This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Saturday threw us a curveball by having its first game start at 12:05 PM ET. If you can find a contest that doesn't include that Giants-Nationals game, you'll have until 1:05, and that will still leave you with 14 games worth of players to choose from. Here are my recommendations for your lineup:
STARTING PITCHER
David Price, BOS vs. CWS ($9,200): Price has gotten off to a slow start, but his 3.83 FIP isn't terrible. Plus, over the previous three years, he's averaged a 3.24 ERA and 3.21 FIP. He's gotten better recently, with a 2.87 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over his last five starts. The White Sox, meanwhile, rank 27th in runs scored.
GPP Fade: Michael Wacha, STL at CIN ($10,000): Wacha's 2.41 ERA is impressive, but his 3.40 FIP is a sign that he may not be able to keep this up. Additionally, his home ERA is a sparkling 1.85, but his road ERA is 3.63. Though the Reds are middle-of-the-pack in runs scored, they are sixth in OBP, so it's hard to keep them off base.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Aaron Sanchez, TOR vs. BAL ($6,900): This isn't so much about Sanchez, who has a 4.48 ERA that's only slightly better (4.26) at home. However, this is a fantastic matchup for the 25-year-old. The Orioles are 29th in runs scored, and their OBP (.291) is lowest in the league.
CATCHER
Wilson Ramos, TAM vs. SEA ($3,700): Ramos has posted a .288/.333/.445 slash line, and he's shown considerable power when healthy the past three seasons. He already has hit seven homers in 50 games this year. Felix Hernandez sports a 5.33 ERA, a 4.95 FIP, and has allowed 1.33 home runs per nine innings. His fastball no longer averages 90 miles per hour, and this is not a matchup to fear for Ramos.
FIRST BASE
Anthony Rizzo, CHC vs. PIT ($4,700): Rizzo's numbers aren't what we are accustomed to, but a .242 BABIP is partially to blame. On top of that, a lot of his struggles have come against lefties, with an .841 OPS against right-handed pitchers. Pittsburgh's Nick Kingham is a righty, and the rookie has posted a 4.03 ERA through his first five starts.
SECOND BASE
Yangervis Solarte, TOR vs. BAL ($3,800): Solarte doesn't have the greatest OBP, but he puts up counting numbers nevertheless. He has racked up 12 home runs and 36 RBI through 60 games, along with a .757 OPS. Kevin Gausman has a career 4.22 ERA, and was 4.68 last season. He's also allowed 1.67 home runs per nine innings this year, only giving up fewer than 1.36 HR/9 in one season of his career.
THIRD BASE
Alex Bregman, HOU at TEX ($4,300): Bregman has shown throughout his career why he was a second-overall pick, with a slash line of .276/.351/.469 through 267 games. For the second season in a row, he has an .827 OPS and has also shown the ability to steal a base on occasion. The transition back to being a starter has not gone well for Mike Minor in Texas, as he's slumped to a 5.76 ERA – and pitching in the Texas heat isn't going to help him going forward.
SHORTSTOP
Marcus Semien, OAK vs. KAN ($4,100): Semien's .263 batting average marks a personal best, even if his slugging percentage is a bit down. Perhaps both of those numbers will regress, but he could still be fine. After all, he hit 27 homers in 2016, and he's stolen double-digit bags in each of his last three seasons. Danny Duffy is having a nightmare campaign for the Royals, with an awful 5.81 ERA and an even worse 6.14 FIP.
OUTFIELD
George Springer, HOU at TEX ($4,900): Over the previous three seasons, Spring slashed .272/.364/.475, which is quite impressive. This season, this line is an even better .287/.358/.504. He's also crushed lefties through his career. Mike Minor is a lefty, and as previous noted sports a 5.76 ERA through 11 starts.
Tommy Pham, STL at CIN ($4,600): Pham exploded onto the scene last season with a .931 OPS to go with 23 homers and 35 steals. This year hasn't gone quite as well, but he still has nine home runs and eight stolen bases. Luis Castillo has a 5.64 ERA and 4.98 FIP, his strikeout rate is down, and he's allowed a whopping 1.75 home runs per nine innings through 13 starts.
Justin Upton, LAA at MIN ($4,200): Upton has been hitting homers with gusto, with 15 in 62 games. He's hit at least 31 over his last two seasons, and has racked up 271 dingers in his career, so the latest numbers are not surprising. Most of his success has come against righties, as he has a .511 slugging percentage in those matchups. Kyle Gibson is a righty, and though he has a 2.13 ERA on the road, his home ERA is a lackluster 5.28.
