This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There are 11 games on the MLB DFS docket for Saturday. However, the first pitch is at 4:05 p.m. EDT. That means you have to get your lineups in earlier than usual. Here are my DFS recommendations.
Pitching
Zack Wheeler, PHI vs. NYM ($51): Wheeler has posted a 3.63 ERA, but with a 3.22 FIP. He keeps walks and homers down and has struck out 9.99 batters per nine innings. The Mets have nothing left to play for and are in the bottom-half of the league in runs scored.
Jesus Luzardo, MIA vs. MIL ($43): Luzardo has been a different pitcher at home with a 2.96 ERA. He's also a lefty who's held southpaws to a .204 average. The Brewers' lefty bats - including Christian Yelich - will be in trouble.
J.P. France, HOU vs. KC ($27): I'll take a shot on France at this salary. The rookie has only allowed a .239 average versus lefties. Kansas City is vying to avoid the worst record in MLB while ranking 25th in runs scored.
Top Targets
All the tumult in the rear view, Trea Turner ($25) now has 29 stolen bases to go with 32 doubles and five triples. He's also recorded an .891 OPS at home. Why not mention Turner's 26 homers up top? Because Jose Quintana has been great at keeping the ball in the park. However, the southpaw maintains a 3.65 road ERA and has let righties go .266 against.
Not only does Gunnar Henderson ($19) have 27 home runs as a rookie, he's also added nine triples. Much of his damage has been done against righties - usual for young left-handed hitters - with an .890 OPS in those matchups. Cal Quantrill will be taking the mound for Cleveland and is a righty with a 6.06 ERA at home.
Bargain Bats
He may really struggle with southpaws, but Jack Suwinski ($17) has produced an .866 OPS versus righties. Not only that, but he has an .869 on the road. Connor Phillips will be making his fourth MLB start, and the righty enters with a 6.77 FIP while giving up 2.87 home runs per nine innings.
Perhaps Andrew Benintendi ($11) will enjoy his Saturday at his old home park, as Fenway tends to play well for lefties. He offers limited power, yet he still has 33 doubles. Since joining the Red Sox, Nick Pivetta has posted a 5.06 home ERA. The righty could serve a double or two up to Benintendi.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Royals (Jordan Lyles): Yordan Alvarez ($27), Kyle Tucker ($25), Alex Bregman ($24)
I can't resist the chance to stack against Lyles, but why should I. He's had one of the worst careers in MLB history, and this year hasn't been any different with a 7.76 road ERA while allowing 2.1 home runs per nine innings in away starts. And Lyles has given 2.7 over his last nine starts as he heads back to Houston, where his career began.
Alvarez is going to finish with over 30 homers and 100 RBI for the third straight season. He holds a career .587 slugging percentage, so a matchup with Lyles is right up the lefty's alley. Tucker already has a personal best of 108 RBI and 28 stolen bases, but he also has 28 homers and a .366 OBP is quite impressive. Bregman is to no one's surprise going to finish with over 100 RBI and runs scored. While he's right-handed, he's registered an .870 OPS versus his fellow righties. As for Lyles, everybody hits him regardless of the side of the plate they stand on.
Red Sox vs. White Sox (Dylan Cease): Rafael Devers ($20), Alex Verdugo ($11), Masataka Yoshida ($10)
Why has Cease gone from a 2.20 ERA last year to a 4.85 (aside from his luck completely flipping around)? Well, he's struggled to a 5.47 ERA on the road, where his usual ability to completely avoid homers has escaped him (1.3 HR/9). And lefties have batted.268 against, so I've included three below.
Devers has managed an 1.040 OPS the last three weeks. And since 2021, he's produced a .929 against righties and an .895 at home. Verdugo has been cold, yet has a similar profile to Devers in his .811 OPS against righties and a .799 at Fenway Park. Yoshida's rookie season started well before cooling off, though he's hit .285 with 15 homers and eight steals along with an .834 home OPS.
Padres vs. Cardinals (Jake Woodford): Juan Soto ($24), Ji-Man Choi ($11), Trent Grisham ($8)
Woodford is back from Triple-A to…I don't know what. Throw a couple innings as an opener? Try to work a starter's load as he did back in April? All I can figure out is his 5.95 FIP in 2023, he's always been bad at generating strikeouts - even out of the bullpen - and has allowed lefties to go .318 against the last couple campaigns. And that's how I decided on a three-lefty stack. Maybe Choi and Grisham are targeted out of the bullpen with southpaws, but they're worth a shot based on their salaries.
The Padres aren't going to make the playoffs, yet Soto is still elite and will finish with an OBP over .400 yet again. There's also his .942 OPS versus right-handed pitchers this season. Choi has endured a tough year, though he also has a .765 OPS against righties since 2021. Prior to this year, he put up a .351 OBP over five campaigns and batting eye doesn't tend to suddenly leave you in your early 30s. Grisham has 13 homers and 14 stolen bases. And in terms of lefties coming out of the bullpen, he's recorded a .745 OPS against them the last two seasons.
