This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
A reduced seven-game main slate is offered by FanDuel Saturday afternoon, with all games starting between 4:05 and 4:10 p.m. EDT. All 14 teams have listed pitchers, four of whom are priced in five figures. Houston-Oakland currently doesn't have listed odds. The other six games come with two low totals of 7.5 runs, while three others have the slate-high total of nine.
Pitching
Framber Valdez, HOU at OAK ($11,600): Not much analysis is needed in this obvious matchup. Valdez is coming off of a complete game shutout of this Athletics lineup, earning 58 FanDuel points (FDP) while needing just 104 pitches to get through the entire game. Given how always targetable the A's are, a near repeat isn't out of the question. Oakland is surprisingly somewhat competent against lefties, posting a 107 wRC+, but the only reason to fade Valdez here would be his price, if you can't identify ample bats to allow him into your build.
Josiah Gray, WAS at KC ($8,900): Gray is arguably my favorite pitcher on this slate thanks to the price point and matchup. The Royals rank 28th with a .285 wOBA off of righties, and strike out 25.1 percent of the time, hopefully aiding Gray in a quest for a quality start. Gray has allowed more than one run just twice since opening day, collecting four wins and quality starts in his last six outings. His 7.3 K/9 isn't elite, and his 2.65 ERA comes with a 4.94 xFIP, so there is some risk. But he's doing a great job keeping the ball inside the park, allowing just .78 HR/9, so we'll need the matchup to play in order for an upside performance.
Roansy Contreras, PIT at SEA ($7,500): There aren't any true paydown options on the mound across this slate. Both Contreras and Brady Singer offer potential on talent, though Singer has been pelted regularly while Contreras has been a more steady source of marginal fantasy scoring. His last four games haven't yielded more than 22 FDP in any outing, but they all came against quality lineups. I can argue Seattle's lineup is quality, but the results haven't been there all season, highlighed by a targetable 25.1 percent K rate. Perhaps that helps Contreras here, who's fanning just 6.3 per nine. A just-above-average 101 wRC+ and the spacious ballpark in Seattle could allow him to flirt with 30 FDP if he keeps his walks down. There's always risk in this price tier, but Contreras seems to offer the most potential within it.
Top Targets
A Phillies' stack against Charlie Morton is interesting, as there's enough BvP familiarity to find some success, and Morton has been hit by better lineups, allowing four runs to the Mets and six to the Dodgers recently. But I prefer to simply build around Bryce Harper ($3,800), who isn't priced nearly as high as other big names. He's 10-for-25 (.400) off of Morton with seven RBI and a 1.140 OPS, and has an inflated .524 wOBA, 233 wRC+ and 1.245 OPS in 53 plate appearances against righties to date.
It's uncertain what we can expect from Tyler Glasnow in his return from injury, other than he won't have a hefty pitch count. But Freddie Freeman ($4,200) is locked in to a point he looks too good to fail here. He has a .405 wOBA and 157 wRC+ off righties to date and brings a 15-game hitting streak into Saturday. He's driven in 17 in that stretch, though 13 of those have come in four games. He's more of a safe floor play to me rather than chasing that upside, but there's minimal reason to expect he's shutout here.
Bargain Bats
The lack of a line in Houston-Oakland is from a lack of confirmation on the A's starting pitching, though FanDuel lists lefty Hogan Harris, who was pelted in just 0.1 innings in his first opportunity and has a 6.32 xFIP in Triple-A. I'm not sure it matters if he actually starts, because he likely won't last long and we'll get ample bullpen innings regardless. That makes this lineup as obvious to target, as Valdez is on the bump. Jose Altuve ($3,200) had a team-best .449 wOBA off lefties if we think he gets more than one at bat off Harris, but there are ample values through this lineup, with Kyle Tucker ($3,300) and Alex Bregman ($3,000) showing stability of late, while always having the potential to pop.
Brady Singer shows no signs of rediscovering his 2022 form, having allowed five or more runs in six of his 10 starts, and the Nationals don't have a bat priced above $3,200, making them ripe for value. Singer is allowing a .446 wOBA and 1.066 OPS to lefties at home, which allows us to chase Luis Garcia ($2,800), who's coming off of a massive six-hit night Friday. He doesn't strike out, at just 8.2 percent, giving him an opportunity to exploit Singer's .353 BABIP. But if you're interested in being a tad different, Jeimer Candelario ($2,800) and/or CJ Abrams ($2,900) offer other options from the left side.
Stack to Consider
Rangers vs. Dean Kremer: Marcus Semien ($4,400), Corey Seager ($3,900), Nathaniel Lowe ($3,200)
We've touched on some other obvious spots to target offense based on matchup and price. Hopefully, Texas isn't the obvious choice and can give us an edge, and this isn't super price friendly either. Kremer is either on or he's not, allowing three or more runs in six starts, and zero or one in four. He's been far more vulnerable to lefties, allowing a .405 wOBA to opposite-handed bats against .318 to same-sided hitters. That gives Seager ample stand-alone value, with his team-best .425 wOBA and 176 wRC+ off righties. Lowe gives us a second left-handed bat that likely slots into the top of the order, balances our budget, and his .378 wOBA off righties isn't awful. Semien is rightfully pricey, riding a 15-game hitting streak, and has better splits off righties, with a nice .381 wOBA and 146 wRC+. The hope here is we get a 1-2-3 lineup stack that feeds off each other.
