This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
This Saturday slate was one of the most interesting I written about all season. A nine-game night schedule is the biggest in weeks, and there are some fantastic pitching options. Corey Kluber is a can't-miss with a matchup against Tampa Bay, but there's no need to cover him, as he'll likely be more than 25 percent owned. I will give you some cheap high-upside pitchers to counter all those with Kluber with better hitters. There are weather questions in Philadelphia and New York, so be sure to monitor weather reports prior to submitting lineups. That said, let's get started with Taijuan Walker.
Pitchers
Taijuan Walker $7,800
I actually wrote about Walker with this same matchup at the beginning of the season, and it ended up being one of my worst picks of the year. I'm going right back at it because Walker is the pitcher now that I expected him to be earlier in the season. I chose him when he was struggling and that really came back to bite me. He faces the strikeout-prone Astros on Saturday, and he could really take advantage of that matchup. Over the last four starts, Walker has gone 29 innings, allowing just five runs and striking out 27 batters. With that spectacular form, a double-digit strikeout game is not out of the realm against the Astros, who have struck out 31 times over the last two games. With a $7,800 price tag, Walker is a high-upside pitcher at a low value, which is just what you need when squaring off against a bunch of Kluber lineups.
Williams Perez $5,800
The man known as "the typo" is the lowest-valued pitcher on the board, and it's hard to understand why. At just $5,800, Perez is easily my bet of the night to exceed his value. Perez faces off against the Mets on Saturday in Atlanta and that's a friendly matchup for any pitcher. The oddsmakers are also telling us this is a good play, as Atlanta is just a small underdog with a game total at only seven. Perez has also been great since capturing a starting role, as he's allowed one run or less in five of his six starts. Starting the likes of Perez will allow you to use some dominant bats as well, and if you can put the right hitters in your lineup, Perez will do enough to get you a high score. Considering Perez's recent success and ridiculously low price, he's a fantastic play.
Catcher:
Victor Martinez $3,100
How often can you get a cleanup hitter in a dominant lineup at only $3,100? Not to mention, at such a weak position like catcher. Martinez does just that for us, as he recently came off the disabled list. We have to assume he is fully healthy now and ready to hit from both sides of the plate. While there's nothing special here about the matchup, $3,100 for V-Mart is just too cheap. That price will rise, and we're going to use it every day until it does. Martinez squares off against Nathan Eovaldi on Saturday and that could be beneficial with Martinez's elite vision. Not only is Eovaldi wild, his pitches have little movement. Martinez has one of the elite batter's eye's is the league and should be able to barrel up one of Eovaldi's arrow-straight fastballs. If he can, he'll be a great value.
First base
Adrian Gonzalez $3,100
The Dodgers first basemen started season at a historic rate, but slowed since. That said, we'll look for him to show some early season form against Tim Hudson on Saturday. Gonzalez has seen Hudson many times throughout his career and it will be tough for the crafty pitcher to fool this veteran in a platoon advantage. What I really like about this play is the price, as it just might be the lowest price Gonzalez has had all season. Hudson has a 4.65 ERA this year, and the Dodgers are a good bet to raise that inflated ERA even more with Gonzalez as the catalyst. With other Dodger studs like Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson costing more than Gonzalez, we'll rely on A-Gon providing the most value.
Second base
Kolten Wong $2,900
I was fortunate enough to have Wong in my lineup for Friday, and he provided with his eighth dinger of the season. We'll look for him to have another big game Saturday against this atrocious Phillies pitching staff. Aaron Harang is next up in the firing range for the Phillies and this is far from a scary matchup. Wong is a fantastic bet to provide in some sort of way, as he can do just about anything on a baseball diamond. Not only does he have pop as discussed before, he also can steal some bags. I'd be shocked if Wong didn't score somehow, or someway in this matchup and if he does, the $2,900 price tag will be a great value. We're going to stack Wong with our next selection and bet on a big game from the red birds.
Third base
Matt Carpenter $3,400
I stacked Cardinals on Friday night, and while Carpenter only got one hit for me, he got on base four times and scored twice. We're going right back to the well here and banking on another productive game from the top of the Cardinals lineup. Carpenter has had a fantastic season, scoring 42 times, hitting 20 doubles and recording 33 RBI. His price has been steadily dropping because of a slump, and we're going to capitalize by buying low. The last four games, Carpenter has gotten on base 10 times, so clearly he's out of that recent slump. If I expect Wong to have a big game, Carpenter should have a big game as well, as they are both atop the lineup. Not only do I anticipate one of Carpenter's patented doubles, I expect him to score and possibly grab an RBI.
Shortstop
Jimmy Rollins $2,200
Shortstop is an absolute dumpster fire, so we'll pick one of the pieces of garbage in Jimmy Rollins. The former MVP has been dreadful this season, batting below the Mendoza line, but we're going to continue our stack against Tim Hudson with Rollins. The shortstop has seen Tim Hudson an incredible 98 times in his career and has gotten on-base in 28 of those appearances. While that's nothing special, it's just nice to have a reliable option who won't be completely fooled at the plate. The perfect recipe for a .197 hitter is to see someone he is familiar with. After the game is over, he will have seen Hudson more than 100 times, and that's good enough for me to buy on at a minimum price tag. A player who can homer or steal at only $2,200 is a bargain that I'm not willing to pass up. Worst-case scenario: Rollins goes 0-for-4 and you're able to save money for more predictable positions while punting a weak position like shortstop. Paying a minimum allows us to avoid risk, and Rollins provides moderate upside for a shortstop.
Outfielders
Michael Brantley $3,600
Brantley is just a fantastic hitter, and we'll take him against one of the worst pitchers on the board. Erasmo Ramirez takes the mound for the Rays. He lives off of swings and misses, as he has one of the best rates in baseball lately. The problem for Ramirez is Brantley is one of the best contact hitters in baseball, almost never striking out. A guy who relies on whiffs for outs against a guy who never whiffs is a recipe for disaster for the pitcher. I expect the Indians to put up a big number on Ramirez and Brantley will be in the three-hole in the lineup, hopefully capitalizing on RBI opportunities. At just $3,600, there are players that cost nearly $2,000 more than Brantley and that seems silly to me with his success this season. Brantley can provide with power, steals, runs and RBI.
Justin Upton $3,400
The first name I wrote down when taking my notes was Justin Upton, and there's many reasons why. The biggest reason is that he faces a lefty in Robbie Ray and Upton just demolishes southpaws with a .926 OPS over the last three seasons. The second reason is that he kills the Diamondbacks. If you're unaware, Upton was drafted by the Diamondbacks and has been torturing them since he left, to the tune of a .1000-plus OPS. The next reason I like Upton is that he is having a career year through power and steals. In fact, he is on pace for a 30-30 season and can provide us with fantasy production in almost every facet of the game. The final reason I like Upton is the price tag. The $3,400 price is one of the cheapest values I've seen J-Up, and in a matchup like this, it should have been raised, not lowered. All of these reasons make Upton my favorite play of the day.
David Murphy $2,200
I always like using Murphy against right-handers, as he always bats in the heart of the Indians lineup. The one problem is that he sometimes doesn't crack the lineup and gets pulled for pinch hitters late in games with lefty relievers. But he is still a fantastic value at a minimum price. Murphy has also been good at home this season, hitting over .350. We'll bet on him here getting some prime RBI opportunities with the likes of Michael Brantley getting on base. With all the other prominent Indians bats costing well over $3,000, Murphy is a fantastic value and a great pair with an expensive pitcher like Corey Kluber.
Alternative Options
Noah Syndergaard $8,200
David Ortiz $2,800
Brandon Moss $3,200
