I love this Saturday slate! We don’t have any morning games, which is perfect for a night owl like myself. We do have four games during the day and 11 games starting at 7ET. We will key in on those games beginning at 7ET because that’s where all the big prize pools will be. With that in mind, let’s look at the pitchers!
Starting Pitcher Rankings
I love this Saturday slate! We don’t have any morning games, which is perfect for a night owl like myself. We do have four games during the day and 11 games starting at 7ET. We will key in on those games beginning at 7ET because that’s where all the big prize pools will be. With that in mind, let’s look at the pitchers!
Starting Pitcher Rankings
Starting Pitcher Strategy
I’m excited to talk about this pitching slate. It usually takes me some time to figure out who I want to recommend, but these four pitchers stuck out immediately. All of these guys have been rolling for months, and they’re all in premium matchups. Let’s start with some of the frontrunners for the NL and AL Cy Young.
Cash Game Recommendations:
Blake Snell (SD) vs. SF
It’s wild how bad San Diego has been because Snell has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. The lefty got off to a slow start, but he’s got a 1.38 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 12.5 K/9 rate since the middle of May. We love that since he gets a home start against a subpar San Fran lineup, throwing six scoreless innings against them in their last matchup while striking out 11 batters.
Luis Castillo (SEA) at NYM
Castillo has catapulted himself up the AL Cy Young standings, posting dominant numbers since he joined Seattle last season. The righty has a 3.00 ERA and 1.04 WHIP since the start of last year but has been even better recently. Castillo has scored at least 40 FanDuel points in eight of his previous 12 starts. That should be easy to reach against a freefalling Mets team in a pitcher’s park like Citi Field.
GPP Recommendations:
Kyle Bradish (BAL) at ARI
Bradish is not getting enough credit. This former top prospect has been breaking out since the opening month of the season, totaling a 2.23 ERA and 0.94 WHIP since June 8. He’s also scored at least 29 FD points in 10 of his last 11 starts, which is incredible since he’s facing a faltering D’Backs lineup. In addition, Arizona is near the bottom of every offensive statistic since the All-Star break.
Mike Clevinger (CWS) vs. DET
Clevinger was put on waivers earlier in the week, but nobody claimed him, so he’ll finish the season in Chicago. It’s shocking nobody wanted him because Clev has compiled a 2.15 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across his last nine starts. He’s also destroyed Detroit’s disastrous offense throughout his career, collecting a 1.63 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 13 starts against them.
Top Lineup Stacks
Texas struggled against Keuchel last week, but there’s no way that will happen again. The Rangers rank third in OBP and runs scored, scoring double-digit runs more than any other team in the league. That’s terrible news for a washed-up pitcher like Dallas Keuchel, who’s got a 6.13 ERA and 1.66 WHIP over the last three years.
Los Angeles Dodgers (vs. Bryce Elder)
Elder was one of the best pitchers through the opening three months, but he’s been regressing recently. The Atlanta righty has a 5.79 ERA across his last nine starts. That’s scary against the hottest team in baseball, with LA scoring the most runs throughout the last month. If not for the Braves, the Dodgers would lead the league in OBP and runs scored!
Toronto Blue Jays (vs. Ty Blach)
The Blue Jays haven’t been as dangerous as we would hope, but hitting in Coors Field could get them right. That’s the most hitter-friendly environment in baseball, with the Blue Jays projected to score six runs in this spot after dropping 13 on Friday. That seems likelier against a pitcher like Blach, with the Rockies lefty amassing a 6.49 ERA and 1.62 WHIP since the 2019 season.
Core Studs
| POS |
PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
| 1B |
Freddie Freeman (LAD) |
$6,500 |
$4,400 |
| OF |
Adolis Garcia (TEX) |
$5,400 |
$3,700 |
| 1B |
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.(TOR) |
$5,500 |
$3,800 |
| OF |
Julio Rodriguez (SEA) |
$6,400 |
$4,300 |
| DH |
Yordan Alvarez (HOU) |
$6,100 |
$4,000 |
- If we stack the Dodgers against a righty, we must use Freeman. The MVP candidate has been scorching for months, maintaining a .415 OBP, .609 SLG, and 1.025 OPS since the middle of April. That’s on par with what he’s done against righties over recent years, totaling a .419 OBP and .956 OPS against right-handers over the last three years.
