This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
The Saturday night slate is a short one with only six games, so it's important to find the right players to distance yourself from the rest of the competition. Some fantastic pitchers are on the mound like Felix Hernandez, Clayton Kershaw and David Price, and picking the right one will be key to winning. We will give you value position players, so you can get one of these stud pitchers into your lineup. And for the first time all season, we have no weather questions.
Pitcher
Felix Hernandez $11,800
In a six-game schedule, using a guarantee like Hernandez puts you way ahead of the eight ball, especially with other aces on the mound like Kershaw and Price. Hernandez faces off against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, and that's a matchup he could really abuse. Not only have the Rays not seen a righty since Monday, they've really struggled against righties all season. Tampa Bay is tied for second to last place in runs against right-handers this year and is in the bottom 10 in nearly every category against righties as well, including average, slugging percentage, homers and OPS. King Felix is coming off his worst start of the season and will surely be focused against the Rays. While his price tag is very high at $11,800, he'll easily live up to it with the friendly matchup. With Hernandez a dominant -180 favorite and a game total of 6.5, the oddsmakers expect Felix to twirl a gem. It's a bold call, but I think we could potentially be looking at our first no-hitter of the season Saturday night in Seattle.
Catcher
Mike Zunino $2,200
It's tough to use a guy who strikes out on nearly every other at-bat, but consdering the shallow catcher pool, using a minimum priced Zunino could pay dividends in a GPP. The catcher position is just an absolute dumpster fire, so essentially we're going to bet on a home run here from Zunino or punt the position at a minimum price. The Mariners face the lowest-valued pitcher on the board in Alex Colome, which could prove beneficial for Zunino as well. The young catcher is only batting .177 this season, but he has the ability to leave the yard, as he has seven homers. There is absolutely nothing special about the matchup, and we're just banking on a cheap option with some pop hopefully capitalizing on a Triple-A arm.
First base
Logan Morrison $2,400
Logan Morrison is the lowest-priced starting option at first base for Saturday and has seen time as the leadoff hitter for the Mariners lately. Morrison has always had success against right-handers and faces a below-average one in Alex Colome. Morrison has a 12-game hitting streak, which could place him back in the leadoff spot, and a .792 OPS against right-handers this season. The opportunity is fantastic as he should see a minimum of four at-bats and can provide in almost every aspect of the game including runs, steals and homers. With so many expensive options at first base, Morrison could be valuable at setting yourself apart and building at other positions.
Second base
Ian Kinsler $3,400
Kinsler is the highest-ranked second basemen Saturday night, but far outweighs the upside of players in his value range like Kolten Wong, Howie Kendrick and Logan Forsythe. The Tigers have a good matchup as they face lefty John Danks, whom they have owned throughout his career to the tune of .292/.525/.896. Kinsler has been one of the catalysts to that success as he is 14-for-41 with four home runs and eight extra-base hits in his career off the lefty. With the platoon advantage in Kinsler's favor, and the rest of the righty-heavy Tigers lineup, Kinsler could be circling the pillows all night. Robinson Cano, who homered last Saturday after being recommended in this space, is yet another fantastic value at just $2,500, but I've written about him too many times to make him my spotlight second basemen for this slate.
Third base
Justin Turner $2,800
Just recently, Turner was anointed the starting third base job for the Dodgers, and it's well deserved as he has been fantastic in a utility role. Turner has an .877 OPS and has really broken out right in the heart of the Dodgers lineup. On Saturday, Turner gets the platoon advantage against Jaime Garcia, and while Turner has struggled against southpaws this season, those numbers are bound to turn around due to his career success against lefties. Turner sits outside the top-10 third basemen for Saturday and that's criminal with the production he's provided so far this season. With players like David Freese and Juan Uribe in front of him, Turner has far too much upside at his price to pass up.
Shortstop
Andrelton Simmons $2,300
The stud shortstop has been an underrated fantasy asset all season, and that's still the case Saturday. Simmons is much more known for his abilities in the field, but he's been just as solid in the batter's box this season as well. Recently, Simmons was moved up to the two-hole, which has proven beneficial as he scored seven runs in his last nine games. While Simmons won't win you your FanDuel tournament, he is still valuable at only $2,300. Simmons squares off against lefty Jeff Locke, which gives him the platoon advantage against an average pitcher. If Simmons can just get on base once or twice and perhaps score, his near minimum price tag will look fantastic at a shallow position like shortstop.
Outfielders
Rajai Davis $3,000
Davis returned from the paternity list Friday after the birth of his child and was greeted with back-to-back games against southpaws. The speedster just destroys lefties and can provide in more ways than just hitting with his amazing wheels. Not only can Davis provide with speed, he has some pop as well. The last three seasons, Davis is batting .320 against lefties with a surprising .859 OPS. With the career success the Tigers have against John Danks, Davis should not only get on base but come around to score as well. A player like this is fantastic to use in these circumstances because he can provide production through runs, steals or hits. I expect the Tigers to put up a crooked number, and Davis will be the table-setter for the offense out of the leadoff spot.
Kole Calhoun $2,600
I read our DFS articles nearly every day, and Kole Calhoun seems like he's written about more than any player. Why is Calhoun still only $2,600 on FanDuel? He has been productive and amazingly consistent for the Angels this season. Not only will Calhoun hit cleanup, he faces an average righty arm in Adam Warren. Warren is one of the lowest-ranked pitchers on the slate, and Calhoun is coming off a three-hit performance Friday. Hitting behind Albert Pujols and Mike Trout should give Calhoun plenty of opportunities for RBI as well. With these factors in play, Calhoun could be in for another big night.
Jonny Gomes $2,200
Gomes is your typical platoon player who comes in and just destroys left-handed pitching. He will almost always sit against righties and bats either cleanup or fifth against southpaws. The minimum $2,200 price tag tells you a lot about Gomes, but it doesn't account for his gaudy numbers against lefties. The last three seasons, Gomes is batting .271 against lefties with 23 of his 37 homers coming off southpaws as well. Jeff Locke takes the mound for the Pirates, and Gomes should feature in the heart of the lineup against the lefty starter. With Locke featuring his knuckle-curve more than ever, and Gomes thriving off curveballs this season with an 8.96 runs above average, we're going to predict him barreling up one of those curveballs for a double or, perhaps, a homer.
