For the second straight Saturday, MLB's late afternoon slate will operate as DraftKings' main offering with eight games starting at 4:05 p.m. EDT. The pitching isn't particularly strong and there aren't many hitter-friendly environments, so evaluations will mainly be matchup-dependent.
Pitchers
There aren't any true aces available, but Parker Messick ($8,600) represents my favorite option with the second-best strikeout rate and a solid 3.21 SIERA. The Red Sox have hit lefties fairly well this season, though their lineup still isn't imposing. Drew Rasmussen ($8,500) isn't often a pitcher to target in DFS due to his lack of Ks, yet a matchup against the Angels should give him a boost.
Reid Detmers ($7,500) leads off the second group. He's an extremely boom-or-bust option having produced two starts of at least 30 DK points while otherwise generally landing around 15. He's on the other side of the Rasmussen battle, which means he'll be facing a tough opponent in the Rays. Given this slate's pitching outlook, Detmers is still worth considering. Mitch Keller ($7,300) is a poor man's version of Rasmussen. He's not usually someone worth considering in DFS, but he offers a decent floor - and that's good enough on Saturday.
Kumar Rocker ($7,000) and Christian Scott ($6,700) are the two potential punt plays and are fairly comfortable. I'll break the tie in favor of Rocker with the more favorable matchup versus the Royals.
Find out which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!
Top Hitters
Tyler Phillips is stretching out from a reliever to a starting role, and he's set to go up against the Mets for the second straight outing on Saturday. Both of those factors should help New York score some runs, which makes Juan Soto ($6,200) a solid building block.
Seth Lugo has surrendered a 12.4 percent barrel rate and 92.2 MPH average exit velocity from the last 30 days, a level of contact quality that'll eventually come back to haunt him. The Rangers don't currently boast much star hitting power, though Brandon Nimmo ($4,300) has started to heat up averaging 9.3 DK points across his last 10 games.
Value Bats
Bailey Ober has been recently plagued by homers and the lack of ability to generate strikeouts. To put specific numbers on his performance, he's allowed two long balls in consecutive appearances and at least one from five of his last six. The Pirates' offense has improved, yet still not a great stacking option. Spencer Horwitz ($3,500) offers nice value as the leadoff against righties.
Foster Griffin ended his skid last time out, though flaws began to show in his profile giving up 1.61 HR/9 and an 11.3 percent barrel rate against the last month. That should create some opportunity for Padres' bats, and Miguel Andujar ($3,300) could take advantage with a solid .161 ISO against left-handed pitching while typically hitting second in the order.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Brewers (Brandon Sproat): Jeremy Pena ($4,200), Christian Walker ($4,000), Yordan Alvarez ($6,100)
Both stack recommendations will test the balance of matchup vs. quality of lineup. The Astros aren't terrible, but haven't been producing of late having only posted a .298 wOBA during the last two weeks. Sproat is among the slate's most susceptible pitchers to turning in a blowup outing due to the combination of his 13.8 percent walk rate and 1.81 HR/9. With the exception of Alvarez, most of Houston's roster is quite affordable.
Blue Jays at Orioles (Brandon Young): George Springer ($5,000), Vladimir Guerrero ($5,100), Kazuma Okamoto ($3,900)
It hasn't necessarily been reflected in the results, but Young has only managed a 6.2 K-BB% and 5.05 SIERA over his seven starts. And that will eventually come back to haunt him. Toronto has underwhelmed as a lineup, yet both Springer and Guerrero have started to get hot while Okamoto has delivered plenty of power from the cleanup spot. This sets up well for the top of the order to post some numbers and makes the Jays a solid stacking selection.
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