This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
After last Saturday's stacked schedule, we have a marginal nine-game slate for this Saturday with some questionable pitching options. In fact, we have no pitchers in the five-figure range and five pitchers less than $6,000. Fortunately, we have no weather issues for Saturday. Like always, monitor lineups and weather reports prior to submitting lineups and look for hitting bargains based on managerial alterations.
Pitcher
Tyson Ross $8,900
The only pitcher I really like is Ross at home against the Phillies. The Phillies are one of the hottest teams in baseball, but the regression should be coming sooner than later. There were actually no Phillies batting above .300 in Friday's lineup and no hitter with more than 20 homers or 65 RBI. An even worse stat is that the on-base percentage leader for the Phillies is the recently traded Ben Revere at a measly .334. I like Ross to shut down this weak lineup and grab strike out a lot of batters. Throughout his career, Ross has shown the ability to whiff batters at an impressive rate, striking out more than a batter per inning. Not only does Ross get to pitch in hitter-friendly Petco Park, he'll be nearly a -200 favorite squaring off against unknown lefty Adam Morgan. Ross is a fantastic bet to post the highest point total for any pitcher on this particular Saturday slate.
Catcher
Victor Martinez $2,900
Martinez is one of my favorite hitters, and he is criminally priced at just below $3,000. The Tigers square off against one of the worst pitchers in baseball, in my opinion, in Wade Miley. The Boston lefty has OK numbers, as he has posted a 4.55 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, but he has struggled all season. I really love how well Martinez has batted against southpaws this season. Martinez has a .359 average with an OPS higher than .900 as a right-handed hitter this season. Not only are these outstanding numbers in our favor, Martinez should be in the heart of the Tigers' lineup around many other potent right-handed bats. Players like Welington Castillo, Caleb Joseph, A.J. Pierzynski and Nick Hundley are higher priced than V-Mart. Does any baseball fan or fantasy player really believe any of those are better hitters than Martinez? I expect the Tigers to put up a huge number against Miley, and Martinez should be one of the catalysts to the onslaught.
First base
Ryan Zimmerman $2,600
Zimmerman came off the DL a few weeks ago and struggled mightily in the early part of the season, which lowered his price to $2,600. Now is the time to start buying on this price, as it will surely rise as the season concludes. Zimmerman faces Eddie Butler on Saturday, and that's a favorable matchup for nearly any hitter. Butler is definitely not someone to worry about, and it seems possible he'll be out of the game before the sixth inning. This will give Zimmerman more opportunities against the worst bullpen in baseball and favorable at-bats all evening. There are some first basemen who cost in the $5,000 range, and using Zimmerman at half that price is an amazing bargain.
Second base
Kolten Wong $2,800
Second base was the toughest position to pick, but I believe Wong is a nice value just below $3,000. The Cardinals face off against righty Wily Peralta, whom they have owned throughout his career. In 124 at-bats against Peralta, the Cardinals are hitting .331 with an OPS at .823. Wong is the cheapest Cardinals option in the top half of the order. The young Hawaiian has had a great season and has provided across the board. In 106 games, Wong is batting .270 with 11 homers and 11 steals. If he is back in the two-hole, he has a great chance to score some runs, as well. I would much rather use Wong at this price than Kinsler at $4,100, considering they provide a similar profile with equally good matchups. Save that extra money and use a cheap Kolten Wong.
Third base
Todd Frazier $3,200
There is no way that Frazier should be this cheap against an average left-hander. Frazier is mired in a dreadful slump since the All-Star break, but this is definitely a matchup he can take advantage of. Not only is Frazier at his cheapest this season, he's been obliterating southpaws all year to the tune of a .973 OPS. The top three third-base options cost in the $4,000 range, and all have very difficult matchups against Tyson Ross, Garrett Richards and Stephen Strasburg. Wouldn't you rather use a player who has better season numbers with a better matchup at a cheaper price? I know I will.
Shortstop
Ian Desmond $3,000
Desmond has had a rough season, but he appears to be turning it around lately. Since July 20, he has hit .295 with five bombs. Desmond has also been far better at home this season, hitting .253 with an OPS of .720 going into Friday's game. The aforementioned matchup against Eddie Butler is another reason I like Desmond, as Butler has really struggled keeping players off the basepaths this season. There aren't too many players these days with 20-20 ability, and Desmond has done that the last three seasons. With the ability to steal and hit for power, he's a nice value at just $3,000. I expect Desmond to have a big second half of the season, and this matchup against the Rockies should help to boost those numbers.
Outfield
J.D. Martinez $3,700
I almost never recommend position players more than $3,000, but this matchup is impossible to pass up. Martinez has been incredible this season and has routinely destroyed lefties throughout his career. The young Tiger just hit his 30th bomb Friday night and has an even better matchup Saturday. He faces off against the aforementioned Wade Miley, and the Tigers should be in for a big night. With all the righty bats like Ian Kinsler, Rajai Davis, Victor Martinez and J.D., it's hard to not see the Motor City Kitties scoring at least five runs. If he doesn't get a hit, he should be able to get a walk or two, as he has walked 15 times in 82 at-bats against southpaws. This is simply lefties rightly being scared to pitch to Martinez. Walks are still valuable and if he walks twice, that's the equivalent of a double in FanDuel scoring. Martinez is my best bet to homer Saturday night and is reasonably priced at just $3,700.
Justin Upton $2,800
Upton is yet another player whose price has dropped because of his recent struggles and injury concerns. There's a whole lot I like about this matchup for the Saturday slate, though, after a big game Friday. The first thing is the price. There are numerous outfielders who cost at least $1,000 more than Upton, who has the upside to match any of them. Second, the matchup against rookie lefty Adam Morgan is spectacular. Upton has obliterated left-handers throughout his career and should do just that Saturday. His numbers against lefties this season are dreadful, but over the last three years he has a .926 OPS against southpaws. The final reason I like Upton is the power-speed profile he provides. Not only does he have great power, he's shown the ability to swipe some bags this season, stealing 18 bags and hitting 18 homers. Look for him to outperform his low price tag against the Phillies.
Rajai Davis $2,500
Let's keep our stack against Wade Miley going with leadoff hitter Rajai Davis. There is no regular leadoff hitter for the Tigers, but Davis is the guy when there's a lefty on the mound. Davis has killed southpaws throughout his career. The last three seasons, Davis is batting .320 with a .859 OPS. Those are elite numbers and it matches players who are priced more than $4,000 on most days. The beauty of Davis is that he not only provides good power, but he provides elite speed as well, ranking in the top 10 in stolen bases year after year. The low price is because Davis is not a regular starter -- you simply have to take advantage of it when he's facing a southpaw. Davis my bet of the night to exceed his price tag and he's a bargain everyone should use.
Alternative Plays
Adam LaRoche - $2,200
Anthony Rendon - $3,000
Brandon Moss - $2,300
