We’ve got a 10-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 $125K Relay Throw [$25K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Boston Red Sox ($10,300) — I do like Cristopher Sanchez, especially since Baltimore strikes out a lot against left-handed pitching. That said, the Orioles have been putting up runs against lefties, while Boston’s offense isn’t nearly as potent. I’ll take the $400 discount with Yamamoto, believing he can match or exceed Sanchez’s fantasy production. Yamamoto owns a 3.31 FIP and an 18.7% K-BB% through 125.2 innings. The average exit velocity is 87.5 mph while the barrel rate is 6.3%. He’s put up over 20 FPTS 11 times, with four performances of 30 FPTS.
Value
David Peterson, Chicago Cubs vs. New York Yankees ($5,900) — Peterson has a 5.80 ERA through 94.2 innings, but the strand rate is only 60.9% while the FIP is much lower at 4.21. His K-BB% is only 8.6%, but he’s allowed just 10 home runs. He’s super cheap and has pitched 5.2, 6.2 and 5.0 innings in his last three starts, resulting in 15.8, 24.6 and 9.6 FPTS. The matchup isn’t great, but the forecast calls for 14 mph winds blowing in from center field.
INFIELD
Stud
Zach Neto, Los Angeles Angels vs. Milwaukee Brewers ($4,700) — Neto has a 31.3% strikeout rate and a .232 batting average, but the walk rate is 10.3% while the ISO is .201. He has 19 home runs, 73 runs, 46 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases in 476 plate appearances. The average exit velocity is 89.3 mph with a 22.1-degree launch angle and a 12.6% barrel rate. Neto has posted a 130 wRC+ and a .214 ISO against lefties this season. Robert Gasser has posted a 5.17 FIP and allowed nine of his 11 home runs against righties.
Value
Joc Pederson, Texas Rangers at Houston Astros ($3,000) — Pederson has a .252 ISO, a 10.9% walk rate, and a 22.8% strikeout rate in 329 plate appearances. The average exit velocity is 91.9 mph with an 11.2% barrel rate. He has posted a 139 wRC+ with a .246 ISO in matchups with right-handed pitching. Eighteen of his 19 home runs have come against righties. Ronel Blanco has had two starts this season since returning from Tommy John surgery, posting a 7.70 FIP through 10 innings with a 14.6% walk rate. While he’s posted a robust 29.3% strikeout rate, he’s already allowed four home runs. Blanco is responsible for a 9.58 FIP and a 6.7 K-BB% against lefties, with three of his allowed homers coming off the bat of a southpaw.
OUTFIELD
Stud
John Rave, Kansas City Royals at Colorado Rockies ($4,200) — Rave was recalled from Triple-A on Wednesday after Vinnie Pasquantino was placed on the 10-day IL. Batting second, he went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run and a stolen base, good for 17 FPTS. He’s only accrued 24 plate appearances this season, but he has a home run, four runs, an RBI and a stolen base. The average exit velocity is a whopping 99.3 mph with a 21.4% barrel rate. The bat speed is 75.6 mph, up from 73.9 mph last season. This game will be in Coors Field, with Ryan Feltner getting the starting nod. Feltner has a 5.81 FIP and a 6.6% K-BB% with seven home runs allowed against lefties.
Value
Grant McCray, San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres ($2,400) — McCray has started in center field in four straight games. In 21 plate appearances this season, McCray has put up a home run, four runs, two RBIs, and three stolen bases. The slash is only .176/.263/.353, but the BABIP is only .182. The average exit velocity is only 82.8 mph with a 7.1% barrel rate, but the ISO is .214 against right-handed pitching. Walker Buehler has actually been better against lefties (3.93 FIP vs. 4.83), but he’s still allowed five home runs with a .275/.357/.417 slash. Am I crazy about this play? Maybe, but McCray is cheap and does possess some pop.
