I had a rough bout with COVID last weekend, but I’m back and ready to give you guys some DFS advice! While I was sick, I played DFS every day and had a good read on what was happening, despite my brain feeling like mush. We’re actually down to the final two months of the regular season, and it’s crazy just how quickly this season has flown by! In any case, we still have a ton of good slates to look forward to, so let’s take a look at this Saturday card!
Starting Pitcher Rankings
| PLAYER | DK SALARY | FD SALARY | VALUE | RISK |
| Drew Rasmussen (TB) vs. KC | $7,500 | $8,600 | Low | Low |
| Joe Musgrove (SD) vs. WAS | $10,100 | $10,500 | Medium | Low |
| Logan Gilbert (SEA) at OAK | $8,000 | $9,800 | Medium | Medium |
| Dustin May (LAD) vs. MIA | $9,100 | $9,500 | Medium | Medium |
I had a rough bout with COVID last weekend, but I’m back and ready to give you guys some DFS advice! While I was sick, I played DFS every day and had a good read on what was happening, despite my brain feeling like mush. We’re actually down to the final two months of the regular season, and it’s crazy just how quickly this season has flown by! In any case, we still have a ton of good slates to look forward to, so let’s take a look at this Saturday card!
Starting Pitcher Rankings
| PLAYER | DK SALARY | FD SALARY | VALUE | RISK |
| Drew Rasmussen (TB) vs. KC | $7,500 | $8,600 | Low | Low |
| Joe Musgrove (SD) vs. WAS | $10,100 | $10,500 | Medium | Low |
| Logan Gilbert (SEA) at OAK | $8,000 | $9,800 | Medium | Medium |
| Dustin May (LAD) vs. MIA | $9,100 | $9,500 | Medium | Medium |
Starting Pitcher Strategy
This is going to be a tough slate to pick pitching. We don’t have many aces toeing the rubber, leaving us with many risky options. With that said, there are four pitchers in excellent spots, and anyone of them can be used on this slate. My favorite option is taking the mound for San Diego, so let’s start there.
Cash Game Recommendations:
Joe Musgrove (SD) vs. WAS
It’s possible that Washington has the worst lineup in baseball. They were 23rd in runs scored when they had Juan Soto and Josh Bell but trading those two to San Diego has crippled their lineup. We love that for Joe Musgrove, with the righty registering a 2.98 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. That’s why he’s a -350 favorite in this spot, with Washington projected for just 3.5 runs!
Logan Gilbert (SEA) at OAK
Oakland has been the worst offense for most of the season. The A’s rank bottom-three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA. That should go over well for Gilbert, with the breakout arm amassing a 3.51 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. His only two duds have come against the Yanks, with Gilbert generating a 2.86 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across his other 22 starts this year. The oddsmakers certainly love Logan, with Oakland projected for just three runs here.
GPP Recommendations:
Drew Rasmussen (TB) vs. KC
Rasmussen fell two outs shy of a perfect game in his most recent outing, and he’s yet another gem discovered by Tampa Bay. The Rays righty has a 2.80 ERA and 1.08 WHIP this season, posting a 1.04 ERA and 0.52 WHIP across his last three starts. We certainly don’t expect Kansas City to add to those absurd averages, with the Royals ranked 24th in runs scored and 23rd in OPS. All of that has Rasmussen entering this matchup as a -200 favorite.
Dustin May (LAD) vs. MIA
This is a risky play because May is making his season debut here. This spirited redhead was on fire at Triple-A, maintaining a 1.89 ERA and 1.05 WHIP while striking out 33 batters across 19 innings. We’ve seen glimpses of that at this level, and facing the Marlins without Jazz Chisholm is comparable to facing a minor league team. Not to mention, May enters this matchup as a -300 favorite.
Top Lineup Stacks
St. Louis Cardinals (vs. Madison Bumgarner)
- Road (Chase Field)
- Value: Medium
- Risk: Low
- Game Type: Both
- Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/STL -150
Bumgarner used to be one of the best pitchers in baseball, but he’s been a gas can for years. The former Cy Young winner has a 4.37 ERA and 1.42 WHIP so far this year. That’s particularly troubling against this lineup because the Cardinals possess one of the best righty-heavy lineups in our sport. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt have shredded him throughout their careers, and we’ll dive into that later on.
San Francisco Giants (vs. Ryan Feltner)
- Road (Coors Field)
- Value: Medium
- Risk: Low
- Game Type: Both
- Game Total/Moneyline: 11 Runs/SF -170
The Giants don’t have many big-name players, but this is a solid offense. This team was Top-5 in every offensive category last season, and they have one of the most formidable lineups around. Getting to use them in Coors Field against Ryan Feltner is fantastic, too, with the Rockies righty accruing a 6.39 ERA and 1.48 WHIP this year. That’s why the Giants are projected for 6.5 runs, the highest team total on this slate!
