In the second-to-last weekend of the MLB regular season, most of Saturday’s action is during the day. However, after a busy day, there is a four-game night slate on DraftKings, which begins at 7:05 p.m. ET. Of the four games, two take place in AL West stadiums and two take place in NL West stadiums. Each of the matchups has important playoff implications and also provides plenty of intriguing fantasy options to consider.
As always when playing DFS fantasy baseball, you’ll want to keep up with the latest news about lineups, injuries, and weather issues. Be sure to install the DK Live app and follow DraftKings Network on X (@DKNetwork). I’m also on X (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the regular season races play out and we get geared up for what should be an outstanding postseason.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $80K Bat Flip [$20K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Jordan Montgomery, Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners ($8,700) – Rather than spend all the way up for Clayton Kershaw ($11,000) who may be on a limited workload or Logan Gilbert ($10,200), who has struggled lately. I like Montgomery as a strong midrange option with upside. It’s been a roller-coaster of a season for Montgomery who started with the Cardinals and was acquired by the Rangers at the trade deadline. He had several great starts with Texas before a pair of rough outings. He righted the ship in his last two outings, though, and has gone 3-2 with a 3.29 ERA, 3.23 FIP and 7.74 K/9 in his nine starts overall with the Rangers.
Montgomery held the Blue Jays and Red Sox to just one run on nine hits with 11 strikeouts over his past two starts, posting 22.8 and 26.8 DKFP. His eight strikeouts against Boston in his most recent outing was his third-best total of the season. The Mariners’ offense has turned things around after a slow start to the season, but they’re still lefty-reliant and have the highest K% of any team in the majors against left-handed pitching this season. Even though he’s not a lock, the matchup is strong enough to expect Montgomery to pick up enough strikeouts to be one of the top options on this small slate.
Other Options – Clayton Kershaw ($11,000), Logan Gilbert ($10,200)
Value
Pedro Avila, San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals ($7,500) – With limited options on this slate, Avila makes sense as the expected bulk reliever following Nick Martinez ($6,000). Martinez and Avila were both effective last Sunday against the Athletics, and Avila earned the win with three shutout innings with five strikeouts for 19.6 DKFP.
On the season, Avila has 45 strikeouts in 42 2⁄3 innings with a 3.38 ERA, 3.97 FIP and 1.43 WHIP. He had a couple of rough outings against the Dodgers and Giants but has also posted some outstanding showings against the Phillies and Diamondbacks. He has over 15 DKFP in five of his last 10 appearances dating back to August 1, and his strikeout potential makes him my favorite value play on the board. Coming in after Martinez actually only increases his chances of earning the win as long as the tandem works as well as it did last Sunday.
Other Option – J.P. France ($8,100), Jake Woodford ($5,700)
INFIELD
Stud
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals at Houston Astros ($6,000) – The former top prospect has had a breakthrough year for the Royals and is one of the most dynamic dual-threat plays on this slate. He has 29 home runs and 48 stolen bases on the season while hitting .278 with a .343 wOBA. Nine of those stolen bases have come during his last 11 games, and during that time, he has averaged 14.3 DKFP by going 16-for-43 (.372) with two doubles, a triple, a home run and a .395 wOBA. Witt has double-digit DKFP in eight of his last 11 games and should be in a spot to stay hot against J.P. France ($8,100), who the Royals reached for five runs in his most recent start.
Stud
Josh Jung, Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners ($4,800) – Jung missed six weeks with a fractured thumb, which will likely cost him his shot at the AL Rookie of the Year Award. The 25-year-old has had a breakthrough season for the Rangers with 23 homers, a .216 ISO and a .349 wOBA. He has hit safely in each of his four games since being activated from the IL, going 7-for-18 (.389) with a double and a home run. He and the Rangers will face Logan Gilbert ($10,200) in the second game of their critical series against Seattle after winning on Friday, 8-5. Jung had two hits in that contest and will look to continue his team’s playoff push this Saturday.
Other Options – Mookie Betts ($6,700), Max Muncy ($5,000), Nathaniel Lowe ($4,500)
Value
Luis Campusano, San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals ($3,300) – The 24-year-old catcher has been a very solid option at catcher when he has been in the Padres’ lineup this month. He is expected to be back in the starting nine on Saturday after getting the day off Friday. Over his past 18 games, Campusano has posted an impressive .355 (17-for-62) batting average with three home runs and a .399 wOBA. He has hit safely in seven of his past eight games and is a great way to not spend too much behind the plate while still getting plenty of upside.
