This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We'll get a heavy dose of baseball Saturday as nine games are set to kick off between 4:05 and 4:10 p.m. EDT. We also get a five-game slate at 7:15. The prize pools are slightly larger for the latter, but we'll focus on the afternoon options as there are more matchups to work with.
Pitching
It's a very top-heavy pitching slate with five aces from a skills perspective, each with strikeout rates above 27.5 percent and a SIERA no higher than 3.12. After that, the selection is less than inspiring. Chris Sale ($11,000) is a pretty straightforward choice at the top of the salary pool. He's produced at least 30 DK points in four consecutive starts and more than 25 in six straight. That's a lofty bar, though Sale offers a great chance to keep it going with a matchup against the A's.
Kyle Bradish ($8,300) is a couple of tiers down, but stands out among a few decent options. He took advantage of a soft matchup against the White Sox last time out (11 Ks, 39.4 DK points) and faces another surprisingly soft opponent on Saturday in the Rays as they'e only recorded a .1115 ISO and 76 wRC+ the last 30 days.
Ryan Weathers ($7,500) represents the slam dunk value of the day. He's posted three straight starts of at least 24.2 DK points with 19 strikeouts across 21 innings. On the surface, going up against the Rangers may seem daunting, yet they've notched a 22.5 percent strikeout rate and a subpar 84 wRC+ against lefties this season.
The case against Weathers is the value you can find after him in Robert Gasser ($6,800), Mitchell Parker ($6,700) and Reese Olson ($6,300). Of that group, I'll take Gasser thanks to a matchup against the White Sox and Olson versus the Red Sox – a lineup that's struck out 25.5 percent of the time with a .295 wOBA the last month.
Top Hitters
Matt Vierling ($4,300) certainly isn't a customary pick for a top hitter in any context, but he's quietly hit four home runs in his last 10 games while averaging 12.8 DK points. That alone doesn't mean ongoing success, though Cooper Criswell (48.5 percent hard-hit rate, 9.1 percent barrel rate) has started to look more vulnerable and I want exposure to the Tigers' lineup.
Jose Ramirez ($6,500) has been lights-out in general, but has a .423 wOBA and .308 ISO against southpaws this year. Mitchell Parker has been effective this season, though I'll side with Ramirez in a head-to-head showdown.
Value Bats
Jesse Winker ($3,900) might be stretching the definition of a value, yet there are many other places to pay down on this slate. Ben Lively's season numbers are strong, yet he's given up a homer in three straight starts. Winker has found ways to be productive of late by collecting three extra-base hits and five stolen bases in his last 10 games.
Stacks to Consider
Mets vs. Diamondbacks (Slade Cecconi): Francisco Lindor ($4,700), Brandon Nimmo ($4,600), J.D. Martinez ($4,000)
The Mets have been scrutinized after a terrible run, but snapped out of that Friday with 10 runs and the chance to do more damage Saturday. Cecconi has given up six earned runs in three of his last four outings, and the only reason he's back in the majors is due to the injury to Zac Gallen (hamstring).
Atlanta vs. Athletics (Aaron Brooks): Michael Harris ($4,600), Austin Riley ($5,200), Marcell Ozuna ($5,700)
Brooks has somehow made things work in his three big-league starts, though he's only recorded an 11.4 percent strikeout rate and a 5.09 SIERA. Not only has he conceded a lot of contact, but it's also been quality to the tune of a 9.4 percent barrel rate and 50 percent hard-hit rate. Brooks' 3.63 ERA won't last, and Atlanta can start his regression on Saturday even with Ronald Acuna (knee) out.
