It was a fun holiday on Thursday, but it’s time to return to the baseball grind. We’re less than 10 days away from the All-Star break, and it isn’t easy to read how these teams will look by the end of the season. Many things will change until then, and these weekend slates always make you realize how important every game can be.
With that in mind, let’s dive into this Saturday slate! Here are our top MLB picks and player prop bet predictions for Saturday’s slate of baseball games.
It was a fun holiday on Thursday, but it’s time to return to the baseball grind. We’re less than 10 days away from the All-Star break, and it isn’t easy to read how these teams will look by the end of the season. Many things will change until then, and these weekend slates always make you realize how important every game can be.
With that in mind, let’s dive into this Saturday slate! Here are our top MLB picks and player prop bet predictions for Saturday’s slate of baseball games.
Saturday’s MLB DFS & Player Props Picks
Saturday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
Ranger Suarez (PHI) at ATL
Using pitchers against Atlanta used to be impossible, but it’s a different story with Ronald Acuna and Michael Harris both sidelined. They rank 18th in runs scored and 22nd in K rate, posting even worse numbers since those injuries. That’s scary against a guy like Suarez, sporting a 2.27 ERA and 0.98 WHIP en route to a 10-2 record. That looks even better since he’s scored at least 27 FanDuel points in six straight matchups with ATL.
Hunter Greene (CIN) vs. DET
Greene was having a breakout season before getting sick on the mound against the Pirates, posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 9.5 K/9 rate across his previous 10 starts. His biggest asset here is a matchup with Detroit’s disastrous offense, with the Tigers ranked 20th in K rate, 22nd in runs scored, and 27th in wOBA.
Matt Waldron (SD) vs. ARI
Baseball is better when we have knuckleballers, and Waldron is a special one. The righty has allowed two runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts, generating a 2.26 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 8.6 K/9 rate in that span. That’s massive since he gets a home start against an average Arizona lineup, with the D’Backs ranked 22nd in xwOBACON. In their last matchup, Waldron had nearly 40 FanDuel points!
Garrett Crochet (CWS) at MIA
Crochet is the best option on this slate, and it’s not close. That says something about how many excellent pitchers are taking the mound, with Crochet compiling a 1.63 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 12.7 K/9 rate across his last 12 starts. He’s also scored at least 30 FanDuel points in all of those, which should continue against Miami. The Marlins rank 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA.
Cade Povich (BAL) at OAK
The O’s are full of talented youngsters, and Povich is one of them. The lefty had a 3.18 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 35 percent K rate at Triple-A this season. We’ve seen glimpses of that recently, registering a 2.53 ERA and 1.12 WHIP since struggling in his debut. We love that in this outstanding matchup against Oakland, with the A’s ranked in the bottom three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, and xwOBA since the start of last season.
MLB DFS Picks: Suggested Lineup Stacks
Baltimore Orioles (vs. Luis Medina)
We could use Baltimore against anyone, but they will have a massive weekend against this awful A’s staff. Medina has been a major part of their inefficiencies, maintaining a 5.28 ERA and 1.51 WHIP throughout his career. That’s terrifying since the O’s rank first in home runs and second in runs scored.
San Francisco Giants (vs. Logan Allen)
San Fran isn’t the easiest team to stack, but we would use a Little League team against Allen. He’s been one of the few weaknesses for this surprising Cleveland team, compiling a 5.75 ERA and 1.54 WHIP. That looks even better since the Giants have some cheap options, with many of them having the platoon advantage against Allen.
MLB DFS Picks: Core Studs
- Whenever you want to stack the Baltimore bats, Gunnar needs to be the first player in your pool. This All-star is having a superstar-type season, collecting 26 homers, 13 steals, 74 runs, and 58 RBI behind a .379 OBP and .972 OPS. He’s also got a 1.148 OPS over his last 15 games while posting an OPS north of 1.000 against righties this year!
- San Fran struggles with their hitting, but Ramos does a beautiful job keeping their heads above water. In 50 games this season, Ramos has a .371 OBP and .886 OPS. He’s also got a multi-hit game in four of his last five fixtures and has been unstoppable against lefties. In fact, Helio has a .524 OBP and 1.361 OPS against them so far this season.
- Witt hitting in Coors Field feels like a cheater code. This guy has been a top-three player in DFS since his call-up, looking like a genuine threat for 30 homers and 50 steals every year. He’s not far off of that pace this season, and he gets the platoon advantage against a lefty who has an 8.69 ERA and 1.76 WHIP across his last six starts.
- Shohei is the best player in baseball, and he might take the NL MVP without even throwing a pitch this season. He’s on pace for 50 homers and 30 steals while posting an OBP north of .400. He’s also got 12 homers over his last 21 games, generating a .464 OBP and 1.321 OPS in that stretch. Bryse Wilson also gives Ohtani the platoon advantage, posting a 1.135 OPS against right-handers this year.
MLB DFS Picks: Value Plays/Punts
- Santander doesn’t hit for much average, but he’s got one of the best power strokes in the sport right now. The O’s cleanup hitter has 18 homers over his last 50 games, posting a .884 OPS in that span. He also has much better splits away from home, and he could add to that homer streak against this awful A’s pitching staff.
- Chapman has quietly been a solid signing by San Fran, hitting third for them every day. He’s earned it when looking at his recent form, providing a .442 OBP and 1.170 OPS over his last 12 outings. He also has an OPS north of 1.000 against left-handers and should keep cruising against Allen.
- Arozarena has been terrible this season, but he’s still a power-speed threat. He’s on pace for nearly 25 homers and 25 steals, amassing a .419 OBP and .952 OPS over his last 17 games. We’ve been waiting for a hot stretch like this, and we love that he’s slaughtered southpaws throughout his career. Andrew Heaney is coming off his best start of the season, but he flirted with a 5.00 ERA before that outlier.
- The Angels have one of the worst offenses in baseball, but it’s not Ward’s fault. He’s up to 14 homers this season, accumulating a .800 OPS across his last 12 games. More importantly, he faces Kyle Hendricks, with the veteran totaling a 7.48 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in what’s looking like his last season.
Saturday’s Top 3 Underdog Fantasy and PrizePicks Player Props
Matt Waldron: 3.5 Strikeouts – Higher
This prop is difficult to understand. The knuckleballer has a 2.26 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and 8.6 K/9 rate across his last 10 starts and faces an offense only projected to score four runs.
Cade Povich: 16.5 Outs Recorded – Higher
Facing Oakland is one of the best matchups out there, and Povich should have no problem getting into the sixth inning. He’s thrown at least 86 pitches in every start, completing at least 4.2 innings in every game.
Matt Chapman: 1.5 Total Bases – Higher
Chapman has cleared this total in five of his last seven outings and has those sensational splits mentioned earlier.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
