This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have one month remaining in the regular season, and that leaves us with plenty of time to keep grinding away in both cash and tournament contests. We have a nice 11-game main slate to work with Saturday, which kicks off at 7:10 pm EDT. There are a few elite pitching options, but things fall off pretty quickly as we should see a decent amount of offense. Coors Field is also on the main slate, another box checked in favor of the hitting sides.
Pitchers
Blake Snell ($11,300) and Luis Castillo ($11,100) come in as the two highest-valued pitchers, and deservedly so. Both are viable choices with favorable matchups, as Snell gets the Giants and Castillo the Mets. Perhaps surprisingly given their spot in the standings, San Fran's the better matchup and that looks to the best way to solve what is otherwise a 50-50 decision.
After his last performance, we have to at least mention Kyle Harrison ($8,500). The first note is that it would make sense to pivot from Snell to Castillo for those who roster Harrison as the Giants and Padres square off. That leads to the next point, which is that San Diego has crushed lefties all season despite otherwise being underwhelming. Harrison's salary has quickly increased, so there isn't much margin for error.
The results are inconsistent, but the underlying metrics suggest Reese Olson ($7,300) deserves better. He has the sixth-best K-BB% among pitchers with a solid 3.97 SIERA, especially compared to his 5.10 ERA. A matchup against the White Sox isn't particularly tough, as the team has only maintained a 93 wRC+ and 24.4 percent strikeout rate in the last 30 days.
The punt play of the day is Luis Severino ($5,800). There's plenty of risk as he squares off against the Astros, though he's shown signs of turning things around in his last two starts throwing a combined 13.2 shutout innings with a 10:2 K:BB. Unlike some of the other more hyped players, Severino's salary has hardly risen and that makes him appealing.
Top Hitters
The Red Sox have a matchup to take advantage of against Alec Marsh and the Royals as he's served up 2.6 HR/9, the highest mark of anyone taking the mound Saturday. Boston carries a number of power hitters who can take advantage, including Adam Duvall ($4,900) and Justin Turner ($4,800).
The Dodgers get the benefit of the doubt in most cases, and rightfully so given their track record. However, Emmet Sheehan hasn't looked ready for majors with only a 7.5 K-BB% alongside a 1.4 HR/9. Atlanta will know how to handle that, and there's really no bad option in their lineup. For purposes of this article, we'll choose Austin Riley ($5,800) thanks to his relatively deflated value.
Value Batters
Liover Peguero ($3,100) hasn't received consisstent playing time, yet he's made the case to be a fixture in the Pirates lineup with his recent performance holding an .805 OPS across his last 10 games. Drew Rom only has two big-league starts, with one good and one bad. It's worth getting exposure to him with batters at limited salaries.
We'll head back to LA for our final pick as Bryce Elder gives up a lot of contact and has struggled to a 5.45 SIERA over the last month. Both Jason Heyward ($2,900) and David Peralta ($3,000) are cheap and hit fifth and sixth in the order against righties this season.
Stacks to Consider
Rangers vs. Twins (Dallas Keuchel): Marcus Semien ($6,100), Corey Seager ($6,700), Adolis Garcia ($5,400)
Before we get to the positives, there are two problems with this stack. The Rangers have been cold of late, though the salaries from the top of the lineup hasn't decreased. That's not a great combination to start with, but Keuchel has been an easy target for opposing hitters this season with both a 7.8 K% and BB% and 5.59 SIERA. He's yet to allow a homer, which has allowed him to maintain a 3.50 ERA. That will have to change at some point, and the Rangers have plenty of firepower in the lineup to make Keuchel pay.
Blue Jays vs. Rockies (Ty Blach): George Springer ($5,100), Davis Schneider ($5,000), Vladimir Guerrero ($5,500)
Relative to the Rangers, this stack is manageable particularly given the matchup is at Coors Field. The Jays get a beneficial matchup against Blach, who only lists a 12.5 percent strikeout rate. That isn't a recipe for success in Coors, and his 5.20 SIERA reflects that.
