On Saturday night, Major League Baseball has eight games lined up for the main fantasy baseball on DraftKings. There are just over two weeks left in the regular season and most teams have about 14 games remaining to make their final playoff push or get their last looks at prospects in the majors until next season.
The National League has a pair of potential playoff previews on the slate as the Dodgers visit the Braves and the Brewers take on the Dbacks in Arizona. Also in the NL, the Cubs are in Colorado facing the Rockies at Coors Field, where there’s always plenty of offensive potential. The last three games of the night are the only divisional matchups on the slate, including a pair of evening games from the AL West as the final two games of the night.
With 16 teams in the player pool, there are plenty of strong options to consider. To help you find the best fits in the best matchups, I’ve assembled my top studs and values for what should be another great night of fantasy baseball. Let’s go!
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PITCHER
Stud
Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners vs. Texas Rangers ($9,900) – While Chris Sale ($10,800) and Jack Flaherty ($10,400) are both strong plays in their head-to-head matchup in Atlanta, they are also very expensive and come with matchup risk against strong lineups. One strategy I like is paying a little less for Gilbert and still getting a high ceiling in his matchup against the Rangers, who have fallen well out of the playoff hunt.
Despite the Mariners’ own playoff fade, Gilbert has been pitching very well. He has at least nine strikeouts in each of his last three starts and has a 3.58 ERA and 2.23 FIP over his last 10 outings. He has allowed more than two earned runs four times in that span but has also allowed zero or one earned run five times.
Gilbert had 10 strikeouts and 34.1 fantasy points in a tough-luck loss in his most recent outing and 31.1 fantasy points in his last home start a couple of weeks ago. He has been very strong at home all season with a 2.35 ERA, 2.72 FIP and only a .185 batting average against. He has over 23 fantasy points in four straight home starts, and he had 38.8 fantasy points when he faced the Rangers in Seattle earlier this season.
With so many good showings at home and a better matchup than Sale or Flaherty, it’s a good night to pivot to Gilbert and take the salary savings.
Value
Nick Martinez, Cincinnati Reds at Minnesota Twins ($6,200) – Martinez spent most of the season working out of the bullpen for the Reds, but the 34-year-old veteran has been in the rotation since the start of August and has put together an impressive run of results. He is 3-1 in his eight straight starts with a 3.12 ERA and 4.05 FIP. He has only 35 strikeouts in his 43 1/3 innings over those eight games, but he has held opponents to a .235 average and 34.4% hard-hit rate, per Statcast.
In his last start, Martinez shut out the Braves for seven innings on two hits and earned 28 fantasy points. He has posted over 22 fantasy points in four of those eight starts including each of his last two outings, which were in tough matchups against Atlanta and Houston. He’ll get another road start on Saturday against the Twins. Over the last 30 days, the Twins rank in the bottom 10 in the MLB in wOBA and runs scored as they stumble to the finish. Minnesota starts the day with a 2 1/2 game lead over the Tigers and a 3 1/2 game lead over the Mariners for the final AL Wild Card spot. Their recent offensive struggles are cause for concern for Twins’ fans but also a cause for optimism for Martinez’s ability to return value this Saturday.
INFIELD
Stud
Yainer Diaz, Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels ($4,800) – Diaz has four multi-hit performances in his last five games and has gone 19-for-55 (.345) with five doubles, a .356 wOBA and even a stolen base over his last 14 games. He typically hits in the middle of the order for the Astros and is eligible at either 1B or at C, which can sometimes be a tough spot to fill with a legitimate offensive threat. Diaz has averaged 8.8 fantasy points per game over his last five contests and gets a favorable matchup against lefty Tyler Anderson ($7,400) on Saturday night.
Stud
Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies ($4,700) – Getting exposure to the Cubs will be important to consider since they’re playing at Coors against lefty Kyle Freeland ($5,900). Swanson has had a slightly down year overall but has been picking things up lately, going 14-for-45 (.311) over his last 11 games with three doubles, two home runs and a .378 wOBA. He has been batting second lately and has nice run-production potential in that spot. Against lefties this season, Swanson is hitting .303 with a .380 wOBA, and since he’ll be on the strong side of his splits, he’s a great option to build around in this matchup.
Value
Seth Brown, Oakland Athletics at Chicago White Sox ($3,000) – There are plenty of low-cost options to consider in this matchup of two of the worst-hitting teams in the MLB this season. Despite the teams’ lack of overall firepower, there are a few spots to target some plays with upside.
Brown brings a high ceiling for a play at only $3,000 since he has gone 22-for-68 (.324) over his last 20 games with four home runs, 15 RBI and a .386 wOBA. He hasn’t started either of the last two games for the A’s but has entered as a pinch hitter once the lefty starter was removed. Against righty Chris Flexen ($5,300), the left-handed hitting Brown will not only likely return to the lineup, but he’ll also be on the strong side of the splits since Flexen has allowed lefties to post a .362 wOBA against him this year, including hitting 14 of his 22 homers allowed.
Value
Mauricio Dubon, Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels ($2,500) – Dubon can slide into your lineup at 3B or in the outfield, and the utility man has been finding ways to chip in solid production over the last couple of weeks. In his last 14 games, he has gone 15-for-34 (.441) with a double and seven RBI. He doesn’t bring a ton of power but has consistently been finding ways to make good contact, get on base and be part of run production. He had two hits in each of his last two games and has averaged 10.0 fantasy points per game in his last four starts.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels ($6,000) – Alvarez is in a lefty-lefty matchup against Anderson and the Angels, but the big man has been so dialed in that he’s still a good play. Plus, he is 6-for-14 in his career against Anderson with two doubles and two home runs. Over his last 15 games, Alvarez has gone 21-for-60 (.350) with eight home runs and a .479 wOBA and averaged 12.4 fantasy points per game. With several of the top outfield bats in tough matchups in Atlanta, Alvarez stands out as the big bat to pay up for Saturday night.
Stud
Brent Rooker, Oakland Athletics at Chicago White Sox ($5,500) – Rooker is having a breakout season for the A’s and has established himself as a legitimate part of their lineup for years to come. The 29-year-old has already set new career highs with 36 home runs, 10 stolen bases and 103 RBI. He’s also on pace for his personal best in batting average (.298) and wOBA (.399). He comes into this juicy matchup with Flexen having hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games. Over that stretch, he has six homers, three stolen bases and a .460 wOBA. He’s locked into the second spot in the A’s lineup, and if Oakland piles up runs, he is set up for another big day.
Value
Jordan Beck, Colorado Rockies vs. Chicago Cubs ($3,200) – Beck is a very affordable way to get some exposure to Coors Field, and the 23-year-old rookie brings a high ceiling. In his 39 games at Triple-A, Beck hit .319 with eight homers and six stolen bases, but in his 46 MLB games, he has hit only .203. However, he still does have three homers and six stolen bases, giving him spike potential if he hits for one of those big-point producers. He has hit safely in three of his last four games including a home run.
Value
Pavin Smith, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers ($2,800) – Smith is another versatile value play to consider along with Brown and Dubon. Smith can fill in at 1B if that works better for your roster construction, but wherever he fits, he brings power upside when he’s in the lineup. He has helped fill in since Lourdes Gurriel (calf) landed on the IL, and is hitting .260 with seven homers on the season. He has hit four of those homers since rejoining the team in mid-August and has a .409 wOBA over that span. He’s more boom-or-bust than Brown or Dubon but brings a high ceiling compared to his salary under $3,000.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $80K Relay Throw [$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 skill 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.
