 1.230 OPS, and the Orioles are chalked full of left-handed bats from whom we can choose. Unfortunately, that also means we need to see how they lineup before putting this plan into motion. Henderson is a no-brainer, sitting with a .400 wOBA and 160 wRC+. Rutschman isn't in great form nor does he have great numbers from the left side, so he's not a required play, especially based on the price. Santander, Ryan O'Hearn and even Cedric Mullins are in play for sure.
