We’ve got a nine-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 $100K Relay Throw [$25K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
George Kirby, Seattle Mariners vs. Athletics ($8,400) — Kirby has produced negative FPTS in three of his last four contests. But in the outlier, he went off for 33 FPTS. That’s what we call a wide range of outcomes. Now, those three poor outings were on the road while the good one was at home. That’s been a consistent theme all season; Kirby has posted a 3.41 FIP at home compared to 4.33 on the road. His home run rate is also much lower in Seattle. This game is at home, and the Athletics have been lifeless on the road — striking out at the seventh-highest rate while ranking 28th in ISO and 29th in wOBA and wRC+.
Value
Ethan Pecko, Houston Astros vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($5,500) — It’s either Robbie Ray or Pecko as a cheap option, but Ray is $7,700. So, I’m going with Pecko, the cheapest option on the slate. Now, there are reasons why he’s so cheap: his FIP is 8.02, his average exit velocity is 92.1 mph, his launch angle is 19.8 degrees, his barrel rate is 10.3%, and he’s allowed four home runs in 13 innings. Lefties have absolutely crushed him, as well. That said, the sample size is small, and he finished with 16.2 FPTS in his latest outing. Pecko has thrown at least 80 pitches in all three of his starts, and the Diamondbacks are 26th in wRC+ and 21st in ISO on the road.
INFIELD
Stud
Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox ($4,000) — Lewis has 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases through 430 plate appearances. He’s also healthy — for now. He has posted an 89.8-mph average exit velocity, a 20.4-degree launch angle, an 11.2% barrel rate, and a 75.2-mph bat speed. Against lefties, Lewis owns a 111 wRC+ with a .181 ISO. Anthony Kay has struggled against righties this season, allowing 17 home runs with a 5.85 FIP and a 5.6% K-BB%.
Value
Josh Smith, Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals ($2,200) — Since arriving in Toronto, Smith has produced three home runs, 10 runs, four RBIs, and a stolen base across 39 plate appearances. His strikeout rate is 33.3%, while the average exit velocity is only 81.5 mph. That said, he has posted a 15.4% walk rate and a 20% barrel rate with a .290 ISO! He’s cheap, though, and running well, and Seth Lugo has allowed a .300/.362/.476 slash with 10 home runs to lefties this season.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Julio Rodriguez, Seattle Mariners vs. Athletics ($4,500) — The notoriously slow-starting Rodriguez has 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases through 566 plate appearances. This is about the time he goes nuclear and becomes a first-round pick in next year’s fantasy draft. His average exit velocity is 90 mph with a 76.8-mph bat speed. Against lefties, he has posted a .185 ISO and a 101 wRC+, and his .248 BABIP indicates some poor batted-ball luck. The fortune could turn on Saturday because Jeffrey Springs has allowed a whopping 23 home runs and a 6.13 FIP against righties this year.
Value
Nathan Lukes, Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals ($2,700) — The season-long numbers aren’t great for Lukes, but he’s been on a little heater recently. He’s put up double-digit FPTS six times in his last 14 games, slashing .275/.321/.549 with a .275 ISO in that span. While the heater likely won’t last the rest of the season, that doesn’t mean he has to stop on Saturday — especially considering Lugo’s issues with lefties.
