This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Saturday night is a rather small slate with only eight games, but it might be a good day to take advantage as fans will be focused on the day's other high-profile sporting events. Between the fight, the Derby, the playoffs and the draft, people's priorities might not be focused on baseball, and it could be a good night to take advantage of some amateur players. All the night game have lines of -150 or smaller, as well as totals between 7-8.5, so it should be an eventful night on the diamond across the country. Let's get into some of the value picks to win some cash.
Pitcher
Taijuan Walker ($7,700) - The young Taijuan Walker seems to be finding his stride in the majors, and we're going to bet on him having a strong performance against the strikeout-prone Astros. Walker has been fantastic his last two starts, pitching 12.1 innings, allowing only 10 hits and one run with 13 strikeouts. Walker had eight strikeouts against the Astros a couple weeks ago and has had at least six strikeouts in all three of his career starts against the Astros. With a strikeout rate of about one per inning, he is primed to have another big strikeout game against the league leader in strikeouts. The Astros have 218 Ks in just 23 games, 18 more than the next closest team. Even if Walker doesn't have a quality start, he should give us enough fantasy points through strikeouts alone to exceed the value on his $7,700 price tag.
Brandon Morrow ($6,900) - It saddens me to write about a pitcher facing my beloved Rockies, but Morrow is a great value as the 10th-ranked pitcher in a short eight-game slate. With a price of only $6,900, Morrow won't have to do a lot to exceed his value, but a quality start seems likely against the road-struggling Rockies. The Rockies are 7-6 on the road but average 3.8 runs per game with a .299 OBP. Last season, the barely averaged three runs a game on the road with an abysmal .279 OBP, finishing 21-60 record. Morrow has also had success against Rockies hitters in his career, as well. Rockies hitters have a combined .214 average against Morrow in 42 at-bats and a .381 SLG. With San Diego -145 and a seven-run game total, the oddsmakers think Morrow has a good chance to win and even a better chance at a quality start.
Catcher
Victor Martinez ($3,400) - Catcher is rather weak Saturday night, so we'll pick the No. 1 option at a friendly $3,400. Martinez squares off against Edinson Volquez, and while Volquez has been good this season, he still has some control issues. We'll take one of the best hitting eyes in the league against one of the wildest pitchers and bank on a few walks or a miss-located fastball landing in the bleachers. Since 2012, Volquez is second in the league in walks behind C.J. Wilson, totaling 258. Meanwhile, Victor Martinez has made a career of having one of the best eye's in the game. Martinez had only 42 strikeouts last season with an OBP of .409, so he's primed to get on base at least once or twice in this matchup. Remember, walks aren't always the sexiest way to get fantasy points, but they are just as valuable as hits on FanDuel. Look for Martinez to return his value as the top catcher of the night.
First Base
Ryan Zimmerman ($2,900) - Zimmerman has gotten off to a slow start but can really turn it on against lefties at any time. Zimmerman faces southpaw Jonathon Niese on Saturday and could have a big game as one of the lowest-ranked first basemen on the board. Zimmerman's career average vs. lefties is .309, and this season he has an .826 OPS against southpaws. While he has struggled to the tune of a .208 average against right-handers this season, he is hitting .263 average against lefties, clearly seeing the ball better coming from the left side. Zimmerman is a notorious slow starter, but is a .291 career hitter in May. Zimmerman is ready to break out of his slump, and we'll bet on him having a breakout game against Niese on Saturday night.
Second Base
Jedd Gyorko ($2,200) - Gyorko can look like one of the worst hitters in the league at times, but against Jorge De La Rosa, his eyes light up. Gyorko is no guarantee to make the lineup, but with a 1.699 career OPS versus De La Rosa, manager Bud Black likely will find a spot for him. Gyorko has 11 hits in 16 at-bats, with four extra-base hits, against De La Rosa in his career. Gyorko is a strict platoon player, as he is 2-for-38 against righties this year and 5-for-14 against lefties with a .500 OBP. Fortunately for us, De La Rosa is a lefty. With a minimum price tag at the most shallow position, Gyorko could be the value of the night and is a fantastic option in GPPs.
Third Base
Adrian Beltre ($2,900) - It is shocking to see how much Beltre's value has dropped, so we'll use him here at his lowest value of the season in a promising matchup. Beltre is ranked as the 10th third basemen in a limited slate, a criminal price tag with a platoon advantage against a struggling pitcher. Beltre faces lefty Drew Pomeranz, who has a 4.27 career ERA and 1.38 career WHIP and has regressed this season, posting a 4.50 ERA. Beltre has struggled this year, but he posted an impressive .351 average against lefties last season. The best part of this play is that Beltre is so cheap. This is another case of buying a player at his lowest value and capitalizing on the market overreacting to a slow start. FanDuel has clearly overreacted, and it will just be a matter of time until Beltre approaches his usual $4,000 price tag yet again.
Shortstop
Zack Cozart ($2,200) - Cozart seems to finally be breaking out this season, but FanDuel is late to react, as he is still a minimum priced player. Cozart is hitting .291 while showing some pop, blasting four home runs. He was also recently moved up to second in the batting order and all the pieces are in place for him to have success Saturday night. Cozart squares off against lefty Eric Stults, and the Reds could have a big game against the poor left-hander. Not only has Stults struggled at home this season with a 4.96 ERA, he has struggled against righties, as well, with an .816 OPS. This is the recipe for the Reds' right-handed hitters to have a strong game, and the only righties of note for the Reds are Cozart, Byrd and Phillips. We'll take the cheapest of these options and fill a weak position like shortstop with a risk-free Cozart.
Outfield
Matt Kemp ($3,700) - While relying on head-to-head stats can be dangerous, Kemp has 15 RBI in 41 at-bats against Colorado starter Jorge De La Rosa. Kemp has dominated De La Rosa in his career to the tune of a .415/.805/1.237 batting line. Kemp is a notorious lefty-destroyer as well, posting a career .334 average. The Padres should have their way with De La Rosa as they tagged him for nine runs the last time they faced him and knocked him out before the third inning. Everything is in line for Kemp to have a big game.
Jayson Werth ($3,200) - Werth has gotten off to a rough start this year, but facing a lefty Saturday should help. Werth has crushed lefties the last three seasons, posting a .450 OBP and a 1.012 OPS. Werth faces southpaw Jonathon Niese and is primed to break out of his slump as he has squared up the ball lately with little to show for it. His BABIP this season is an unlucky .213. BABIP averages tend to come back to the mean, and we'll bet on Werth crawling back with a strong performance. Not only could he get his first Werth-quake homer of the season, he could provide in a variety of ways and is a solid option at a cheap $3,200 price tag.
Andre Ethier ($2,700) - After some difficult times with the Dodgers, it appears Ethier has finally grabbed a starting job thanks to injuries to Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford. Ethier has been great since filling in, going 9-for-21 over the last nine games, including three home runs and six RBI. He has also walked three times in that span for an impressive .500 OBP. Ethier faces righty Jeremy Hellickson and couldn't ask for a better matchup, as Hellickson has a 5.24 ERA with an atrocious 1.75 WHIP this year. Lefties have killed Hellickson as well, hitting .429 against him with an 1.039 OPS. Considering Ethier is in the lower half of outfielders for the Saturday slate, he is a low-risk/high-reward player who could prove valuable.
