This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Saturday's full-day slate is an interesting one. Since the first game starts at 2:10 PM ET, I would recommend going with a contest of that variety if you can. There are 15 games taking place, even though the Cubs-Cardinals matchup has been postponed. That's because the Yankees and Rays are having a doubleheader. This means that, yes, you could use Aaron Judge twice. However, the 2:10 ET start between those two features Gerrit Cole and Tyler Glasnow on the mound. That's one you might want to avoid. Plus, let's not forget doubleheader games are only seven innings now. Doesn't seem so exciting with all that, huh? As such, my recommendations today will not feature any Yankees or Rays. Let's get to it!
PITCHING
If you are of the "go big or go home" mindset, it's not a bad day to just grab Clayton Kershaw ($56). His bona fides don't have to be established, right? When he went 5.2 innings without allowing a run in his first start of the season, any concern about injury went out the window. Not only is Kershaw at home, he's facing a Giants team that's finished in the bottom-five in runs scored the last three seasons. It's a lot of cash, but you tend to get what you pay for.
Chris Paddack ($51) excited everyone as a rookie by posting a 3.33 ERA for the Padres. If you think that was just Petco Park, I'll have you know his road ERA was 3.53. Besides, this game is at Petco. The Diamondbacks look like a different offensive team on the road, and I am always happy to take a talented pitcher at Petco, as that park serves as an equalizer.
David Peterson ($36) has made exactly two starts in the majors, but both have been reasonably encouraging. He's posted a 3.86 ERA, but his FIP is a more-impressive 3.02. Plus, he's facing the Marlins. They struggled on offense last season by finishing 29th in runs scored a whopping 63 runs behind the team in 28th. Which, by the way, was the Giants.
TOP PICKS
I know Cody Bellinger ($16) is off to a slow start, but this is a price I can't deny. Are we just going to forget he slashed .305/.406/.629 last season? Or that he produced a 1.061 OPS versus righties? Now he gets to face Johnny Cueto, who has barely pitched since 2017 and has a 5.23 FIP through three starts this year? I'll happily sign up for supporting the reigning MVP.
There's a lot of home cooking in Trevor Story's ($24) numbers, but he's not all ballpark. After all, the thin air doesn't help you steal over 20 bases for two seasons in a row while also hitting over 30 homers. The shortstop also absolutely crushed lefties, as his 1.036 OPS versus southpaws since 2018 will show. Nick Margevicius is getting a spot start for the Mariners, and he managed to put up a 6.79 ERA last season pitching for the Padres. When Petco Park can't save you, there may be no hope.
Something has gotten into Nick Castellanos ($27), and it may just be no longer having to be a Tiger. While the man struggles to field any position, it doesn't matter when you've already hit seven home runs with an .840 slugging percentage. Is regression coming? Eventually, but Castellanos has managed a 1.063 OPS versus lefties since 2018. Meanwhile, Brett Anderson has allowed righties to bat .286 against him over that same time frame.
VALUE PICKS
C.J. Cron ($12) isn't making a ton of contact for the Tigers, but he's still posted a .357 OBP with a .515 slugging percentage. Since he's a career .257 hitter, his average should also eventually improve. I wouldn't be surprised to see him tee off Derek Holland and the Pirates. Holland has allowed over two homers per nine innings in two of his last three campaigns.
Travis Shaw ($12) saw his numbers completely tank last season in limited action, but a .216 BABIP is awfully hard to replicate. Shaw really struggles versus lefty pitchers, but he hit over 30 homers in 2017 and 2018 because he can hit against righties. Lucky for Shaw, he gets to face Zack Godley, a right-hander who managed a 5.07 FIP in 2019.
Sure, Mitch Garver's ($14) 31 home runs in 2019 came out of nowhere. However, his .268 batting average and .414 slugging percentage in 2018 proves he isn't a one-season wonder by a catcher's standards. Danny Duffy represents a perfectly mediocre southpaw pitcher, as he's primed to carry an ERA over four for the third season in a row, especially since his home run rate of 0.59/9 is likely to increase.
STACKS
Nationals vs. Tom Eshelman: Juan Soto ($23), Adam Eaton ($17), Trea Turner ($15)
Eshelman may have impressed with a 2.70 ERA, but that's in only 3.1 innings. Last season, his first in the majors, he produced a 7.31 FIP and somehow allowed three homers per nine innings. I've got two lefties going up against the righty, and I've also included Turner. After all, Eshelman allowed a .359 batting average to right-handers last season.
Soto has only started seeing action after testing positive for COVID before the campaign began. Now that he's back, we're able to watch the rising star who's starred with a career slash line of .287/.403/.535 at the tender age of 21. Eaton was finally able to play a relatively healthy season for the Nationals last year and hit 15 homers while stealing 15 bases. He also has a career .363 OBP. Turner has started slow, but I expect him to turn it around soon enough. He offers decent power, but his real draw is the career .290 batting average and the fact he's stolen over 30 bases in each of the last four seasons.