- Adolis is one of the most underrated superstars in our sport. Over the last three years, Garcia has 90 homers, 288 RBI, 259 runs and 49 steals. Not many players can match up with those statistics, especially since he bats in the heart of this terrifying Texas lineup. Not to mention, he’s got a .371 OBP and .886 OPS against lefties this year.
- It’s been a disappointing season for Vlad, but we don’t want to fade him in this Coors Field series. We say that because Guerrero is still one of the best pure hitters in the sport, slinging a .870 OPS over the last three years. Getting to face a subpar southpaw in Coors is the icing on the cake because Vlad has always been better with the platoon advantage in his favor.
- There are a lot of hot hitters right now, but no one is feeling it as much as Julio. The Mariners outfielder has a .473 AVG, .520 OBP, .813 SLG, and 1.333 OPS across his last 22 games. He’s also got nine steals in that span, which are Little League numbers. In addition, J-Rod faces a lefty with a 5.23 ERA and 1.60 WHIP!
- Yordan has difficulty staying off the IL but rakes whenever he’s in the lineup. His career OPS is shy of 1.000, and he’s rocked right-handers ever since he was called up. Luis Severino has looked good in his last two starts, but the Yankees pitcher still has a 6.64 ERA and 1.66 WHIP in a nightmare season.
Value Plays/Punts
| POS |
PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
| 3B |
Max Muncy (LAD) |
$5,000 |
$3,900 |
| SS/3B/OF |
Ezequiel Duran (TEX) |
$3,800 |
$2,700 |
| 3B |
Davis Schneider (TOR) |
$5,000 |
$3,500 |
| OF |
Tyler O’Neill (STL) |
$3,600 |
$2,600 |
| SS |
Trevor Story (BOS) |
$4,400 |
$3,000 |
- Muncy just got his season average above .200, but he’s quietly had a nice year outside of that. The masher has a .340 OBP, .490 SLG, and .830 OPS. He’s really added to those incredible power numbers recently, recording an extra-base hit in nine straight games en route to a 1.296 OPS in that span.
- There aren’t many cheap options in Texas that we want to recommend, but Duran is one of them. The utility man has a .793 OPS in a quality season. His splits are the primary source of his success, sporting a .365 OBP, .567 SLG, and .933 OPS against left-handers this year.
- Losing Matt Chapman and Bo Bichette stinks for the Blue Jays, but it’s allowed Schneider to break out in the heart of their lineup. He’s been batting third recently, which is no surprise since he has a .526 OBP, .894 SLG, and 1.420 OPS since his call-up. You’d think that was just a few games, but he’s been up for nearly three weeks now!
- O’Neill has always been a fantasy threat with his power-speed combo, picking up 49 homers and 19 steals in the two previous years. Injuries have ruined his 2022-23 season, but we love his numbers against lefties. Since his call-up, O’Neill has a .378 OBP, .540 SLG, and .919 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. It’s not like Bailey Falter is an ace either, accumulating a 5.04 ERA and 1.45 WHIP.
- Story has been horrific since his return from the IL, but this is still one of the most talented shortstops in baseball. That makes him an enticing option in this price range, particularly in this matchup. In over 50 at-bats against Zach Greinke, Story has a .289 AVG, .605 SLG and .917 OPS.
Hitter Strategy
We have a Coors Field game, and it will be tough to fade when looking at the pitchers in that park. The good news is that some of these Toronto bats are cheaper than they should be, so it should be easy to build around them. The offenses we want to pair with the Blue Jays include the Mariners, Cardinals, Red Sox, Rangers, Phillies, and White Sox. There are plenty of good options from those teams to build around, and they pair wonderfully with the pitchers mentioned above!
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
