:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67396071/1228463518.jpg.0.jpg)
Saturday night brings a solid eight-game slate for DFS fantasy baseball action, getting underway at 7:05 p.m. ET on DraftKings. The Giants-Padres game has been postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test from the San Francisco organization. There are also a few weather issues with the games in the Midwest, with both Chicago and Minnesota dealing with possible rain. This article assumes the games will take place but you’ll want to double-check the weather situation before first pitch.
As you take a look at all the matchups, I would try to lean into the five offenses listed below that should be in a good place to succeed and make solid stacking considerations. Make sure to stay locked in to @DKLive on Twitter and check starting lineups in the DK Live app as we approach game time.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: MLB $150K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
1. Colorado Rockies
When the Rockies are at home at Coors Field against a mediocre starter they’re always a stack worth considering. As is also usual in this scenario, the salaries for these players are elevated to go with the rarified air in Denver.
Jaime Barria ($6,300) will get the start for the Angels, making his fifth appearance of the season. He has allowed seven runs and two homers in 18 2⁄3 innings but has an extremely low .229 BABIP, showing there is definitely room for that number to go up to league average and his ERA to climb as a result. The expected regression is also indicated in his 5.88 xFIP. Barria also has a 0.54 groundball/flyball ratio, which could definitely be an issue at Coors.
The Rockies should be in a good spot to produce, especially their left-handed hitters since lefties have a .863 OPS against Barria. Charlie Blackmon ($5,600) hit a walk-off grand slam on Friday night on his way to 25 DKFP and is hitting .353 with a .917 OPS and .384 wOBA at Coors this season. He has cooled down a little bit lately but coming home in this matchup should jump start his bat if last night’s heroics are any indication. Raimel Tapia ($3,700) is a surprisingly affordable play from the top of the Rockies’ batting order and he is now hitting .300 on the season with five stolen bases after going 2-for-5 and swiping a bag in Friday’s win. Tapia has a .407 wOBA at Coors where he has picked up four of his six extra-base hits this season. It’s also always a good idea to consider Trevor Story ($5,800) at Coors, where he has a .276 ISO and .418 wOBA. Story has also been a sneaky-good source of stolen bases, going 13-of-14 on SB attempts this season.
Players to Consider
Trevor Story ($5,800)
Charlie Blackmon ($5,600)Kevin Pillar ($3,800)
Raimel Tapia ($3,700)Matt Kemp ($3,500)
Tony Wolters ($2,700)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Pillar and Kemp are not in the lineup vs. the Angels.
2. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox are also in a plush spot as they take on the Tigers and their two-pitcher stack of Michael Fulmer ($6,400) and Daniel Norris ($5,400). Of all the probable pitchers in play on this slate, Fulmer and Norris rank first and second in exit velocity allowed. Fulmer has made seven starts for the Tigers this season, going 0-1 with an 8.24 ERA and 5.52 xFIP. Norris has a 2.57 ERA and has been a little better but was knocked around by the White Sox earlier this season.
The top of the Chicago order is extremely expensive but has been delivering big totals. The White Sox have racked up 47 runs in their past seven games and won six of those seven games. José Abreu ($5,300) had his 22-game hitting streak come to an end on Friday night, going 0-for-4 against the Tigers. He hit .370 with 10 home runs and 28 RBI during his streak and has a career-high .282 ISO on the season to go with his .389 wOBA. Abreu is 7-for-19 against Fulmer in his career and is a solid play if you can afford him. Eloy Jiménez ($5,200) is another high-priced play to consider. He has hit safely in six of his past seven games and hit a three-run home run that turned Friday night’s game around. He has a .368 wOBA and a .307 home ISO. Nomar Mazara ($3,200) could also provide some good value since he has gone 5-for-10 with a home run against Fulmer in the past. He’s only hitting .237 in his first year with the White Sox but has produced over seven DKFP in three of his past five contests.
