This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There are three slates to play Saturday, with six games in the 2:15 p.m. EDT contests, four more at 4:15, and seven at 7:05. We'll focus on the last of those options, and there are a few pretty obvious spots that will be highlighted.
Pitching
Clayton Kershaw ($10,300) and Gerrit Cole ($10,000) are the top pitchers Saturday night, and rightfully so. They're the only two with strikeout rates above 30 percent combined between 2021 and the current campaign, with no others topping 26 percent. The primary differentiator is that Kershaw is going against Detroit – a team that has been much more strikeout prone than Cole's matchup in the Royals.
Nathan Eovaldi ($8,700) stands out as the misvalued pitcher that is close to the elite tier. He enters with the third-best SIERA and strikeout rate on the slate, yet carries the fifth-highest salary. A matchup against the Orioles should only help his cause, as they've struck out at a 26.2 percent clip – third-highest in the league – and have the third-lowest ISO in the league at .098.
There isn't an abundance of cheap options to turn to. But if I were looking for savings, it would be with Dane Dunning ($6,200). He has a poor matchup against the Braves, but has also produced a pair of solid starts at home. It's a small sample, but there are limited choices to work with.
Top Hitters
Freddie Freeman ($5,400) and the Dodgers are set for a matchup with Beau Brieske, who's making his second career start. It's unfair to judge anyone after only one appearance, but he surrendered three home runs across only five innings.
The Red Sox should also be in a position to put up some offensive numbers Saturday. Spenser Watkins has a 2.77 ERA early on, but has allowed more walks than strikeouts and is giving up 1.4 HR/9. That makes the whole team a strong target, but I'll single out Rafael Devers ($5,200) as my top choice.
Bryce Elder is another contact-heavy pitcher I'm looking at. Corey Seager ($4,700) has managed only four extra-base hits across 84 plate appearances this season, but his salary has hit its lowest point.
Value Hitters
Austin Hays ($2,700) has stayed healthy and is quietly delivering the breakout performance many have expected the last several years. While his .374 wOBA isn't likely to stick, the .337 xwOBA would be a career-high over a full season. Hays has also hit cleanup in each of Baltimore's last three games.
There's no Coors Field bump, so I like Tyler Naquin ($3,000) and Tommy Pham ($2,900) as a pair of value options. No Red is valued above $3,900, so they also make for a great stacking option.
Alec Bohm ($3,400) has earned a lot of negative attention early due to some defensive struggles. However, he's registered hard contact over half the time and has raised his launch angle (8.2 degrees) to get more out of his quality of contact. The primary downside is that Bohm still hits toward the bottom of the Phillies' lineup, but the team boasts a number of quality hitters that will still give him the chance to compile counting stats.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Beau Brieske: Mookie Betts ($5,400), Trea Turner ($5,500), Freddie Freeman ($5,400), Justin Turner ($4,700)
The Dodgers should be able to put up a lot of offense against Brieske. The primary challenge of playing this stack will be salary, particularly because there aren't many attractive reasonable options. However, that could make this combination less popular than it typically would be, so it will be advantageous to those who can find a way to make the salary work.
Brewers vs. Justin Steele: Andrew McCutchen ($3,900), Willy Adames ($5,100), Christian Yelich ($4,500), Hunter Renfroe ($3,700)
Milwaukee has underperformed early on with the bats, particularly against lefties. However, they have a number of hitters who can make southpaws pay, and it still comes relatively cheap. This could be a popular value stack on the slate, but it's a nice option to fit in the top pitchers if it doesn't command an appropriate roster rate.
Red Sox vs. Spenser Watkins: Trevor Story ($5,100), Alex Verdugo ($3,800), Xander Bogaerts ($5,200), Rafael Devers ($5,100)
The reasons to target Watkins have already been pretty thoroughly covered, so just a few notes from the Boston side of things. They have mixed up the top of the order, with Story and Verdugo now hitting first and second. Verdugo, in particular, represents a nice value. The lineup could also be in flux pending the status of J.D. Martinez, who's been held out due to a groin injury.
