It’s another spectacular Saturday of Major League Baseball, with games throughout the afternoon and evening. The featured slate on DraftKings locks at 7:15 p.m. ET and includes the final four games of the day. Two of the four games are divisional rivalry matchups, while the other two are interleague series featuring opponents that rarely see each other. It sets up for a fun night of DFS fantasy baseball, so let’s take a look at some of the best options available.
As usual for DFS fantasy baseball, it’s critical to keep a close eye on pregame lineups and the latest player news leading up to game time. You can do that by installing the DK Live app and following DK Live on Twitter (@dklive). I’m also on Twitter (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the season continues.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $100K Relay Throw [$25K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.
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PITCHER
Stud
Blake Snell, San Diego Padres vs. Tampa Bay Rays ($9,200) – Snell faces off against his former team for the first time on Saturday night. He’s the top pitcher on the slate since Zach Eflin ($10,400) has had so much trouble when pitching on the road. Snell is in a tough matchup against Eflin’s Rays, to be sure, but he has been locked in recently and showing he can still reach his ceiling.
His most recent start was outstanding, even though he was pitching at Coors Field. He held the Colorado Rockies to just one run on three hits in seven innings while striking out 12. He finished with 36 DKFP even though he didn’t get the win after a collapse by the bullpen. Snell has allowed a total of only two runs over his past four starts, producing 26.6 DKFP per game over that span with a 0.75 ERA, 2.44 FIP and 33 strikeouts in 24 innings. The strikeout numbers give him a very high ceiling even against the Rays, who can struggle with left-handed pitching at times.
Other Options – Zach Eflin ($10,400), Shane Bieber ($8,400)
Value
Bobby Miller, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants ($7,700) – Miller has been dominant since joining the Dodgers at the end of May for his MLB debut. He has gone 3-0 in his four starts with a 0.78 ERA, 2.19 FIP and 23 strikeouts in 23 innings. Even without elite strikeout production, he has been able to post over 20 DKFP in each of his four starts and is coming off a season-high 27.9 DKFP in his most recent outing last Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Giants are a tough matchup for Miller since they have reeled off five straight wins and have been one of the top offenses in the Majors over the past few weeks. The rookie has shown enough upside, though, to still be the best value arm on the slate, especially since he should get run support in this head-to-head matchup with former Dodger Alex Wood ($6,200).
Other Option – Bryan Bello ($7,500)
INFIELD
Stud
Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants ($6,000) – Betts’ season-long numbers are solid but not spectacular, as much of his production has come in his 20 most recent games. During that stretch, he has hit .302 with seven home runs, four stolen bases, a .256 ISO and a .406 wOBA. He comes into Saturday night’s matchup with a 10-game hitting streak and has multiple hits in four of his past seven contests. Betts also has had great success in the past against Wood, going 9-for-14 (643) with five extra-base hits, including three home runs. He has strong splits against lefties and at home this season, so he should be all set for continued success in this contest. He can slide to the OF, but I prefer using him at 2B due to positional scarcity.
Stud
Manny Machado, San Diego Padres vs. Tampa Bay Rays ($4,700) – After struggling badly early in the season and spending some time on the IL with a left hand fracture, Machado is starting to find his groove. He came up empty in the series opener Friday but is still hitting .349 (15-for-43) over his past 10 games with two doubles, three homers and a .412 wOBA resulting in 10.2 DKFP per contest over that stretch. He has six multi-hit games over that 10-game span, with at least 13 DKFP five times. Machado and the Padres didn’t start their series against Tampa Bay with a strong showing, losing 6-2, but they’ll look to bounce back Saturday night against Eflin.
Other Options – Rafael Devers ($5,500), Xander Bogaerts ($4,400)
Value
Justin Turner, Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees ($3,900) – Turner hit a pair of home runs Friday night on his way to 43 DKFP. He’s been a huge part of Boston’s offense this season and is having a bounceback year after his numbers dipped during the end of his time in L.A. He is hitting .278 with a .352 wOBA on the season, but he has been much better at home, where he has a .315 average and .379 wOBA. He has also been heating up recently, going 13-for-28 (.464) with two doubles, three home runs and a .573 wOBA over his past seven games dating back to the start of last weekend’s series in the Bronx. At home against Clarke Schmidt ($6,900), Turner should be in a good spot to stay hot Saturday night.
Value
Bo Naylor, Cleveland Guardians at Arizona Diamondbacks ($2,300) – Naylor is expected to be recalled and be in the lineup on Saturday night in a favorable matchup against Tommy Henry ($5,300) and the Diamondbacks. Naylor is the No. 45 prospect in all of baseball and the No. 3 prospect in Cleveland’s system, according to MLB Pipeline. He’s a left-handed hitting catcher who is known for both his offense and his defense. At Triple-A this year, he hit .253 with 13 homers in 60 games with an impressive .391 wOBA. He’s also faster and more athletic than many players at his position, adding 13 steals in his past two seasons at Triple-A. Naylor should step into the everyday role after the Guardians parted ways with Mike Zunino. The young prospect brings a ton of upside both short and long term and is a good way to go cheap behind the plate while still keeping a high ceiling.
Other Options – Gary Sánchez ($3,200), Chris Taylor ($3,000), Jakob Bauers ($2,600)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres vs. Tampa Bay Rays ($6,100) – Tatis has been outstanding over the past few weeks and is a great place to pay up at one of your outfield spots. He has gone 22-for-54 (.407) since the start of June with five home runs, nine doubles, six stolen bases, 10 walks and 15 RBI. His .444 ISO and .557 wOBA have resulted in an impressive 16.4 DKFP per game so far this month. Nine of his 14 homers this season have come at Petco Park, where he has a .435 wOBA. He makes up the core of a solid but spendy Padres stack along with Machado as they look to get back on track after going 5-2 before slipping up last night in the series opener.
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cleveland Guardians ($5,300) – Carroll has been almost as hot as Tatis lately, averaging 14.6 DKFP this month and 13.8 DKFP over his past 25 games. The 22-year-old has established himself as one of the best fantasy players in the game and has helped vault the Dbacks to the top of their division. In his 22 most recent games, he is hitting .369 (31-for-84) with seven home runs, six stolen bases and a .496 wOBA. He has posted double-digit DKFP in eight of his past 10 starts and is another key piece to consider building around whenever Arizona is on the slate.
Other Options – Masataka Yoshida ($5,000), J.D. Martinez ($4,800)
Value
Luis Matos, San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers ($2,800) – Matos made his MLB debut on Wednesday, going 1-for-3. On Friday, he went 0-for-2 but picked up three walks in his second straight start in CF. It looks like the 21-year-old is ready to establish himself as a key part of San Francisco’s outfield for many years to come after starting the season hitting .398 in Triple-A with seven home runs, six stolen bases and a .476 wOBA. He is the team’s No. 4 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and he brings a ton of upside from this salary under $3K.
Value
Jake McCarthy, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cleveland Guardians ($2,700) – McCarthy stumbled early in the season and ended up back in Triple-A. Since returning, though, he has looked much better and re-emerged as a fantasy option primarily due to his stolen base upside. After picking up two hits Friday, he is 9-for-21 (.429) in his past five games with five runs scored and two stolen bases. He’s still hitting just .230 for the year, but his recent production is enough to make him one of the strongest value plays on Saturday night’s slate, while his speed gives him a very high ceiling.
Other Options – Jose Siri ($3,800), Willie Calhoun ($2,400)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $100K Relay Throw [$25K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