Minnesota Twins (vs. Glenn Otto)
- Home (Target Field)
- Value: Medium
- Risk: Medium
- Game Type: Both
- Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/MIN -170
Glenn Otto has been an outstanding matchup all season. The Rangers righty has a 4.96 ERA and 1.42 WHIP this year, surrendering 3-5 runs every time out. The Twins are not an easy lineup to navigate, ranked seventh in BA and eighth in OBP. They also have many good values, making them one of the best stacks on the board!
Core Studs
| POS | PLAYER | DK SALARY | FD SALARY |
| OF | Ronald Acuna (ATL) | $5,400 | $4,200 |
| 3B | Rafael Devers (BOS) | $5,800 | $4,000 |
| 1B | Paul Goldschmidt (STL) | $6,000 | $4,800 |
| 2B/OF | Luis Arraez (MIN) | $4,000 | $3,100 |
| OF | Mookie Betts (LAD) | $6,400 | $4,500 |
- This isn’t an easy matchup for Acuna, but he’s been abusing left-handed pitching all season. The perennial All-Star has a .418 OBP and .925 OPS against lefties since the start of last season. We love that with his recent form, posting a .419 OBP and .896 OPS across his previous 10 games.
- The Red Sox missed out on being one of our premier stacks, but this offense is in a fantastic spot. Facing Kyle Bradish is beautiful for anyone right now, with the Baltimore prospect providing a 6.38 ERA and 1.66 WHIP this year. Devers has been destroying righties like usual, too, donning a .376 OBP, .610 SLG, and .986 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor this season.
- If we ride the Cardinals, we have to love the NL MVP favorite. That’s Paul Goldschmidt, who’s got a .525 OBP and 1.358 OPS against left-handers this year. That makes his BvP numbers even less shocking, totaling a .425 OBP and 1.055 OPS in 87 at-bats against MadBum.
- Arraez has been a breakout stud atop the Twins lineup. He’s leading baseball with a .335 AVG and one of the safest plays against a weak righty. The utilityman is hitting .359 against righties this year, en route to a .891 OPS.
- Mookie is one of the best plays on every slate. He hits atop the most dangerous lineup in baseball, ranked near the top of every offensive category. Getting to face a rookie lefty here makes him even more enticing, with Mookie maintaining a .386 OBP, .598 SLG, and .984 OPS against left-handers this year.
Value Plays/Punts
| POS | PLAYER | DK SALARY | FD SALARY |
| OF | Joc Pederson (SF) | $4,300 | $3,400 |
| 3B | Yandy Diaz (TB) | $4,100 | $2,800 |
| OF | Tyler O’Neill (STL) | $4,700 | $3,000 |
| 2B/OF | Ketel Marte (ARI) | $5,400 | $3,000 |
| OF | Bryan Reynolds (PIT) | $4,200 | $3,200 |
- If the Giants are the highest-projected lineup on the slate, we have to like their best hitter. We believe that’s Joc, with the lefty masher generating a .502 SLG and .841 OPS against righties this year. He’s also always gone off in Coors Field, and he’s one of the best bets to homer this weekend after a dinger on Friday.
- Stacking Tampa can be tricky, but Diaz has been their most reliable bat. He’s been hitting leadoff for this underrated team, providing a .384 OBP for the year. His splits are even more sensational, totaling a .383 OBP and .862 OPS against left-handers this year. It’s not like we’re scared of Kris Bubic’s 1.60 WHIP either.
- There’s no doubt that O’Neill has struggled this season, but it’s just a matter of time before he returns to the stud we saw in 2021. He fell shy of a 40-homer, 15-steal season last year, and he will do damage in the heart of this lineup against a left-hander like Bumgarner.
- Marte has quietly been a beast in Arizona for years. Since 2019, Marte is just shy of a .400 OBP and .900 OPS. That’s the guy we’ve seen for months now, with Marte maintaining a .378 OBP and .874 OPS across his last 65 games played. He should keep that going against Dakota Hudson, producing a 1.40 WHIP this year.
- Picking any Pirates hitter is risky, but Reynolds has been brilliant all season. The three-hole hitter for the Buccos is well on his way to a career-high in homers, amassing a .588 OBP, 1.400 SLG, and 1.988 OPS across his last four games played. That makes him intriguing against anyone, but Reynolds gets to face a rookie here with an 8.64 ERA and 1.92 WHIP.
Hitter Strategy
This should be a fun day for lineup construction. Not only do we have a ton of value at the pitcher position, but we also have plenty of value with our hitters. This is one of the few times where you can stack the Coors Field game and not spend all of your salary. That makes lineup construction a breeze because that’s the game that needs to be stacked. Those aren’t the only teams we’re going to zone in on, though, with the Cardinals, Twins, Rays, Pirates, Reds, Padres, Dodgers, and Phillies all in great spots as well!
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Whether you’re new to fantasy baseball or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Baseball 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with our Sabermetrics Glossary or head to a more advanced strategy – like Maximizing Your Potential in Multi-Lineup Contests – to learn more.
Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
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