Major League Baseball has four games scheduled for under the lights on Saturday night, providing a solid eight-team player pool for DraftKings contests, which start at 7:15 p.m. ET. One of those four games is a divisional contest from the AL Central, while the other three are all hosted by teams in the NL West. Coors Field is in the mix, so there should be plenty of opportunities for offensive production, along with some good spots for pitching. The rematch of the 2017 World Series also continues in Los Angeles, so there should be plenty of great storylines to keep track of
As usual for DFS fantasy baseball, be sure to keep up with the latest player news and lineups 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 $125K 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
Bobby Miller, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Houston Astros ($9,100) – Miller’s last start turned ugly after a strong beginning and he ended up being charged with seven earned runs on seven hits in 5 2⁄3 innings in a loss to the Giants. He cruised through the early innings in that outing after dominating in his first four starts in the majors and should be able to bounce back as he takes on the Astros.
Miller went 3-1 in his first four starts of his career after making his MLB debut on May 23. He allowed just two runs over 23 innings in those four outings for a 0.78 ERA and 2.19 FIP. He had 23 strikeouts in those 23 innings while walking only seven. While the Giants got to him, Miller will face an injury-depleted Astros lineup that should allow him to return to form. The 24-year-old rookie was the Dodgers’ No. 2 overall prospect coming into the season and the No. 17 prospect in all of baseball. Aside from one bad inning, he has delivered on his promise so far this season and should bounce back Saturday night.
Other Option – Pablo López ($9,300)
Value
Reese Olson, Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins ($6,900) – With only eight starting pitchers on the board, the Padres expected to call up knuckleballer Matt Waldron (not in the player pool), and two starters taking the mound at Coors Field, the options get thin in a hurry once you move down the salary spectrum. Olson does offer some solid and affordable potential, though, as he takes on the Twins.
Olson is coming off a career-best 19.3 DKFP in his most recent start, which was also at home against a divisional opponent. He struck out eight in six innings against the Kansas City Royals, with three earned runs allowed on six hits. His ERA is still scary at 5.59 but his 4.10 FIP indicates he could be due for a little positive regression. Another reason he brings a good ceiling is his strikeout potential. He has 19 strikeouts in 19 1⁄3 innings in the majors after 47 strikeouts in 36 2⁄3 innings in Triple-A with the Toledo Mud Hens. Olson has at least 12 DKFP in three of his four starts, with only a start against the Atlanta Braves turning really ugly. He should be able to post a decent outing against the Twins Saturday night, with his strikeout potential giving him the highest ceiling of the value options in play.
Other Option – Griffin Canning ($7,800)
INFIELD
Stud
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels at Colorado Rockies ($6,600) – The MLB leader in home runs always deserves attention when playing at Coors Field, MLB’s most homer-happy environment. Especially given Ohtani’s recent power surge, he’s a great place to start building your lineups for Saturday night. He has 10 of his 25 homers this season in his past 16 games while hitting .390 (23-for-59) with five doubles, 15 RBI, those 10 home runs, a .584 wOBA and .390 ISO. Ohtani fell just a triple short of the cycle on Friday in the series opener in Denver, posting 22 DKFP. In his 20 games in June, he has averaged 14.9 DKFP per contest, so he’s worth trying to squeeze in even at this elevated salary. He should continue raking in this matchup against Chase Anderson ($6,400), who has allowed five homers to lefties this season while letting them post a .382 wOBA.
Stud
Ryan McMahon, Colorado Rockies vs. Los Angeles Angels ($4,800) – On the other side of the matchup in Denver, McMahon seems underpriced, given his role in the heart of the Rockies’ order. Colorado’s offense hasn’t been good on the road, but at home, they are only two games under .500 and have hit very well. McMahon has been their best fantasy producer most of the season, hitting .265 with 12 homers and a .361 wOBA, putting him on pace for multiple personal bests. He has really been good in his past 27 games, hitting .352 (37-for-105) with seven doubles, eight homers and an impressive .471 wOBA. The lefty sometimes struggles against left-handed pitchers, but against righties like Griffin Canning ($7,800), he has a .389 wOBA on the season, including 10 of his 12 home runs.
