This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Saturday is a big day for sports with the Champions League Final and Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. But don't forget about MLB! There are 10 games starting at 4:05 p.m. EDT or later. Here are some DFS recommendations. Whatever you end up watching, make sure to include some fantasy baseball lineups in the mix.
Pitching
Julio Teheran, MIL vs. OAK ($36): Do I believe in the renaissance of Teheran? Not necessarily, but he does have an 1.56 ERA through three starts. More to the point, the matchup is great as the Athletics rank 29th in runs scored and list the MLB's worst record.
Patrick Sandoval, LAA vs. SEA ($34): Sandoval has taken a step back from a breakthrough 2022 where he posted a 2.91 ERA across 27 starts with a 4.14 this year. However, he's still managed a 3.60 at home and continues to suppress home runs having only allowed four through 11 starts. The Mariners are below average in offense, but they're also bottom-five in team batting average.
J.P. France, HOU at CLE ($31): Six starts into his MLB career, France has compiled four strong starts and two poor ones. The two off days have both happened at home, which is why his ERA on the road is 1.04. Meanwhile, Cleveland sits bottom-three in runs scored and last in homers.
Top Targets
Over the last three weeks, Austin Riley ($18) has produced an 1.004 OPS. That's helped him pick his numbers up a bit, though he's excelled against lefties all season. That's not a surprise considering Riley's .927 OPS versus southpaws since 2021. MacKenzie Gore is a lefty who's looked better in his sophomore campaign, yet still has registered a 3.92 FIP.
Last season, Bryan Reynolds ($16) had 27 homers and seven stolen bases. And he's currently at seven and eight of each. Reynolds is a switch-hitter who has managed an .872 OPS versus righties the last couple years. Kodai Senga carries a striking home/road split through his first 11 MLB starts with an 1.93 home ERA that balloons to 6.12 on the road.
Bargain Bats
Though Maikel Garcia ($14) doesn't offer much power, he's swiped five bags this year. And during his career, he's recorded a .925 OPS versus lefties to go with a .545 slugging percentage. Cole Irvin is back from Triple-A for a spot start, though the lefty is likely in trouble with a career 4.59 ERA, including a 10.38 from 13.0 innings this season.
It seems Jake Bauers ($11) is now a staple of the Yankees lineup when righties are on the mound. He's earned that by posting a .957 OPS versus right-handed pitchers and an 1.062 at home. Tanner Houck mostly pitched out of the bullpen last year, but he's starting in 2023 and has produced a 5.46 ERA while allowing southpaws to hit .270 against.
Stacks to Consider
Orioles vs. Royals (Brady Singer): Adley Rutschman ($16), Austin Hays ($15), Ryan O'Hearn ($10)
Singer just had a good start, but that was at home against the Rockies and they aren't the same offense away from Coors Field. Even so, he still lists a 6.45 ERA on the year. The righty is visiting the Orioles on Saturday, and this trio should get the job done.
Rutschman is a switch-hitter with an .872 OPS over his career versus righties and a .915 at home. Hays has more "doubles power" than "homer power", yet has hit .306 this year. And since 2021, he's posted an .820 home OPS while slugging .483. O'Hearn is a lefty who gets to face his former team Saturday. He's off to a strong start with the Orioles by slashing .271/.313/.508.
Brewers vs. Athletics (Paul Blackburn): Christian Yelich ($19), Willy Adames ($15), Rowdy Tellez ($12)
Blackburn has a 6.00 ERA this year, but it's only from two starts. Then again, maybe those two appearances are actually accurate. Over his career, the righty has produced a 5.12 ERA while only striking out 6.10 batters per nine innings. Since Blackburn is right-handed, I've included two lefties in this stack.
Yelich has accumulated seven homers and 16 stolen bases after 14 and 19 last season. He doesn't generate a lot of power, but he's slugged .444 against righties and .452 at home this year. Adames is back from the IL and dispatched his 10th homer in his return, reminding us the shortstop belted 31 in 2022. While he's a righty, he's slugged .479 versus right-handers since 2021. Tellez has scuffled recently, though he's at 12 home runs after 35 last season. His issue has actually been that he's gone from "bad" against fellow lefties to "terrible". Tellez has been decent versus righties with a .797 OPS and a .484 slugging percentage.
Angels vs. Mariners (Bryan Woo): Shohei Ohtani ($18), Brandon Drury ($16), Mickey Moniak ($14)
Woo is sticking in the rotation, having earned a shot after performing well across nine Triple-A starts. However, his one MLB start went terrible as he only went two innings against the Rangers and gave up six runs. Woo is once again on the road against an Angels attack that's not as good offensively as the Rangers, but still worth selecting against the rookie.
Ohtani is capable of hitting just about anybody, from aces to Quad-A types. He's slashed .282/.356/.563 with 17 homers and nine stolen bases. He's also posted a .941 OPS against righties since 2021. Drury is in his first season as an Angel and has slugged .486 with 10 home runs. He definitely has enjoyed his new ballpark with a .976 home OPS. Moniak, who was the first-overall pick in 2016, is still trying to get his career going. He's effectively a platoon player, but the lefty is getting chances against righties with a .999 OPS against them so far.
