This is the first week that feels like we’re finally back in the baseball grind. That’s my favorite part about the MLB season because there’s no other sport where players have to grind every day. There’s something beautiful about it that matches a typical lifestyle, and it’s one of the fundamental reasons I’m passionate about fantasy baseball. We love to grind along with these players, so let’s go ahead and dive into this Saturday slate and our top MLB DFS and player prop bet picks!
This is the first week that feels like we’re finally back in the baseball grind. That’s my favorite part about the MLB season because there’s no other sport where players have to grind every day. There’s something beautiful about it that matches a typical lifestyle, and it’s one of the fundamental reasons I’m passionate about fantasy baseball. We love to grind along with these players, so let’s go ahead and dive into this Saturday slate and our top MLB DFS and player prop bet picks!
Today’s MLB DFS & Player Props Picks
Saturday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
| PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
VALUE |
RISK |
| Chris Sale (ATL) at MIA |
$9,400 |
$9,700 |
Low |
Low |
| MacKenzie Gore (WAS) at OAK |
$8,800 |
$8,000 |
Medium |
Medium |
| Sean Manaea (NYM) vs. KC |
$8,000 |
$8,500 |
Medium |
Medium |
Chris Sale (ATL) at MIA
Sale has been struggling with injuries throughout the last few years, but he’s always been an ace when he’s been on that rubber. We’ve seen that through the opening two weeks, with Sale sporting a 3.38 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 11.0 K.9 rate. That’s the stuff that made him a $10K pitcher in the past, and there’s no way this Miami team will slow him down. Not only is Marlins Park one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in baseball, but Miami ranks last with a .270 OBP and .304 SLG.
MacKenzie Gore (WAS) at OAK
Gore has always had potential as one of the best prospects in baseball, but he’s struggled to find consistency at this level. We’re starting to see flashes of it, scoring 25 and 35 FanDuel points in his first two starts. That form should carry over easily against the A’s, with Oakland ranked 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, and xwOBA last season.
Sean Manaea (NYM) vs. KC
We know the Royals have been a sneaky offense this season, but we expect them to regress to the 26th-ranked offense we saw last year. That’s more likely against one of the hottest pitchers in the league, with Manaea maintaining a 0.82 ERA and 0.73 WHIP. It’s also a harsh environment in Citi Field because that’s one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in baseball.
Suggested Lineup Stacks
Toronto’s offense has been one of the most disappointing through the opening two weeks, but they have too much talent to play like this. They have been a Top 10 offense throughout the last few years and should recapture that form against the Rockies. Colorado has the worst ERA in baseball, with Hudson totaling a 4.64 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over the last two years.
I used to think Heaney was good, but I’ve changed my mind after watching him recently. He allowed six runs against the Astros in his most recent start, which is no surprise since he had a 4.15 ERA and 1.38 WHIP last year. He’s now allowed 12 runs across his last three starts against the Stros, and we know this is one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball with Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Jose Altuve in charge.
Core Studs
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- Vlad has been the only consistent bat for the Blue Jays, homering in three of his first 13 games. That’s the prolific hitter we’ve become accustomed to, with Guererro posting a .842 career OPS. Getting to face the worst pitching staff in baseball is the main reason we love him because he’s got to be the heart of our Toronto stack.
- Abrahms was one of the best players in the second half of last season, and he’s showing us why in the opening weeks. The speedster has three homers and three steals in a hot start en route to a .920 OPS. That power-speed combo looks even better since his career OPS is nearly 200 points higher against righties. He’s also facing a righty with an 8.22 ERA and 2.22 WHIP.
- Altuve has always had his way with left-handers and is off to a torrid start. The All-Star has a 1.100 OPS through the first two weeks, which is impressive since he’s flirting with a 1.000 OPS against lefties over the last four years. He’s facing a struggling southpaw here, with Heaney amassing a 7.56 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. In 41 at-bats against him, Altuve has a .910 OPS!
- Yelich isn’t the MVP we saw in the past, but he’s started the season like one. The Brewers leader has a 1.146 OPS through the opening two weeks and is ranked Top 5 in DK points as well. Dean Kremer has gotten off to a great start but has a 1.32 WHIP and could struggle since Yelich has killed right-handers throughout his career.
Value Plays/Punts
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- Yoshi has been an excellent signing for the BoSox, sporting a .783 OPS in his rookie season. He’s gotten off to a slow start this year, but he had a .795 OPS against right-handers last year. We mainly want to use him for the matchup, facing a righty who’s got an 8.38 ERA and 1.66 WHIP.
- Bohm is always one of the cheaper options when stacking Philly, making him an exciting choice against a lefty. Alec has a .324 AVG, .555 SLG, and .918 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor over the last three years. That’s bad news for Marco Gonzales because the Phils are projected to score five runs against him.
- Vogelbach has always been a great option whenever he faces a righty, and he should be right in the heart of our favorite stack of the day. With Toronto projected to score five runs, Vogelbach is among the best values out there. He’s got a .833 OPS against righties over the last three years while posting a .417 OBP in what’s been a hot start to the year.
- Wade is one of those platoon players who always bats second or third against righties. He’s done damage against them, too, totaling a .365 OBP and .785 OPS since 2021. That form has carried over to start the year, with Wade accruing a .447 OBP and .902 OPS. Ryan Pepiot is not a pitcher we’re worried about either, posting a 4.63 ERA.
Saturday’s Top 3 Underdog Fantasy and PrizePicks Player Props
Nick Lodolo: 6.5 Strikoeuts – Lower
While we love this matchup with Chicago, this line is too high. Lodolo is making his first start of the season and only threw 64 pitches across 2.2 innings in his last rehab start. He never had more than seven strikeouts in any of his final five starts last year and will have trouble surpassing 6.5 since he will likely be limited to 80 pitches or fewer.
Jose Altuve: 1.5 Total Bases – Higher
We already discussed how dominant Altuve has been against Heaney, and he should have no issues reaching this total with one extra-base hit.
Alec Bohm: 0.5 RBI at 1.25X – Higher
Bohm has slaughtered southpaws throughout his career and should get plenty of RBI chances, hitting sixth behind some of the best hitters in baseball.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
