This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Right now, there's a lot of uncertainty in the world of MLB and with sports in general. I can look at the schedule and the pitchers that are supposed to be on the mound, but that all feels tentative at this point. Will Saturday have a full slate of games played? Possibly, but you can never tell. All I know is that the first game is supposed to start at 1:05 p.m. EDT and here are my picks for your DFS lineup.
PITCHING
It's been a complicated season for Jack Flaherty ($53) and the Cardinals, but the ace has produced a 1.98 ERA after posting a 2.75 ERA in 2019 and has already emerged as someone with Cy Young potential. He's facing Cleveland on Saturday, and they're one of a handful of teams sporting a slugging percentage below .350.
Yes, Ross Stripling ($39) is off to a bad start. However, he's given up over three homers per nine innings. In his career, Stripling's allowed 1.27 home runs per nine innings. He's been incredibly unlucky, given he's never seen a FIP higher than 3.85. And Stripling receives a lot of offensive support pitching for the Dodgers. The Rangers, on the other hand, come in with the league's worst offense.
The Pirates and Brewers are facing each other and both sit in the bottom-five in runs scored and OPS. As such, you could take a shot on either of their starting pitchers, JT Brubaker ($28) and Brett Anderson ($30). Of those two, I prefer Anderson. He doesn't strike anyone out, but also hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in a game this season.
TOP PICKS
Trea Turner ($23) has been one of the top base stealers in baseball the last four years, having stolen at least 33 bags in each of those campaigns. He's also showing more power this season by posting a .583 slugging percentage. Turner will be facing off with Chris Mazza of the Red Sox. Though Mazza has mostly pitched out of the bullpen in the majors, his career ERA registers at 5.75.
Jorge Soler ($17) broke out by hitting 48 homers in 2019. This year, he's already added seven home runs to his career total. I like the idea of having somebody with a lot of power going up against Dylan Cease. Cease's ERA has dropped from 5.79 to 3.13, but his FIP has actually risen from 5.18 to 5.96. He's also given up two home runs per nine innings this season. The odds are somebody on the Royals is going to go yard, and I'm going with Soler.
VALUE PLAYS
Luis Robert ($17) began the season as one of MLB's top prospects. So far, that's proven to be a fair assessment. Maybe a few more walks would be nice, but he's still batting .284 with a .569 slugging percentage. And the 23-year-old has also produced eight homers and four stolen bases. Speaking of rookies, Kris Bubic is a rookie pitcher for the Royals. He hasn't had the same kind of campaign as Robert. as the 5.35 FIP and the 1.59 homers allowed per nine innings will show.
Mike Yastrzemski is getting all the love for the Giants, but don't overlook Brandon Belt ($19). Belt is, well, belting the ball by slashing .315/.390/.589. He will be in Arizona's hitter-friendly ballpark Saturday and is lined up to face Luke Weaver. That would be the same Weaver who enters with a 7.77 ERA on the season.
STACKS
Rockies vs. Adrian Morejon: Trevor Story ($26), Nolan Arenado ($21), Garrett Hampson ($15)
When you're a Padres' pitcher and your career ERA is 8.53, there's reason for concern. That's in a small sample size, but I'm certainly not expecting him to do much at Coors Field. Since Morejon's a lefty, I'm going with three righties. Story has managed a 1.021 OPS versus lefties and a 1.052 OPS at home since 2018. Arenado still has a .313 OBP, but I'm not concerned as this is a guy with a career slash line of .293/.350/.544 and performs especially well at home. Hampson doesn't offer a ton of power, but he stole 15 bases last year and is in the Rockies' lineup at Coors at a reasonable salary for a second baseman. That's worth a shot.
Rays vs. Humberto Mejia: Brandon Lowe ($22), Austin Meadows ($17), Joey Wendle ($12)
Mejia has only made three starts in the majors, but he's posted a 6.95 FIP. He wouldn't be pitching for the Marlins right now if not for four different starters being out of the rotation, and this isn't a good rotation to begin with. Lowe has been one of the best hitters in baseball this year, full stop. He wasn't awful last year either with a .850 OPS and 17 homers in 82 games. Meadows isn't hitting up to his career standards, but those career standards are a .284/.351/.526 slash line. He also hit 33 homers and stole 12 bases last season. Wendle struggled last year, but his OBP this year is up to .349.
Orioles vs. Taijuan Walker: Anthony Santander ($21), Renato Nunez ($16), Hanser Alberto ($16)
I never imagined recommending an Orioles' stack heading into the season, yet here we are. When I was planning this section, Tanner Roark was expected to start for the Blue Jays. Then, Toronto traded for Walker. Through five starts in Seattle, he managed a 4.92 FIP while allowing 1.67 homers per nine innings pitching home games in a pretty pitcher-friendly ballpark. That makes Walker potential cannon fodder to the – and again I can't believe I'm saying this – heavy-hitting Orioles. Santander doesn't take a lot of walks, but has produced a .606 slugging percentage with 10 homers. Nunez hit an arguably quiet 31 home runs in 2019, and this year has seven while batting .282. Alberto lacks the power of his teammates, but batted .305 last year and .331 this season.
