We’ve got a nine-game slate for Saturday’s MLB action.
Let’s find some studs and values for your DraftKings MLB DFS lineups. This article was written before lineups were announced.
Make your DraftKings MLB DFS picks here: MLB $70K Relay Throw [$20K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Reid Detmers, Los Angeles Angels vs. Minnesota Twins ($8,900) — Cam Schlittler and Tarik Skubal are both excellent options and could very well put up the most points on the slate. But I think Detmers could come close or even surpass their production if everything breaks right. And at around $2,000 cheaper. Detmers has put up at least 22 FPTS in three straight games, with a high of 33.7 FPTS. Six games ago, he went bonkers for 42.8 FPTS. Through 174 innings, he has posted a 3.03 FIP with a 22% K-BB%. Against left-handed pitching, Minnesota ranks 27th in ISO, 25th in wOBA and 20th in wRC+.
Value
Jackson Jobe, Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox ($5,200) — The matchup is scary because Chicago is fifth in ISO and eighth in wRC+. That said, the White Sox are also fifth in strikeouts. Jobe averages 97.6 mph on the fastball and, since joining the rotation seven starts ago (34.2 innings), has posted a 23% strikeout rate. His FIP is 4.86, his walk rate is 8.8%, and he’s allowed six home runs. He’s very cheap, though, and has put up double-digit FPTS five times — with two of those over 20 FPTS. He’s also gone at least five innings with 87+ pitches in three straight starts.
INFIELD
Stud
TJ Rumfield, Colorado Rockies vs. Seattle Mariners ($4,300) — None of the numbers are particularly impressive for Rumfield, especially the Statcast ones: 84.1 mph average exit velocity, 4.8% barrel rate and 68.4 mph bat speed. But against right-handed pitching, he has slashed .310/.399/.472 with a 130 wRC+ and a .162 ISO. Bryce Miller has struggled on the road, posting a 5.02 FIP and allowing 13 home runs. Now he has to pitch at Coors Field.
Value
Alex Freeland, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants ($2,500) — Since being added to the roster at the start of the month, Freeland is slashing .229/.386/.371. The BABIP is low at .250, though, while the plate discipline is excellent with a 20.5% walk rate and a 13.6% strikeout rate. While the ISO is only .143, Freeland has posted an average exit velocity of 93.6 mph. Over that span, he’s racked up two doubles, a home run, seven runs, two RBIs, and two stolen bases. He’s put up fantasy goodies in eight straight contests, including three double-digit performances. The matchup isn’t great as Logan Webb is a solid arm, but the price and recent production can’t be ignored.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Kyle Tucker, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants ($4,500) — I’m usually a matchup guy, but with Freeland and Tucker, other variables sometimes take precedence. With Freeland, it’s the price. For Tucker, it’s the massive heater he’s been on. After struggling for most of the season, Tucker looks set to go en fuego down the stretch and get drafters to select him in the first round next year. Over the last eight games, Tucker has gone 12-for-29 (.414) with four home runs, three doubles, a triple, 10 RBIs, 11 runs scored, and a stolen base. The walk rate is 14.3%, the strikeout rate is 11.4%, and the ISO is a whopping .586! In that span, Tucker has posted an average exit velocity of 92.9 mph, a launch angle of 24.3 degrees, and a barrel rate of 23.1%.
Value
LaMonte Wade Jr., Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves ($2,500) — More than likely, Wade is going to give you a big fat donut. But Wade still has a little pop in his bat. The ISO is .153, and he has four home runs in 136 plate appearances. Nothing earth-shattering, but it certainly isn’t nothing. Against lefties, Grant Holmes has allowed 12 home runs, a 91.3 mph average exit velocity, a 4.82 FIP, and a 6.6% K-BB%.
