This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
On this Saturday, we have MLB action throughout the day. For DFS purposes, I'm focused on the evening slate because that is what Yahoo is also covering. While there are 10 games starting at 7:05 p.m. EDT or later, two of those are the second halves of doubleheaders. That leaves us with eight games to look at. Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Carlos Rodon, SF at OAK ($52): Rodon got back on track with his last start by pitching seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts. His 3.00 ERA is strong, but his FIP is even more impressive at 2.28. If that wasn't enticing enough, the Athletics rank 29th in runs scored and team OPS.
Merrill Kelly, ARI vs. COL ($46): Kelly has really dropped his home-run rate this season, and it's helped him post a 2.87 ERA. The righty has also been red hot for a while with an 1.31 ERA in his last six starts. When you're looking at the Rockies' offense, you always have to remember the importance of home versus road splits, and this game isn't at Coors Field.
Michael Kopech, CWS at TEX ($36): Finding a third pitcher for Saturday was a little tricky. However, Kopech enters with a 3.12 ERA and a 2.38 over his last four starts. While the Rangers are middle of the league in offense, they still maintain a .301 team OBP.
Top Targets
After missing a couple weeks of action, Luis Robert ($24) is back and brings a career .296/.343/.491 slash line. The Cuban also has 12 home runs and 11 stolen bases this season. Dane Dunning will be facing his former team and he carries a career 4.35 ERA.
It's a little surprising Xander Bogaerts ($17) has only hit nine homers since he's batted .315 and has logged four 20-homer seasons. Since 2020, he's produced a .921 OPS versus lefties. Daniel Lynch is a southpaw has allowed righties to hit .296 against during his career. That's a big reason why his career ERA is 5.16.
Bargain Bats
With a lefty on the mound, there's a good chance Gleyber Torres ($13) will be in the lineup for the Yankees considering his .939 OPS versus this season and an .845 OPS the last couple years. Torres has also recorded an .814 OPS on the road in 2022. The opposing pitcher is former Yankee Jordan Montgomery, who was just dealt at the deadline. Before the deal, he posted a 3.90 FIP.
Kyle Farmer ($7) has the kind of splits you expect from a lefty, not a righty. The shortstop has struggled against fellow right-handers, but has a .989 OPS versus southpaws. The Brewers are starting lefty Aaron Ashby, who comes in with a career 4.25 ERA.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays at Twins (Dylan Bundy): Vladimir Guerrero ($22), George Springer ($19), Bo Bichette ($16)
After a 6.06 ERA with the Angels last season, Bundy has a 5.04 in his first campaign with the Twins. And over his last four starts, that mark balloons to 6.98. I wish the Blue Jays had a regular lefties in their lineup since they've gone .301 against Bundy, but the Jays still boasts an elite lineup with plenty of opportunity to stack.
Guerrero has racked up a 16-game hit streak, helping him to a .289 batting average. He's also slugged .515 with 23 home runs. Springer has been in and out of the lineup recently, and that's been a problem in his career, but he's still produced 18 homers and 10 stolen bases to go with an .874 OPS versus righties since 2020. Bichette had 29 home runs and 25 stolen bases last year in a breakthrough campaign. He's dipped a bit this year, but he's still batting .260 with 14 homers and seven steals.
Giants at Athletics (Adam Oller): Wilmer Flores ($20), Brandon Belt ($17), Luis Gonzalez ($14)
Oller's rookie season has been woeful with a 7.68 ERA and a 9.00 at home. A big part of that is the fact he's given up 2.56 home runs per nine innings. Oller's a righty, which is good since the Giants employ a lot of lefties, but I wanted to get a righty as well because they've gone .311 against him.
Flores is the righty I've selected having swatted 16 home runs and an .869 home OPS. Belt enters with a .351 OBP, in line his with his career .358 mark. The lefty is also in an ideal situation since he's registered a .947 OPS versus righties and a .988 at home since 2020. Gonzalez has hit .283 with four home runs and nine stolen bases in 70 games. And over his career, he's managed an .825 OPS against righties.
Cardinals vs. Yankees (Domingo German): Nolan Arenado ($22), Nolan Gorman ($16), Tommy Edman ($13)
German's 6.39 ERA and 7.29 FIP are admittedly based on only three starts. However, his career ERA is 4.60 and has allowed 1.70 home runs per nine innings. This is a great matchup for guys with power. And while the Cardinals aren't ideally set up for that, I still like this stack.
Arenado offers plenty of power slugging .541 with 21 homers. And through the last three weeks, he's posted a .985 OPS. Gorman is the one lefty with real power upside. The rookie doesn't make a lot of contact, but he has 12 home runs and has slugged .452 in 62 games. He also lists a .915 OBP the last 21 days. Edman doesn't really bring power, but his base running provides plenty of fantasy potential with seven homers to go with 22 stolen bases.
