This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Saturday's 11-game evening slate is a veritable hitter's paradise due to all of the mediocre hurlers taking the mound. This may make it difficult to save money at pitcher, but shrewd researchers may find a quality arm in an unexpected environment.
Pitchers
The numbers don't quite reflect it yet, but the Nationals are running a skeleton crew lineup after the trade deadline left them without some of their more productive bats. Add to this the fact Juan Soto is currently day-to-day with a knee injury, and what you get is an offense that we can look to exploit by rostering an opposing pitcher. This is particularly true if that pitcher is Charlie Morton ($9,400), who's managed a 28 percent strikeout rate while allowing only 12 homers in 122 innings.
Kwang Hyun Kim ($8,200) was absolutely torched by Cleveland during his last start in July, but that outing couldn't put a damper on a spectacular month that saw the 33-year-old post a 2.28 ERA over 27.2 frames. Meanwhile, the Royals have logged a bottom-10 wOBA against left-handed pitching this year with just a .6.7 percent walk rate.
Austin Gomber ($6,600) has been incredibly tough during starts at Coors Field this season based on his 1.98 ERA and .240 wOBA versus opposing offenses from 36.1 frames. The Marlins have struggled mightily against left-handed hurlers in 2021 with the lowest wOBA (.286), highest strikeout rate (28 percent), and fifth-lowest walk rate (7.7 percent) in the league.
Top Hitters
DFS players and fans alike have been waiting for Joey Votto ($6,100) to reclaim his seat as one of the best hitters in baseball and he's responded in a big way in 2021 - especially against righties with a .349 ISO and a .438 wOBA across 195 at-bats. Advanced metrics only do so much to boost the performance of Mitch Keller, who's struggled to a 7.05 ERA in 52.1 innings.
Jaime Barria may not look like a pitcher to target at first glance, but a remarkably low strikeout rate (10 percent) combined with a 10 percent walk rate has contributed to a 5.80 xFIP over 19.2 frames. Max Muncy ($5,800) has been a force against right-handers and southpaws this year thanks to a .271 ISO and .405 wOBA across 317 at-bats.
Jesus Luzardo hasn't found much success in any role this year, which has resulted in a 6.70 ERA in 14 games (seven starts). Trevor Story ($5,600) has experienced a disappointing offensive season by his standards, but has maintained his dominance against left-handed pitching with a .276 ISO and .370 wOBA from 98 at-bats.
Bargain Bats
Gregory Polanco ($2,700) has struggled over six games in August, but the outfielder is coming off his best month of the season when he produced a .231 ISO and .376 wOBA over 39 at-bats. Vladimir Gutierrez has been hit hard at Great American Ball Park allowing a .632 slugging percentage in 21.1 innings.
Eli Morgan offers the strikeout prowess to make lineups look silly, but his inability to keep the ball in the yard has resulted in a 6.75 ERA from 37.1 frames. Akil Baddoo ($3,900) has quietly been a powerhouse against right-handed pitching with a .263 ISO and a .382 wOBA across 217 at-bats.
Mitch and Brad Keller aren't related, but the two are similarly struggling with the latter posting a 5.64 ERA in 52.1 innings. This allows us to roster Tyler O'Neill ($3,400), who has shown decent power against same-handed hurlers this year with a .240 ISO and a .371 wOBA over 254 at-bats.
Stacks to Consider
Reds against Mitch Keller: Joey Votto ($6,100), Nick Castellanos ($4,200), Tyler Naquin ($3,000)
The interesting thing about Cincinnati's lineup is we can find decent power at every salary range. Castellanos has notched a .249 ISO against righties this year, while Naquin rounds out our stack with a respectable .191 ISO against his opposite hand and a 41 percent hard contact rate.
Braves against Josiah Gray: Freddie Freeman ($5,500), Joc Pederson ($3,900), Stephen Vogt ($2,900)
Early returns have not been promising on Gray, who has been walloped by lefties to the tune of a .609 slugging percentage in 6.1 innings. Pederson looks to be a nice option that won't break the bank considering his .385 wOBA from 73 games since the All-Star break.