Value
Marco Luciano, San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers ($2,800) – The Giants are also still in the middle of the playoff race, but they’re giving some of their young players a chance to jump right into the action. Luciano was called up on Thursday when the Giants placed Brandon Crawford (hamstring) on the 10-day IL and also released Paul DeJong. Luciano has started both games for the Giants since then, going 3-for-7 with a stolen base and a total of 18 DKFP. Luciano is the No. 2 prospect in the Giants system and the No. 26 prospect in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old is loaded with raw talent and upside, and he should get a chance over the next week to prove he’s ready for the majors. He is a boom-or-bust play in this matchup with Clayton Kershaw ($11,000) but has actually gone 4-for-7 (.571) in his tiny sample size in the majors this season against lefties.
Other Options – Jose Abreu ($4,000), Maikel Garcia ($3,600), Matthew Batten ($3,000)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Juan Soto, San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals ($5,600) – San Diego has won eight straight games and is still alive in the Wild Card hunt, four games behind the Chicago Cubs, who start the day in the third Wild Card spot. The team’s recent surge has been fueled by Soto, who is within range of multiple career highs as we head into the final week of the season. In 154 games, Soto has hit 32 home runs with 101 RBI and 11 stolen bases. His batting average of .270 isn’t near his career-best but still represents a solid bounce-back from last season’s .242 mark. He also has a solid .390 wOBA and .237 ISO. He has caught fire over his 10 most recent games and has gone 17-for-37 (.459) with five multi-hit games, three doubles, four home runs and a .562 wOBA. Cardinals starter Jake Woodford ($5,700) has let lefties like Soto post a .401 wOBA against him this season, including five of his eight home runs allowed. Soto and the Padres are still a long shot to make the playoffs, but they’re definitely finishing the season strong.
Stud
Chas McCormick, Houston Astros vs. Kansas City Royals ($4,400) – The Astros have a great matchup against Jordan Lyles ($5,400) on Saturday night, and they’re a strong stack to consider. While you can definitely consider Jose Altuve ($6,100), Yordan Alvarez ($6,000) and Kyle Tucker ($5,700) as pay-up plays, don’t overlook McCormick as a mid-range option, who also brings great upside. McCormick has gone 5-for-10 (.500) in his career against Lyles, including two home runs, and Lyles has given up an AL-leading 38 homers in his 29 games this season while posting a 6.43 ERA in a rough season for the veteran righty. On the other hand, McCormick is having a breakout campaign and has hit a career-high 21 homers in his 108 games while also posting a .281 batting average and .371 wOBA to go with 19 stolen bases. He homered and had 20 DKFP on Friday and has averaged 9.1 DKFP per game over his past 14 games with an at-bat. He has at least 14 DKFP in seven of those contests and should be productive again in this favorable matchup.
Other Options – Julio Rodriguez ($6,500), Yordan Alvarez ($6,000), Fernando Tatis Jr. ($5,800)
Value
Evan Carter, Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners ($3,500) – Carter has been a great call-up for the Rangers in their playoff push. The 21-year-old prospect went 12-for-37 (.324) in his first 14 games in the majors, with three home runs and three stolen bases. He had both a home run and a stolen base on Friday when he was in my picks and delivered 27 DKFP. He has averaged a solid 9.9 DKFP over his 14 games and brings a high ceiling with both power and stolen base potential in Saturday’s matchup.
Value
Tyler Fitzgerald, San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers ($2,500) – Another one of the young Giants getting more run down the stretch has been Fitzgerald, who was called up for his MLB debut earlier this week. He started each of the past two games in CF and went 2-for-7 with a home run and 25 total DKFP. Fitzgerald was an infielder for most of the season in the minor leagues, which is why he has dual eligibility at SS and OF. The 26-year-old hit .287 with a .373 wOBA in his 102 games with the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats with 20 home runs and 29 stolen bases. If he gets another start on Saturday against Kershaw, the rookie is another option that brings good upside at a cheap price.
Other Options – Jordan Walker ($3,500), David Peralta ($3,100), Luis Matos ($2,600)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $80K Bat Flip [$20K 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 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.
