There are seven MLB games on the main DraftKings DFS slate for Saturday, with the first starting at 7:15 p.m. EST. Here are three value picks for the slate. This article is written before the actual lineups come out, so keep track of updates throughout the day.
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SP Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves, $6,200
Chandler has pitched 25.2 innings in his first stint in the majors, with three of the six appearances in a starting capacity. The ERA is 4.56 but the FIP is much lower at 3.02. The strand rate is only 59.5%. Chandler is averaging 98.6 mph on the fastball with a 13.9% swinging strike rate and 33.9% chase rate. When he gets hit, he’s gotten hit hard though, with an average exit velocity of 91.5 mph, 9.9% barrel rate and 43.7% hard-hit rate. The strikeout rate is 24.3% while the walk rate is a miniscule 3.9%. He’s allowed only two home runs. Chandler had one bad outing three starts ago against the Milwaukee Brewers, who tagged him for nine earned runs in 2.2 innings. In his two most recent starts, he’s gone six and five innings, allowing only one earned run without issuing a walk while striking out 13.
OF Jack Suwinski, Pittsburgh Pirates at Atlanta Braves, $2,200
Suwinski has been pretty terrible this season, slashing .140/.276/.252 with a 32.9% strikeout rate in 170 plate appearances. The ISO is only .112. He has hit three home runs and stolen six bases with a walk rate of 14.1%, though. Over the last five games, he has a hit in four straight, with three of those doubles. He’s en fuego! Now, he’s not guaranteed to start and the matchup isn’t great, as Spencer Strider is on the mound. Strider hasn’t been dominant against lefties this season, though, as the K-BB% is only 10.9% while the HR/9 is 1.59.
OF Jac Caglianone, Kansas City Royals at Athletics, $2,600
Like Suwinski, Caglianone hasn’t been great this season, slashing .160/.241/.301. The BABIP is only .174 though, and unlike Suwinski, Caglianone does not have a strikeout problem (21.9%). He’s hit seven home runs on the season. What is most appealing about Caglianone is the elite bat speed at 77.3 mph and the great barrel rate of 12.2%. Now he gets to face Luis Morales in Sacramento’s band box. While Morales averages 97.2 mph on the fastball, the swinging strike rate is 9.3%, the chase rate is only 21.9% and the strikeout rate is 21.3%. The walk rate is high at 9% and he’s allowed eight home runs in 44 innings. The barrel rate is 11.4% and the hard-hit rate is 43.1%.
