This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have baseball throughout Saturday with five games between 1:05 and 4:10 p.m. EDT comprising the early schedule and eight left for the main slate beginning at 7:05 p.m. EDT. The latter will be the focus of our breakdown.
Pitchers
It's a weak day for pitching, so we'll likely see pretty high roster rates for the top selections. Nick Pivetta ($10,100) and Pablo Lopez ($9,700) list identical 27.7 percent strikeout rates and are the only two above 25. Lopez offers slightly better skills for quality of contact and walk rate, so he'd be my choice in a matchup against Milwaukee.
Zac Gallen ($9,000) has more name than fantasy value so far, but facing the hapless Rockies is always worth noting. This is a get right spot, though he's likely to be more popular than he should be based on the mediocre stats he's displayed (4.05 SIERA, 14.2 K-BB%, 1.06 HR/9) that introduces some risk.
After Gallen, we venture into even more uncomfortable territory. Ronel Blanco ($7,800) had gotten unlucky results based on his skills, yet he delivered a dominant 42 DK-point performance last time out. He's produced the third-highest K percentage on the slate, and the Rangers remain a surprisingly favorable matchup.
Lucas Giolito ($7,500) is in the same tier. He's made three starts this season after returning from Tommy John surgery where two have been solid and the other one a disaster. I typically wouldn't suggest targeting him against Atlanta, but he's among the better options in the lower salary tier.
For those who really want to punt at SP2, Miles Mikolas ($5,800) would be the choice. His valuation is right and he's topped 20 DK points two of his last three starts. The Royals are also a relatively unimposing opponent.
Find out which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!
Top Hitters
Grant Holmes has produced inconsistent results in terms of run prevention, but has had difficulty keeping the ball in the yard all year ranking second-highest on this slate at 1.77 HR/9. That means either Rafael Devers ($4,900) or Alex Bregman ($5,600) fits as a lineup building block.
Julio Rodriguez ($4,600) is heating up with four extra-base hits and a .816 OPS across his last 10 outings. He draws a tough matchup against Pivetta, though he's allowed a 12.4 percent barrel rate this season – the second-highest mark of all pitchers on Saturday.
Value Bats
Jonathan India ($3,300) began the season slowly, but has begun to dig himself out by averaging 7.1 DK points across his last 10 appearances. He's also remained the leadoff hitter and the Royals should be able to produce some offense against Miles Mikolas.
We typically want to hunt for batters who bat toward the top of their respective orders, though it should be a favorable offensive day for the Diamondbacks against German Marquez as he's struggled so far. Lourdes Gurriel ($3,400) is a cheap way to get exposure to a great matchup. (Also consider stacking Arizona.)
Visit RotoWire's MLB Daily Lineups page to find out where each and every hitter slots in!
Stacks to Consider
Padres vs. Mariners (Emerson Hancock): Fernando Tatis ($5,800), Manny Machado ($5,500), Jackson Merrill ($6,000)
Hancock has recorded stretches of success this season, yet has also blown up by allowing at least six earned runs twice. That's exactly the type of pitcher we should be eager to target, especially when they're facing a top-half of an order as lethal as the Padres. The downside here is the trio's high salary outlay.
Cardinals at Royals (Noah Cameron): Lars Nootbaar ($4,800), Masyn Winn ($3,600), Willson Contreras ($3,800)
Cameron was a nice story in his debut as he picked up a win and threw 6.1 shutout innings against the Rays, though he issued five walks and only generated three strikeouts. It's possible the Cardinals can't take advantage, but they've quietly posted a .329 wOBA (seventh-best in the league). To improve matters, the heart of their lineup checks in at very reasonable valuations.