Other Options – Freddie Freeman ($5,900), Manny Machado ($5,200)
Value
Ha-Seong Kim, San Diego Padres vs. Washington Nationals ($3,900) – Kim has been heating up lately, and he was moved up into the leadoff spot for each of the Padres’ past two games. Especially in that premium run-producing spot, he makes a great play under $4K. Over his past nine games, he has gone 13-for-31 (.419) with a double and a pair of home runs, boosting him to a .471 wOBA and an average of 12.1 DKFP per start over that span. Kim has posted at least 20 DKFP in each of his past two games from the leadoff spot and helped the Padres to score double-digit runs in each of those contests. He will try to continue to spark the offense on Saturday against Josiah Gray ($7,300).
Value
Yainer Diaz, Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers ($3,100) – Diaz brings very nice offensive upside from a tricky catcher position at a very reasonable salary. The 24-year-old is hitting .270 in his 38 games with Houston with seven homers, 15 RBI and a .330 wOBA. He went 0-for-3 in the series opener on Friday, but before that had hit safely in 13 of his past 16 games with a .339 (20-for-59) batting average and .444 wOBA. He consistently makes good contact and is one of several players trying to fill in the gap while Yordan Alvarez (oblique) is missing from the middle of the Astros’ order.
Other Options – Royce Lewis ($3,500), Ezequiel Tovar ($3,400), Harold Castro ($2,600)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres vs. Washington Nationals ($6,500) – Tatis continued his recent tear with another big fantasy night Friday. He went 3-for-4 with a double and his 13th stolen base of the season for 24 DKFP. In June, Tatis is hitting a blistering .378 (31-for-82) with 12 doubles, six homers, eight stolen bases, a .366 ISO and .507 wOBA. He’s averaging 14.4 DKFP per game this month and has been thriving at home at Petco Park all season. After serving his suspension, he has retaken his place as one of the top young talents in the game, and getting him in a stack with Kim and other Padres is a play that could pay off big time against the Nats on Saturday.
Nolan Jones, Colorado Rockies vs. Los Angeles Angels ($4,300) – Jones started the year in Triple-A, but the 25-year-old got off to a fast start with the Albuquerque Isotopes and earned an early-season call-up. He has kept raking in the majors, batting .330 with a .420 wOBA in his first 26 games with Colorado. He has five home runs and five stolen bases over that span, offering a high ceiling with multiple ways to produce. He came up empty on Friday but was hitting .368 in his previous 19 games with a .460 wOBA and an average of 10.7 DKFP per contest.
Other Options – Mike Trout ($6,300), Kyle Tucker ($5,500)
Value
Andy Ibáñez, Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins ($2,500) – With the Padres and Coors options coming with hefty price tags, you may need to find some cheap value plays to fill in—good thing we have the Tigers! Ibáñez has been in and out of the lineup lately, but when he has been given an opportunity, he has been productive. He has hit safely in nine of his past 11 games while going 16-for-36 (.444) with four doubles, a triple and two home runs showing he has plenty of pop to be a great value option. He can also slide to 2B if that works better in your build.
Value
Derek Hill, Washington Nationals at San Diego Padres ($2,400) – Hill used to be on the Tigers but signed as a free agent with the Nats this offseason. He still brings good value, though, as he fills in for Victor Robles (back). Hill went 2-for-4 with a double and 10 DKFP on Friday and has a hit in each of his first three starts since being called up, going 4-for-11 (.364). The 27-year-old righty looked good in Triple-A, hitting .324 with eight home runs and 10 stolen bases in 48 games. Hill and Ibáñez are ways to help offset big spending in other spots while still bringing the potential for production themselves.
Other Options – James Outman ($3,300), Corey Julks ($2,600), Matt Vierling ($2,600)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $125K 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.
