We’ve got an eight-game slate for Saturday’s MLB action.
Let’s find some studs and values for your MLB DFS lineups on DraftKings. This article was written before lineups were announced.
Make your DraftKings MLB DFS picks here: MLB $150K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago White Sox ($10,800) — Through 77.1 innings, Yamamoto has a 2.68 ERA and 19.6% K-BB%. He has been lucky with a .240 BABIP and 81.4% strand rate, so the FIP is higher at 3.42. The average exit velocity is 88.3 mph, launch angle is 9.1 degrees and the barrel rate is only 7.3%. Now he faces a White Sox team that does have some power but strikes out at the third-highest rate. Yamamoto has put up over 20 FPTS seven times this season with a high of 31.8 FPTS. I was contemplating Jacob deGrom as well, since the Boston Red Sox are fairly inept on offense, but the price points are close and the Red Sox don’t strike out as often as the White Sox. If the ownership swings heavily in one direction, then I will choose the lower-owned pitcher.
Value
Martin Perez, Atlanta Braves at New York Mets ($6,700) — Perez has been around forever (2012). He’s never been sexy, but has eaten innings and been a viable MLB pitcher. Interestingly, Perez is posting the highest strikeout rate of his career so far at 20.9%, which is only the second time above 20%. For most of his career, that number was in the mid-teens. Over the last four starts, Perez has pitched at least five innings in each while producing double-digit FPTS in all. New York is 24th in ISO, 29th in wOBA and 28th in wRC+.
INFIELD
Stud
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres at Baltimore Orioles ($5,100) — Tatis finally hit his first home run of the season on May 30. Since then, Tatis has slashed .333/.360/.521 with a .188 ISO, 18% strikeout rate and two home runs in 11 games (50 plate appearances). The batting average has been fueled by a .378 BABIP, but the average exit velocity is 94 mph, barrel rate is 15.4% and the hard hit rate is 51.3%. The bat speed is 75.7 mph. He’s still not pulling the ball (28.2%), but he’s getting into the groove. It was only a matter of time that he got going and there’s a chance he goes on an epic heater.
Value
Justin Foscue, Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox ($2,900) — Foscue has three home runs, eight runs and nine RBI in 70 plate appearances. The average exit velocity is 90.7 mph with a 10.9% barrel rate. Against left-handed pitching, the wRC+ is 247 with a .429 ISO. It’s a small sample size of only 24 plate appearances, but damn. Two of the three home runs hit have come off a lefty. Ranger Suarez is a lefty that has a 12% K-BB% against righties, compared to 29.2% against lefties.
OUTFIELD
Stud
James Wood, Washington Nationals vs. Seattle Mariners ($6,500) — Wood has 18 home runs, 62 runs, 43 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 322 plate appearances. The average exit velocity is 95.9 mph, barrel rate is a whopping 25.3% and the bat speed is 76.3 mph. Luis Castillo is allowing an average exit velocity of 91.3 mph with an 11% barrel rate. Against lefties, the FIP is 5.42 while the K-BB% is only 9%. Six of the eight home runs allowed have come off the bat of a lefty.
Value
Colton Cowser, Baltimore Orioles vs. San Diego Padres ($2,700) — Cowser only has an average exit velocity of 86 mph, but the barrel rate is 13.3% and the bat speed is 75 mph. He has seven home runs, 22 runs, 23 RBI and two stolen bases in 162 plate appearances. Against right-handed pitching, the wRC+ is 114 with a .188 ISO. All seven home runs have come off a righty. Over the last six games, Cowser has put up double-digit FPTS in three of those. Randy Vasquez is allowing a 91.3 mph average exit velocity and 13.5% barrel rate. Four of the 10 home runs allowed have come off a lefty.
