This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
This is my second to last article for the season, and I've had a great time writing and getting feedback from readers. Writing these weekly articles has taught me to be much more disciplined with my DFS play and to work harder. Much like anything in life, DFS takes a lot of work, and it's important to do all of your research and homework to ultimately put yourself in the best position to succeed. For this Saturday slate, we have a small seven-game schedule. There is really only one pitcher I like, but there are plenty of hitters insanely cheap I'm happy to recommend. Keep your eye on lineups going into these games, as these last two weeks are some of the kookiest of the season.
Pitcher
Julio Teheran $8,600
Today might be the ugliest selection of pitchers that I have seen for one of my articles, so I wanted to use a hot pitcher with a good matchup in a nice ballpark. Teheran falls under all of those categories nicely for this Saturday slate. The young righty gets to face the Marlins in one of the most pitcher-friendly ballparks in the majors, Marlins Park. Miami ranks in the bottom five in nearly every category this season against right-handers, including homers, doubles, runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Not only are the Marlins one of the worst lineups in baseball, Teheran has been fantastic lately. Over his last four starts, Teheran has a 1.67 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 23 strikeouts in 27 innings. Along with that, Teheran has nine quality starts in his last 11 outings, including a two-run, 5.2-inning outing two weeks ago, so it could easily be 10 of 11. It's clear that Teheran was off at the beginning of the season, but it's just as clear that he's back to being the elite arm he was coming into the year.
Catcher
Salvador Perez $2,300
I'm really against using small sample sizes, but sometimes they just catch your eye. This one in particular stuck out like a sore thumb and is hard not to take into consideration. Perez faces Josh Tomlin on Saturday and is 8-for-12 with three extra-base hits in his career off the right-hander. Obviously, 12 at-bats is not much, but eight hits are just ridiculous. Tomlin has also had a problem allowing homers in his career, as he has allowed nearly two homers per game this year and 1.5 per game throughout his career. That's one of the highest rates in baseball, and Perez does have some pop. The price is a plus as well, as he is more than $1,000 cheaper than the top options at the position. We'll bet on Perez continuing to see the ball well out of Tomlin's hand and take advantage of his near minimum price.
First base
Adrian Gonzalez $3,900
I wish I could just stick every Dodger in my article against Kyle Kendrick, but we'll just go with the value plays. Gonzalez should be among the elite bats in the $5,000 range because of this match. At Coors Field this year, Gonzalez is batting .478 with six doubles and nine RBI in 23 at-bats. In his career off Kyle Kendrick, the lefty is 10-for-20 with five doubles. There's a trend of doubles here, which looks like a good bet for Saturday. Seeing as how Gonzalez will be in the heart of the order in the best hitters' park in baseball, he should have no problem having a huge game. Not only is this the highest total for Saturday by leaps and bounds, the Dodgers face the lowest valued pitcher, who's priced only $900 more than Gonzalez. This looks like an easy play.
Second base
Jason Kipnis $2,900
The second baseman had an MVP type first half of the season, but he's struggled in the second half. The price has dropped too much, though, making him a great play at $2,900. The Indians square off against Kris Medlen in a favorable matchup. Kipnis will have the platoon advantage atop the lineup, a far better situation for him all season. Against righties this year, Kipnis is batting .330, with 33 RBI, 56 runs and eight steals in 330 at-bats. Those are some of the best splits in baseball. What's more, over his last six games, Kipnis is 10-for-28, and it appears he's starting to get healthy again. With the top second baseman costing nearly $1,000 more than Kipnis, it makes the lefty a fantastic bargain, as he has just as much upside as any one of the top options.
Third base
Hector Olivera $2,400
I rarely write about a Braves player, but I have heard some good things about this rookie. Olivera is a 30-year-old rookie who put up ridiculous numbers in the Cuban League. In nine seasons, Olivera hit well over .300 with an OPS in the .900 range. Obviously, Cuban League pitching is not the same as the majors', but Jose Abreu put up comparable numbers in the same league. On Saturday, Olivera gets the platoon advantage against unproven lefty Justin Nicolino. While Olivera hasn't had success against lefties yet in his short career, he surely will at some point. The icing on the cake is the price. At a near minimum price, Olivera is a fantastic play, simply because of the ridiculous upside he provides. With Nolan Arenado and Josh Donaldson costing more than double what Olivera costs, we can save some serious dough and boost other positions. We haven't seen much yet from Olivera, but I think we may get a glimpse of what he can bring to the table Saturday.
Shortstop
Jhonny Peralta $2,500
There's no doubt that Peralta has been the player I have written about most this year and his price just continues to be cheap. It baffles me how low FanDuel keeps his price, but we may as well keep using him for the last couple weeks. Any fantasy owner knows how much of a wasteland shortstop is this season and using a power source like Peralta is a rare sight. In 149 games played this season, Peralta has a .274 average with 17 homers and 67 RBI. These numbers easily make him a top-10 shortstop in most fantasy formats, and he's simply not priced as such. His matchup is a friendly one as well, as they face the third-lowest valued pitcher, Ty Wagner, who is making just his second major-league start. The price and production makes Peralta a value every time he steps on the field for the Cards.
Outfield
Jason Heyward $3,100
Let's keep a Cardinals stack going here with lefty Jason Heyward. At the beginning of the season, I wrote off Heyward as a bust, but he's been fantastic over the last couple months. In fact, if his season started on May 27, Heyward would be hitting .315, with eight homers, 23 doubles, 43 RBI and 18 steals in just over 100 games. Those are ridiculous numbers, making him a fantastic FanDuel option with his versatility. With those numbers, Heyward should be a $4,000 player, but for some reason he's only $3,100. Heyward has the platoon advantage against the aforementioned Ty Wagner. The price seems crazy, as there are 25-plus outfielders that cost more than Heyward does and many of them have far tougher matchups with lower season numbers. He should be right in the heart of the Cardinals' order and will be in run-scoring and RBI opportunities all evening.
Cameron Maybin $2,300
It appeared as though Maybin's career was nearly over, but he's had quite the resurgence in Atlanta this season. In 134 games, Maybin has 10 homers, 18 doubles, 55 RBI, 22 steals and a .263 average in 483 at-bats. Those are all-around great numbers, and it's hard to argue with the production. On Saturday, he gets the platoon advantage against lefty Justin Nicolino and there could be some runs scored as they had a 23-run score fest in the series opener Friday. The best part of this play is the price. Someone with those previously mentioned numbers should never be a near minimum price. Maybin is the value of the day, as he can help to build a dominant lineup at just $2,300.
Carl Crawford $2,300
Most players who get the good news of playing in Coors Field usually see a substantial boost in price, but for some reason Crawford didn't. Now, Crawford is a 50-50 bet to crack the lineup, but I think he'll be in there against a righty like Kyle Kendrick. The Rockies righty is one of the worst pitchers in the league, and it will be surprised if the Dodgers don't score at least six runs. Crawford should be somewhere in the top six of the order, which will give him great opportunities for runs and RBI. I also like that Crawford has the ability to steal and has been healthy. That's always a plus for someone who is as injury prone as Crawford. Over his last 53 at-bats, Crawford has six steals and six extra-base hits. That's a clear sign that he is feeling healthy and it's a decent bet that he'll swipe another bag or provide another big hit Saturday. If he cracks the lineup, he's a must-use at just $2,300.
