This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There's plenty of day baseball as we begin the holiday weekend, and our focus for this article will be on the nine-game slate set kicking off at 1:10 pm EDT. There aren't many top-end pitching options set to take the mound, though there is a depth of relatively strong options. That will make it a day where it's comfortable to pay down for pitching while focusing on bats with a relatively large amount of our budget. Boston represents the most hitter-friendly environment, and we'll otherwise primarily let matchup dictate roster builds from there.
Pitching
It's a good day to scroll down a bit on pitchers. The top two choices I'd consider are Nick Pivetta ($8,800) and Reynaldo Lopez ($8,500), who offer a choice between superior skills and an easier matchup. Pivetta carries the highest strikeout rate of any available pitcher by nearly four percentage points, though the Brewers are one of the best lineups against right-handed pitching this season and strike out at an almost exactly league-average rate. Meanwhile, Lopez will face a Pirates' squad that has K'ed at the fifth-highest rate against righties with only a .282 wOBA.
Jumping down to the second tier of arms, Jose Berrios ($8,100) and Erick Fedde ($7,900) are both worth considering. Berrios has come back to Earth after a very hot start, but he'll be in for a good matchup against the Tigers as the team lists a 24.3 percent strikeout rate against righties. Fedde boasts the fifth-best SIERA of any pitcher on the slate, yet he faces a tough matchup against Baltimore.
There are several cheap options to consider, including Chris Paddack ($7,300), Aaron Civale ($7,200), Reese Olson ($7,100) and Spencer Arrighetti ($6,700). Arrighetti is my favorite of the group. He's always shown strikeout stuff and has recently improved his control enough to pitch deeper into games. A matchup against the Athletics should give him a strong chance at a win.
Top Hitters
Aaron Civale has deserved better results early this year, though the long ball has caught up to him having given up 2.5 HR/9 to lefties - and that puts Vinnie Pasquantino ($4,700) on my radar.
Chris Paddack is another pitcher with a homer problem, and there are plenty of options to choose from among the Rangers' lineup. Corey Seager ($5,400) was slowed by injury early on this season, but has looked more like himself of late and is a solid option to build through.
Value Bats
J.P. Crawford ($3,300) has retaken the leadoff role in Seattle since returning from an oblique injury. That alone makes him too cheap, but he's also hit well by going 5-for-17 with a home run.
The Giants have rotated through leadoff hitters against right-handed pitching since Jung Hoo Lee went down, yet Luis Matos ($3,500) has taken over the role for the last three outings. His season-long line is carried by a few big games shortly after being called up, but is an interesting value assuming he sticks atop the order.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox vs. Brewers (Colin Rea): Jarren Duran ($4,600), Tyler O'Neill ($5,400), Rafael Devers ($5,700)
Fenway Park hasn't played as hitter-friendly like it usually does, but this still sets up to be a strong environment for runs. Rea has the lowest strikeout rate of any pitcher taking the hill Saturday afternoon. And even with a number of players down, the top of the Boston lineup can still take advantage of this matchup. Even with a few high-salaried options, it shouldn't be too hard to build around them thanks to the value at pitching.
Twins vs. Rangers (Michael Lorenzen): Carlos Correa ($4,200), Max Kepler ($4,600), Ryan Jeffers ($5,000)
The Twins certainly haven't been a powerhouse lineup so far, so this is counting on them to deliver due to matchup. Lorenzen has been up and down this season, including starts where he's given up six and five runs. There's a lack of standout star power in this stack, which should also keep the roster rate relatively low.
