This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Saturday is jam-packed with baseball. There are 17 games, and that means doubleheaders. Those matchups aren't included in the DFS slate, and neither is the 2:10 p.m. EDT start between Baltimore and Minnesota. You're left with 12 games, and that's from where I chose my recommendations.
Pitching
George Kirby, SEA vs. OAK ($40): Kirby's rookie season has been up and down, but it's been all down for the Athletics' offense as they're last in batting average, OBP, and slugging percentage. That makes this a manageable matchup for Kirby.
Brady Singer, KC at DET ($38): The other team that might have the worst offense in baseball? That would be the Tigers. They enter with the second-worst team OPS and sit last in runs scored. Like Kirby, Singer hasn't produced elite numbers, but you only need to be a mediocre pitcher and get some run support to succeed.
Daniel Castano, MIA at WAS ($26): A bit of a gamble? Perhaps, but Castano has posted a 2.57 ERA this season over 21.0 innings. That includes three starts, and two of those have been quality ones. The Nationals rank in the bottom-10 in runs scored. If Castano proves legitimate, he can surely handle them.
Top Targets
Any skepticism after Austin Riley ($20) broke out in 2021 would be entirely unfounded at this point. He's hit .260, slugged .514, and crushed 19 home runs. Meanwhile, Reds starter Tyler Mahle comes in with a 5.13 home ERA this season.
Paul Goldschmidt and Tommy Edman have gotten a lot of the love, but have you checked out the numbers Nolan Arenado ($18) has put up? He's slashed .288/.349/.523 with 15 homers, calling to mind the numbers he used to regularly produce in Colorado. Kyle Gibson's 4.48 ERA isn't good, but that number has soared to 5.81 across his last five starts.
Bargain Bats
Brian Anderson ($13) has missed a sizable chunk of the season with injury, but lists a .276/.378/.431 slash line when available and just managed his third homer. In his first three MLB starts, Jackson Tetreault has struggled to a 5.36 FIP and somehow has allowed righties to hit .371 against. That's only three outings, but that stat is still alarming.
A catcher is necessary in a Yahoo lineup, and Carson Kelly ($10) is looking like a true bargain on the road at Coors Field. His numbers this year are poor, but he's clubbed two home runs in his last three games and has a .797 OPS against lefties since 2020. Eye-watering numbers are common for Rockies pitchers, but this year Austin Gomber has posted a 6.68 ERA at home and has allowed righties to hit .313 against.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox at Cubs (Alec Mills): Rafael Devers ($27), Jarren Duran ($20), Trevor Story ($18)
Last season, Mills primarily started and posted a 5.07 ERA. This year, he's mostly pitched bulk innings out of the bullpen to go with a 9.87 ERA. Lefties have hit .314 against Mills the last two campaigns, so I've offered two lefties in this stack.
When a righty is on the mound, I have a hard time turning away from Devers. He's recorded a .971 OPS against righties since 2020 and an 1.003 OPS in those matchups this year. Duran didn't do a lot in limited action last year, but the southpaw has registered a .333/.387/.544 slash line this season and just hit his first homer of the campaign. It's notable that Story has been considered something of a disappointment in his first season with Boston even though he's gone deep 12 times and stole 10 bases. As a career .268 hitter, the former Colorado player's numbers should improve.
Rockies vs. Diamondbacks (Dallas Keuchel): C.J. Cron ($21), Connor Joe ($21), Kris Bryant ($20)
Coors Field has come up a couple times already, and I'm returning to that for my stack. Even better, the Rockies get to face Keuchel. After posting a 7.88 ERA in eight starts with the White Sox, they kicked him to the curb. Arizona picked him up, and in his first start he let in four runs over 4.1 innings…to the Tigers.
Cron is hitting a career-high .293 and loves hitting at home with a 1.070 OPS at home since joining the club. Joe brings more leadoff-hitter skills than slugger skills with a .277 average and .375 OBP. However, he's managed an .898 home OPS the last two seasons. Bryant has missed most of the year with injury, but the one-time MVP boasts plenty of upside with his bat with an .866 OPS against lefties since 2020.
Brewers at Pirates (Bryse Wilson): Kolten Wong ($22), Christian Yelich ($21), Rowdy Tellez ($20)
What can be more enticing than the fact Wilson enters with a career 6.17 ERA? How about the fact he's currently sitting at 8.29? I'm stacking three lefties for a reason. Since 2020, southpaws have hit .313 against Wilson and .393 this year.
Wong has missed significant time this season, but he still has five homers and eight stolen bases and an .824 OPS against righties. Yelich has hit .255 with a .345 OBP to go along with seven home runs and 12 steals. The lefty has also produced an .846 OPS the last 21 days. Tellez has slugged .498 and recorded 16 homers, so he'll almost definitely beat his career-best of 21. Six of those have also come in his last nine games.
