This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We've got the shortest Saturday night slate so far this season. With only five games, it will be key to diversify your picks and make sure you separate yourself from the field to give yourself a decent chance at receiving a big payout. With that said, we'll be focusing on super cheap players, so that we can get some lower-owned players into our lineups. There are some minor weather question marks in the NYY/BAL and CIN/CHC games, so be sure to monitor weather reports before you lock in your rosters.
Pitchers:
Ian Kennedy ($7,200): While Kennedy hasn't been great this season, he's a solid GPP play, as he has high-upside and will likely be a contrarian play. Facing off against Zack Greinke is something you don't want to do, but in this instance, we could be looking at a possible win in a low-scoring game. The line hasn't come out yet, but I'd imagine the Padres will be a +140 underdog and the total will be at six. If this is the case, that means Kennedy should have a quality start and about a 40 percent chance to win. These odds are good by me at a price of only $7,200. Kennedy has also always had good strikeout potential in his career, averaging nearly a strikeout per inning. While it's not a sexy play with his recent struggles, it's a good way to set yourself apart.
Kyle Hendricks ($6,800): Hendricks has had a surprisingly solid season for the Cubs and gets to face the poor offense of Cincinnati on Saturday night. The Reds are in the bottom-six in the league in runs against right-handers and they face a solid one in Hendricks. With a $6,800 price tag, Hendricks is one of the cheapest pitchers for Saturday yet he's favored against a poor offense. He has been solid in his last four starts, posting two wins, allowing just 22 hits and seven runs in 27 innings. He has also recorded at least seven strikeouts in three of his last five starts, so he has some strikeout ability as well. With all these factors in play, Hendricks is my pick of the night to exceed his value.
Catcher:
Miguel Montero ($3,100): The catcher position is very tough Saturday, so we're going to swing for the fences with Montero. While my initial selection was Matt Wieters, I couldn't reasonably recommend four Orioles to diversification-sake. With that said, Montero has been hot of late and it could continue Saturday. Prior to Friday's game, Montero had homered in two straight and had five hits and six RBI in those two games. At only $3,100, Montero is a bargain with the potential to go deep. The only issue is that he has played in seven straight games and could be a candidate for a rest. Montero has been strikeout prone throughout his career, but he shouldn't have a problem with that, as he faces Mike Leake who seemingly can't strike anyone out.
First base:
Billy Butler ($2,200): A first basemen with no power is tough to pick, but with how limited of a slate we have, Butler is definitely the best value. With my count, there are about eight players ahead of Butler who may not even play, and that's in a five-game slate. There are also four players who are nearly double the amount of Butler, and while they obviously have far more upside, Butler can be a solid contributor. Not only is he minimum priced, he also has the platoon advantage facing lefty C.J. Wilson. Butler should be in his typical five-hole slot and a threat to grab RBI all evening long. It's rare to find a starting first basemen with a minimum price tag, so we'll take advantage of that to separate ourselves from the field yet again.
Second base:
Johnny Giavotella ($2,300): The tiny second basemen is not your stereotypical five-hole hitter, but he's doing just that for the Angels right now. Giavotella has been a great find and has come up with some huge hits this season. He faces off against rookie Kendall Graveman and he could find some success with that matchup. Graveman is the lowest valued pitcher for the Saturday slate and the Angels could be in for a crooked number. If Kole Calhoun, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout can get on base like they have been, Giavotella should be in-line for multiple RBI opportunities. Not only will RBI opportunities be prevalent, he can also swipe some bags and get on base. At a near minimum price tag, Giavotella is a great bet to exceed his value simply due to the opportunities he will have.
Third base:
Brett Lawrie ($2,700): After struggling for the majority of the season, Lawrie has been coming around of late. Although he is 0-for-15 in the last three games prior to Friday, he is still batting .300 in June. That tells you how hot he was prior to the mini-slump. The Canadian not only has the platoon advantage Saturday, he has re-discovered his power stroke with seven homers in 59 games. There's nothing special here about Lawrie, but his price tag seems to be favorable, as he's one of the cheapest starting options available. The two top options cost about $1,500 more than Lawrie, and it's fathomable that he finishes the day with similar numbers. After homering Friday night, we'll bank on him having another solid game Saturday.
Shortstop:
J.J. Hardy ($2,200): Hardy started the season on the DL and it appears it has lowered his value to a must-use status. He is at a minimum price tag and he has a good matchup against lefty CC Sabathia. Not only does Hardy have the platoon advantage, he's owned Sabathia throughout his career. Out of his 10 career hits off Sabathia, six of them were for extra-bases. Just recently, Hardy was moved up in the lineup as well, which should help him get into better spots to drive in runs. Hardy has also presented great power throughout his career, recording 20+ home run seasons five different years. The $2,200 price tag is the best part, as he is the lowest ranked starting shortstop for the Saturday slate. If he can just get on base once, he'll exceed his dirt cheap price.
Outfielders:
Adam Jones ($3,600): Jones is on fire right now and with a platoon advantage against CC Sabathia, he's a must use. In his career against Sabathia, Jones is 18-for-58 with four home runs and 14 RBI, including nine extra-base hits. Over the last nine games, Jones is 14-for-36 with 10 runs scored, seven RBI, four homers and three triples. With how hot he is and with his career numbers against Sabathia, it's tough to lay off Jones. The $3,600 is the icing on the cake, as there are 15 position players that are higher priced. There is no reason why he shouldn't be a top-five option, with the likes of Trout, Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock and Yasiel Puig. I anticipate Baltimore putting up a ton of runs Saturday and Jones should be right in the middle of the fun.
Chris Coghlan ($2,700):The head-to-head numbers are something that we don't necessarily want to rely on, but the Coghlan-Mike Leake ones are just absurd. Coghlan is 9-for-11 with five extra base hits, including two home runs against Leake. There's not a whole lot more to say here as the numbers speak for themselves, but Joe Maddon will be sure to bat Coghlan in a favorable spot in the lineup with the platoon advantage and career numbers. I was surprised they didn't raise his price an extra $500 simply due to the head-to-head numbers, but we'll take advantage of this cheap price. While these numbers are bound to regress at some point, we have to use them here and capitalize on the cheap outfielder.
Delmon Young ($2,300): Let's go ahead and continue our stack against Sabathia with the potential clean-up hitter for the Orioles. So far this season, Young has just been destroying southpaws, batting .356 in 45 at-bats. It's very rare that you'll see a top-notch hitting option at a near minimum price tag, but we have that here. While he has been demeaned for his fielding ability, Young has always been able to hit since being the No. 1 overall pick and has found a nice home in Baltimore as their designated hitter. With Young being in the heart of the Orioles' order and the likelihood of Sabathia struggling, I love his prospects for Saturday night at only $2,300.
Alternative options I like:Steve Pearce ($2,600), Kole Calhoun ($2,700), Angel Pagan ($2,200), Erick Aybar ($2,600), Matt Wieters ($3,200)
