This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
These are modern times. You can enjoy a full slate of college football AND set yourself up for MLB DFS success Saturday. With some intriguing playoff battles, you might even watch to catch some of the baseball. There are 11 games starting at 7:10 p.m. EDT or later. Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Luis Castillo, SEA at NYM ($50): Castillo's last two starts have been stellar, though they've come against the White Sox and Royals. He's also posted a 3.01 ERA on the season, which is encouraging. The Mets are below-average in runs scored and a few key players have been worse at home than on the road, which also bodes well for Castillo.
Jordan Montgomery, TEX vs. MIN ($46): Since joining the Rangers, Montgomery has produced a 2.30 ERA over five starts. It's not like he's just gotten hot based on his 2.40 from his last 14 outings. Minnesota is a middling offensive side that beats up on an easy division. And Montgomery is a lefty, which should help him keep the likes of Edouard Julien in check.
Mike Clevinger, CWS vs. DET ($40): Clevinger was placed on waivers by the White Sox as a salary-cutting move, though he's been pitching quite well of late with a 2.24 ERA in his last 10 appearances. The Tigers may have a chance to climb out of 29th in runs scored, but they seem pretty locked into 29th in OPS because the Athletics exist.
Top Targets
There's a good chance Kyle Schwarber ($22) hits below the Mendoza Line but also registers over 40 homers. That's just his game. The slugger has a tendency to go on streaks, and over the last three weeks has produced a 1.015 OPS. Rotowire's starting pitching grid has Colin Rea getting called up from Triple-A to start Saturday. He's allowed 1.70 homers per nine innings. Even if the Brewers go elsewhere, Schwarber has slugged .470 against southpaws this year.
Now slotted in at first base for the Pirates, Connor Joe ($15) has an .819 OPS the last three weeks and an .806 against lefties on the year. Drew Rom has made two MLB starts, and they have gone disastrously with an 8.00 ERA while righties have hit a whopping .379 against.
Bargain Bats
In the value region, sometimes you're looking for a pretty good player with an excellent matchup, and that's Andrew Vaughn ($14). He's managed a .752 OPS against his fellow righties and a .775 at home. There's a decent chance Reese Olson won't make it out of the fifth inning even if he pitches well, so that should give Vaughn a couple shots against a rookie with a 5.10 ERA.
In addition to having a strong chance of a 20/30 campaign, Christian Yelich ($13) has recorded a .367 OBP. He mostly succeeds against righties with an .895 OPS. Aaron Nola has endured a tough year, headlined by his 5.26 road ERA and the fact he's given up 1.56 homers per nine innings.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays at Rockies (Ty Blach): George Springer ($21), Vladimir Guerrero ($17), Whit Merrifield ($15)
The Blue Jays are at Coors Field this weekend, which would be a nice boost to their upside even if, say a fully-healthy Rays rotation pitched there. However, the Rockies also happen to be a terrible team with a subpar rotation - Blach included. He's posted a 4.67 FIP and has only struck out 4.88 batters per nine innings. Blach is a lefty, so I've included three righties in this stack.
Springer is going to be a 20/20 player for the first time in his career, even though he's posted his worst power numbers to date. Guerrero's 48-homer power hasn't been on display all the time this season, but mostly he's struggled at home with a .494 road mark. Merrifield is someone who hits for average and steals bases with a .290 and 25 in those departments. And this is where I note that Coors is often kind to doubles hitters as well.
Astros vs. Yankees (Luis Severino): Kyle Tucker ($23), Yordan Alvarez ($22), Alex Bregman ($22)
Severino is coming off two solid starts, though they came against the Tigers and Nationals. The Astros are a different story. Severino still has a 6.64 ERA overall, and an 8.09 on the road. That's bolstered by a .329 average versus lefties, and that's why I have two of them below.
Alvarez is a southpaw who's slugged .586 over his career. And Severino has given up 2.21 homers per nine innings in 2023. Tucker has accumulated 26 homers, 26 steals, and a .291 average. He's not slowing down either with an .891 OPS the last three weeks. Bregman is a righty who really prefers to see a fellow right-hander on the mound with an .875 OPS in those matchups. Severino has been brutal against southpaws, but his .273 allowed to righties isn't exactly great.
Red Sox at Royals (Alec Marsh): Justin Turner ($20), Rafael Devers ($18), Alex Verdugo ($17)
Marsh represents the Rotowire starting pitching grid's projection for the Royals, and that is a tool that usually does quite well by me. KC has nothing to play for, so giving a rookie pitcher more experience isn't going to hurt. He's three true outcomes personified in a pitcher, which isn't ideal. Marsh has struck out 10.76 batters per nine innings, but his walks are 4.93 and his homers are 2.55. And that's why he currently holds a 6.68 FIP.
In Turner's first season with the Red Sox, he's slashed .285/.354/.484 with 22 homers. Though Marsh is a righty, righties have gone .278 against. Devers is on the verge of another 30-homer season. And since 2021, he's produced a .924 OPS against righties while also slugging .539 on the road in 2023. Verdugo is an example of how hitters with doubles power sometimes get overlooked by counting-stats-craving fantasy players. He may only have 13 homers to his 33 doubles, but the latter is quite impressive along with a .277 average and an .839 OPS against righties.
