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Happy Saturday! Clear your afternoon schedule and get ready for the nine MLB games beginning in the 4 p.m. ET hour. In this article, we’ll go over some of the top DFS plays and value picks available in this main slate. That includes a future Hall of Fame pitcher who is aging like a fine wine, and a future Hall of Fame pitcher who loves hitting against his former team.
Top Pitchers
Justin Verlander, HOU vs. CWS ($10,600) — The most expensive pitcher on the board, Verlander is averaging 24.2 DraftKings points per start and has accrued at least 22 DK points in five of his past seven starts. His 1.94 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and .177 opponents’ batting average are all at or near the top in each of those categories. His decreased strikeout rate and 3.12 expected ERA signal that he will probably have a blowup start at some point. But stick with him at home against the White Sox’s inconsistent and injury-plagued lineup.
Aaron Nola, PHI vs. WSH ($10,100) — Nola has been a dependable source of innings and strikeouts as he’s tied for fourth among qualified starting pitchers in each category. And with the Phillies offense on fire, run support for Nola shouldn’t be as much of a problem now as it was for him earlier in the spring. Although Washington’s lineup has improved since the start of May, this is still an above-average matchup for Nola.
Top Hitters
Bryce Harper, PHI vs. WSH ($6,000) — Let’s stay with that game and go with Harper, who racked up 29 DraftKings points in yesterday’s doubleheader against the Nationals despite getting only one plate appearance in the nightcap. Harper absolutely rakes against his former team. He has a .324 average, 12 homers, 11 doubles and 41 runs scored in 50 games against the Nats.
Jose Abreu, CWS vs. HOU ($4,800) — You should still roster Verlander, but do make a note that few active players have hit him better throughout his career than Abreu. In 44 career at-bats, the Cuban slugger has recorded a .364/.429/.818 slash line with six home runs.
Value Pitcher
Alex Wood, SF vs. PIT ($8,500) — There are not many viable options at starting pitcher once you get past the top guys. But Wood has tallied at least 20 DraftKings points in each of his past two starts. During that span, he gave up only three earned runs over 13 innings while issuing just one walk and striking out 10 batters. And he’s facing the Pirates, so the matchup is obviously on his side.
Value Hitter
Ryan Mountcastle, BAL vs. TB ($3,900) — Mountcastle has had a decent year, but he’s actually been a little unlucky as his expected slugging percentage is more than 100 points higher than his actual mark. He’s finally experiencing some progression this month, including four homers and eight RBIs over his previous eight games. Expect this hot streak to continue for a while.