Yahoo DFS Baseball: Saturday Picks

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.

Pitcher

Michael Fulmer, DET at KC ($44): Fulmer should be considered a bargain any time he can be had for under $45, as he holds a 2.69 ERA over 130.2 innings. The Royals look like a fantastic matchup for Fulmer on paper as they are a bottom-three team against righties according to wOBA, hit the fourth-fewest fly balls in the league by percentage, and hold the fifth-lowest Runs Above Average score against the slider, a pitch the 26-year-old throws more than 26 percent of the time.

Vince Velasquez, PHI vs. ATL ($38): Velasquez has been dealing in 2016, notching a strikeout rate of better than 27 percent over 23 starts. Velasquez should be more than capable of shutting down the Braves, who remain a bottom-five team against righties according to wOBA.


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Catcher

Stephen Vogt, OAK vs. BOS ($7): There aren't many catchers with exciting matchups on the main slate, so I am more than happy to scrape the bottom of the barrel for a batted ball advantage. Vogt will enter the contest sporting a 46 percent fly ball rate which should play well against Rick Porcello, who features a heavy groundball profile.

First Base

Wil Myers, SD at LAD ($12): It's no secret that Rich Hill has been outstanding in 2016, but he is still having issues with blisters and had to be scratched from his last scheduled start just days after coming off the disabled list. Myers could be the perfect man to capitalize if Hill is less than 100 percent, as he has tallied a .243 ISO and a .390 wOBA against southpaws.

Second Base

Ian Kinsler, DET at KC ($17): Kinsler not only has a batted ball advantage against opposing starter Yordano Ventura, but also sports a Runs Above Average mark of 4.3 against the curveball, a pitch Ventura throws a quarter of the time.

Third Base

Todd Frazier, CWS at MIN ($12): The Toddfather laughs at your criticism of his batting average, as he hit his 35th homer off Twins starter Kyle Gibson on Friday. He will have an opportunity to double down against Hector Santiago, who holds a 1.7 HR/9 rate against righties over 114 innings.

Shortstop

Xander Bogaerts, BOS at OAK ($11): Oakland had to do a bit of shuffling after the injury to Andrew Triggs on Friday, meaning Daniel Mengden will be recalled to start against the Red Sox. Mengden has cut through Triple-A Nashville this season but has struggled at the big league level, notching an ERA of 5.73 over 48.2 innings. Bogaerts has tallied a .440 slugging percentage and a .343 wOBA against righties this season.

Outfield

Charlie Blackmon, COL vs. ARI ($26): Braden Shipley doesn't seem like the kind of pitcher who will be successful at Coors Field, as he carries a 39 percent ground ball rate, a 13 percent strikeout rate and a 10 percent walk rate in 41.2 innings. Blackmon will have an extra edge in the matchup, as he holds a Runs Above Average score of 4.6 against the curveball, a pitch Shipley turns to 25 percent of the time.

Nelson Cruz, SEA vs. LAA ($18): Cruz has absolutely destroyed left-handed pitching this season, tallying a .314 ISO over 159 at-bats. Tyler Skaggs looked sharp in his last outing, but had allowed 19 earned runs over his previous four starts.

Max Kepler, MIN vs. CWS ($14): Kepler is no longer hitting homers at will but he is still a strong option against righties, as evidenced by his .262 ISO over 214 at-bats. You won't find a more stackable target than James Shields in 2016. The former fantasy asset has allowed 11 home runs over his last five starts.

Other Options: Bryce Harper, WAS at NYM ($20); Christian Yelich, MIA at CLE ($19); Gregory Polanco, PIT vs. MIL ($18)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Christopher Olson plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: Sommerset, FanDuel: Christop, Yahoo: Martins.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher Olson
Christopher Olson writes DFS articles and blogs for a variety of sports including MLB, NFL and MMA. Follow him on Twitter @RealChrisOlson
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