Players to Consider
Tim Anderson ($5,600)
José Abreu ($5,300)
Yoan Moncada ($5,200)
Eloy Jiménez ($5,200)
Luis Robert ($5,100)
Nomar Mazara ($3,200)
Nick Madrigal ($3,100)
3. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers are a much more affordable stack to take a look at as they visit the White Sox in Chicago and face Reynaldo López ($5,900). It has been a rough year for López, who has been limited to four starts by arm issues and been very ineffective, allowing 11 runs, three home runs and eight walks in 9 2⁄3 innings. His xFIP of 6.54 and hard-hit rate of 43.8% show there has been nothing flukey about the runs he has surrendered either.
Detroit’s lineup has definitely been diminished by injury but there are still some hitters who have been producing. Jeimer Candelario ($3,900) has been hot lately, going 16-for-40 (.400) in September with three home runs, 13 RBI and an impressive .504 wOBA. His walk rate is up, his hard-hit percentage is up over 35% and he has been hitting more line drives and fly balls and fewer ground balls than he did earlier in the season. Jonathan Schoop ($4,300) also brings some affordable power potential and Jorge Bonifacio ($2,400) has had some strong games as a punt play in the OF. While he isn’t quite as cheap as Bonifacio or Candelario, Willi Castro ($4,200) is also worth a look. In his 23 games, he is hitting .354 with a .391 wOBA. He has been even better in September, going 17-for-44 (.386) with a .424 wOBA and four extra-base hits in 12 games.
Players to Consider
Jonathan Schoop ($4,300)
Victor Reyes ($4,100)
Jeimer Candelario ($3,900)
Miguel Cabrera ($3,200)
Daz Cameron ($2,500)
Jorge Bonifacio ($2,400)
Curious about when major leagues and events will return? Check out our DraftKings Sports Calendar for the latest updates.
4. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are in Milwaukee to face the Brewers in Miller Park on Saturday night, taking on Brett Anderson ($6,800). Anderson has a 4.64 ERA on the season and has given up eight runs over his past two outings against the Pirates and Cleveland. The advanced stats show that his ERA is a fair representation of how he has pitched and the Cubs’ hitters have typically hit him pretty well in the past.
Willson Contreras ($4,600) has been heating up lately, going 14-for-34 (.412) over his past 10 games with a home run, three walks, a .470 wOBA and an average of 9.9 DKFP per contest. Kris Bryant ($4,400) sat out Wednesday with an elbow injury but has gone 3-for-8 with a triple in two games since then and has collected seven hits in his past five games with a .392 wOBA. Nico Hoerner (3,100) could also be a good source of value since he has hit lefties well with a .296 batting average, a .318 wOBA and a 40.9% hard-hit rate against southpaws.
Players to Consider
Anthony Rizzo ($4,600)
Willson Contreras ($4,600)
Kris Bryant ($4,400)
Jason Heyward ($3,500)
Nico Hoerner ($3,100)
Cameron Maybin ($2,600)
EDITOR’S NOTE: Rizzo is not in the lineup for tonight’s game vs. the Brewers.
5. Cleveland
Cleveland and the Twins are playing an important AL Central series in Minneapolis as the two teams try to put pressure on Chicago at the top of the division. On Saturday, Cleveland takes on veteran lefty Rich Hill ($7,300), so there should be good opportunities for lefty-mashers to step up. Hill has a 4.92 xFIP but only a 3.86 ERA due to an above-average 77.2 left-on-base percentage. He has had to pitch to contact more this season with a lower strikeout rate and has surrendered two home runs and nine runs overall in his five starts spanning 21 innings.
José Ramírez ($5,600) is an expensive option near the top of the lineup but he looked good in his return from a hand injury on Friday, going 2-for-4 with his 10th home run of the season. Ramírez has gone 14-for-48 (.333) with five of those home runs against lefties boosting him to a .487 wOBA and .452 ISO against southpaws on the season. He has also gone 3-for-5 against Hill in the past with a double. Switch-hitter Carlos Santana ($3,800) also hits much better against lefties with a .335 wOBA and .186 ISO against them. Francisco Lindor ($5,500) has also been picking things up lately, going 11-for-36 this month with a .392 wOBA and an increased fly-ball rate.
Players to Consider
José Ramírez ($5,600)
Francisco Lindor ($5,500)
Franmil Reyes ($4,300)
Roberto Pérez ($3,200)
Jordan Luplow ($2,300)
Delino DeShields ($2,000)
Set your DraftKings lineups here: MLB $150K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
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 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.