Major League Baseball has a spread-out schedule this Saturday, highlighted by a six-game featured slate on DraftKings which gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET. There are two divisional contests from the American League, two National League matchups across divisions and a pair of interleague contests. With a dozen teams scheduled to take the field, there are definitely some matchups to attack and avoid as you assemble your lineup.
Leading up to first pitch, be sure to keep up with the latest news and pre-game lineups. One way to do that is to install the DK Live app and follow DraftKings Network on Twitter (@DKNetwork). I’m also on Twitter (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the second half of the season gets rolling.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25263747/IMG_9722.jpeg)
Bet at a top rated Sportsbook!
View the latest odds and bet online legally at a top rated Sportsbook! Place a bet now at DraftKings Sportsbook!*
*Odds and lines are for illustrative purposes only.
PITCHER
Stud
Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals ($10,600) – Webb is the most expensive pitcher on Saturday’s slate, but he still deserves attention given his recent form and favorable matchup. The other expensive options have been struggling lately in sharp contrast to Webb, who posted over 23 DKFP in three straight starts and over 19 DKFP in six of his past seven. Webb dominated the Colorado Rockies in a complete-game shutout to produce 45.1 DKFP just before the All-Star break to show how high his ceiling can be.
Webb has turned in six quality starts in his seven most recent outings and has gone 4-1 with a 3.14 ERA and 3.04 FIP. He has an impressive 49 strikeouts compared to just six walks in 48 2⁄3 innings over that span. Washington ranks in the bottom third of the MLB in most offensive categories and doesn’t have a ton of depth in their lineup. Webb also beat the Nats when he faced them in early May, allowing just one run in seven strong innings with seven strikeouts to produce 25.8 DKFP. His strikeout numbers fluctuate a bit from start to start, but he still brings the highest ceiling and the least risk of any of the top starting pitchers in play on Saturday.
Other Options – Cristian Javier ($9,000), Dylan Cease ($8,600)
Value
Allan Winans, Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers ($6,000) – Winans isn’t exactly a top prospect with dominant stuff, but he has had a very strong start to the season in Triple-A and will get called up to start on Saturday night. He’ll be in a good matchup against the Brewers, who have the lowest team wOBA in the National League at just .302.
Winans went 7-3 with a 2.81 ERA, 3.75 FIP and 7.80 K/9 rate in his 18 games (13 starts) in Triple-A this season. Since the start of June, he’s 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA and 4.15 FIP with 39 strikeouts in 51 innings. While his strikeout ceiling isn’t as high as some of the other recent call-ups across the majors, the 27-year-old righty definitely has had enough success to trust in this matchup with the Braves lineup behind him. Winans comes with the typical risk of someone making their MLB debut, but at only $6K, he has the upside to be an outstanding value.
Other Options – Freddy Peralta ($8,500), Johan Oviedo ($5,700)
INFIELD
Stud
Alex Bregman, Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics ($5,400) – Bregman has hit safely in six of his seven games since the All-Star break, going 11-for-31 (.355) with two doubles, three home runs and a .462 wOBA. He hit his 15th home run of the season in Friday’s 6-4 win over Oakland and seems to finally be finding his stride after a slow start. On Saturday, he’ll look to stay hot against Paul Blackburn ($5,500), who has allowed 13 runs on 18 hits in 11 2⁄3 innings over his past three appearances.
Stud
Josh Naylor, Cleveland Guardians vs. Philadelphia Phillies ($4,200) – Throughout his career, Naylor has earned a reputation as an extremely streaky producer. Over the past month, he has started to catch fire with a .392 batting average over his past 24 games while crushing seven home runs to go with 26 RBI, a .470 wOBA and an average of 12.0 DKFP per contest. He and the Guardians face Zack Wheeler ($9,800) on Saturday, who has let lefties post a .326 wOBA while holding righties to a .260 wOBA. Naylor is on the strong side of those splits and has hit .325 with a .376 wOBA on the year against right-handed pitchers.
