This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The NBA and NHL playoffs start Saturday, but don't forget about MLB. There are DFS contests to enter and prizes to be won. Saturday's slate is of the afternoon variety with 11 games and the first pitch at 1:05 p.m. EDT. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Garrett Crochet, BOS vs. CWS ($10,500): From a frontline pitcher perspective, Crochet is a clear choice against his former team. He's beginning to prove last season was no fluke by posting a 2.27 FIP through four starts. Crochet also struck out 11 White Sox over 7.1 innings during his last outing. That tracks as Chicago looks likely to finish again in the bottom-five in runs scored and team OPS.
Casey Mize, DET vs. KAN ($7,200): After Mize's first two starts went well, I was in on him against Minnesota. That didn't pan out, but he still has a 2.60 ERA and is still doing well at keeping the ball in the park with a 0.96 HR/9 rate the last three seasons. The Twins have struggled offensively, but the Royals are even worse ranked bottom-five in offense with a sub-.600 OPS.
Matthew Liberatore, STL at NYM ($7,000): Could Liberatore be one of those once-hyped prospects who fails to live up to the expectations at first but eventually rounds into a viable pitcher? He's still only 25 with a 1.91 FIP through three appearances. And the lefty has only issued a single walk. Speaking of being a southpaw, the Mets have been just below average offensively while Liberatore is likely to keep their lefty bats in check.
Top Targets
In the midst of a "disappointing" sophomore season that yielded 22 homers and 35 stolen bases, I read an ESPN article about Corbin Carroll ($6,300) and his mindset. It left me certain he was going to bounce back in a big way in 2025, and that has proven to be the case so far as the lefty has slashed .321/.394/.643 with six home runs, seven doubles, and four steals. Ben Brown doesn't allow many long balls, yet he lists a career 3.95 ERA and Carroll can rack up extra-base hits even without going yard.
Julio Rodriguez ($5,100) is also looking to regain past form, like in 2023 when he looked like a future perennial MVP candidate. He hasn't gotten there, but he's still delivered counting stats. Rodriguez has produced three homers, two triples, and five stolen bases. Being away from Seattle's pitcher-friendly park - where he recorded a .655 OPS last season - should help. So is facing Jose Berrios with his 5.21 FIP while allowing 1.99 home runs per nine innings.
Bargain Bats
Though Josh Bell ($4,100) is off to a slow start, he's managed between 17 and 27 homers in each of the last four seasons. More to the point, he gets to play at Coors Field on Saturday. With Friday's game postponed due to rain, expectations are Chase Dollander's start will simply be bumped a day. Owing to the possibility that doesn't happen and perhaps lefty Kyle Freeland starts, I'll go with the switch-hitting Bell at the best hitting park in MLB.
Enmanuel Valdez ($3,100) will likely be starting at first since a righty is starting for the opposition. The southpaw can't hit lefties at all, but has a career .735 OPS versus righties. During his time in the Majors, Ben Lively has struggled to a 4.83 FIP and 1.52 HR/9. Lefties have gone .313 against him this year and .296 back in 2023.
Stacks to Consider
Phillies vs. Marlins (Cal Quantrill): Trea Turner ($5,300), Bryce Harper ($5,100), Bryson Stott ($4,100)
It's business as usual for Quantrill. That is to say, he's at a 5.79 ERA and a 5.21 FIP. This would be the second time in three seasons he finishes with an ERA over 5.00 or a FIP over 5.00. It's also likely Quantrill's fourth straight year with a sub-7.00 K/9 rate. I have two southpaws against the right-hander, yet I wanted to include a righty as those bats have averaged .289 against Quantrill since 2023.
Last year, Turner fell one stolen base short of his fourth consecutive 20/20 campaign. Since joining the Phillies, he's been equally solid against righties and lefties with an .879 home OPS compared to a .690 on the road. Harper has notched five home runs and four stolen bases. While he hits lefties fairly well for a southpaw, he definitely prefers to be at home with a 1.030 OPS. Stott is rebounding from a so-so 2024 thanks largely to a major uptick against righties by hitting .270 with a homer, a triple, and two stolen bases. The second baseman has also swiped at least 30 bags in each of the last two seasons.
Rays vs. Yankees (Carlos Carrasco): Brandon Lowe ($5,000), Junior Caminero ($4,600), Jonathan Aranda ($4,400)
After three bad starts, Carrasco only allowed one run over five innings in his last outing. However, that came against the struggling Royals where he posted two walks against four strikeouts and that run came via a homer. Carrasco still has a 5.94 ERA and is on pace to finish over 5.50 for the fourth time in five seasons. I don't think at 38 he's suddenly going to get his career back on track. And the Rays should handle Carrasco better than the Royals did.
Lowe, a second baseman, has registered three home runs and has produced over 20 in each of the two previous campaigns. Carrasco conceded 1.65 homers per nine innings last year, which was still an improvement over the 1.80 from 2023. Caminero was a vaunted prospect in his age-20 season last year. And while he only appeared in 43 games, he recorded 16 extra-base hits and two stolen bases. This year, he's at .286 with five home runs. Though Caminero is a righty like Carrasco, that shouldn't be a concern as the pitcher has let righties hit .307 against the last couple years. Aranda is surging so far as the Rays' primary first baseman slashing .382/.453/.691 with three homers and eight doubles. And across the last three seasons, the southpaw has an .841 OPS versus righties.