Other Options – Austin Riley ($5,800), Mauricio Dubon ($4,100)
Value
C.J. Abrams, Washington Nationals vs. San Francisco Giants – Even though I like Webb as my top starting pitcher of the night, Abrams is too hot to pass up. He can have a good game from the leadoff spot even if Webb has a good outing since he can produce in several different ways. Over his 25 games, Abrams has hit .359 (33-for-92) with six doubles, three home runs, 13 stolen bases and a .418 wOBA. He averaged 11.1 DKFP per game during that span and 14.6 DKFP per game over his past 10 games after homering and stealing a base on his way to 24 DKFP in the series opener Friday night. The 22-year-old SS was a big part of the Nationals’ return in the Juan Soto trade, and he has found his stride over the past month to become a great fantasy option from his salary under $3.5K.
Value
Jordan Diaz, Oakland Athletics vs. Houston Astros ($2,300) – Diaz is one of many Athletics that could bring good values from cheap salaries against Cristian Javier ($9,000). Javier has a very high ceiling but has allowed three runs or more in four straight starts. He has served up five home runs and allowed 21 runs in just 15 2⁄3 innings. The A’s should be able to put runs on the board Saturday night, and if they do, Diaz is a great way to get a piece of the production at a bargain rate. His salary is barely more than the minimum, but he is expected to hit in the middle of the order. The 22-year-old prospect hit .308 with six homers and a .370 wOBA in his 38 games at Triple-A, and he has hit .243 with six homers and a .302 wOBA in his 39 games in the majors. He has been more productive since his most recent call-up and has hit .295 this month with two of those home runs and a .346 wOBA. Since he’s trending the right way and in a good spot, he has a great chance of returning good value Saturday night.
Other Options – Jace Peterson ($3,000), Zach Remillard ($2,700), Andruw Monastario ($2,500)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics ($6,200) – There is plenty of top-end OF talent on this slate led by Ronald Acuña Jr. ($6,600), Shohei Ohtani ($6,400) and Luis Robert Jr. ($6,100). Don’t overlook Tucker, though, who has also been heating up and makes a great play in the nightcap against Blackburn and the A’s. As hot as his teammate Bregman has been, Tucker has been carrying the offense out of the All-Star break and has hit .481 (13-for-27) with four home runs, two stolen bases and a .632 wOBA while starting the second half on a seven-game hitting streak. He homered three times on Friday and had 44 DKFP. Over his past 24 games dating back to before the break, Tucker averaged 13.4 DKFP per game, putting him right alongside those other top options in what should be a favorable spot for him to continue to produce on Saturday night in Oakland.
Mickey Moniak, Los Angeles Angels vs. Pittsburgh Pirates ($4,100) – Moniak has taken a while to find his place in the majors, but the No. 1 overall pick from the 2016 MLB Draft is still just 25 years old. In his 45 games with the Angels this season, Moniak hit .335 with 11 homers, three stolen bases and a .422 wOBA. He comes into Saturday’s game with a 12-game hitting streak during which he has hit .400 (20-for-50) with three homers, a .451 wOBA and an average of 11.5 DKFP per game. He’s still available at a very reasonable salary for this matchup against Osvaldo Bido ($5,600) and the Pirates.
Other Options – Ronald Acuña Jr. ($6,600), Bryce Harper ($5,600), Michael Harris II ($4,300)
Value
Andrew Benintendi, Chicago White Sox at Minnesota Twins ($3,200) – Benintendi has hit leadoff for the White Sox in each of his past 25 starts, and he has hit .343 with three stolen bases, one home run, a .368 wOBA and an average of 9.0 DKFP per contest. He has at least 17 DKFP in four of his past six games and has a good history against opposing starter Sonny Gray ($9,600), who he has gone 8-for-20 (.400) against in their past few meetings. Benintendi should be an affordable way to get steady production from the top of the White Sox lineup on Saturday’s slate.
Value
Max Kepler, Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox ($2,600) – Kepler has found his stride over the past three weeks and has hit .295 over his past 17 games with four homers and a .368 wOBA. Kepler is 6-for-22 (.273) in his past matchups with opposing starter Dylan Cease ($8,600) and three of those hits have been home runs. Kepler comes into this matchup with Cease after hitting safely in seven straight starts with multiple hits in seven of his past 15 starts.
Other Options – Michael Conforto ($3,700), Henry Davis ($2,600), Matt Wallner ($2,000)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
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 skills 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.
