FanDuel MLB: Saturday Value Plays

FanDuel MLB: Saturday Value Plays

This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.

Saturday evening's main slate offers something for everyone. Two aces on the bump figure to have high ownership in cash games, while there are a handful priced just below them who offer some GPP value with nearly equal upside. There's also a nice handful of arms at the bottom of the slate well worth picking on, and we've got a game in Coors Field. You'll find plenty of options to target, fade, stack and go against the grain with here.

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PITCHER

Rick Porcello, BOS vs. MIN ($12,500): Justin Verlander ($9,200) and Jacob deGrom ($11,800) are going to be the chalky plays, especially in cash games, and with good reason. But Porcello could flirt with 40 points here at a nice price reduction. He's gone for 37 or more points in three of his last four and four of six. Boston checks in as the third-highest favorite on the slate Saturday, and Porcello figures to see ample run support with the Sox having familiarity with Minnesota's Jake Odorizzi from his Tampa days. The Twins do have a stable .319 wOBA against righties, but just a 99 wRC+ and .177 ISO, and also just traded away Eduardo Escobar and will replace him with the free-swinging Miguel Sano.

GPP Fade: Alex Wood, LAD at ATL ($8,500): Wood is starting to find his groove, having won five of his last seven while turning in six straight quality starts. Atlanta's offensive woes and a matchup against a likely overmatched Max Fried appears to add to Wood's appeal. But with so many other trustworthy options available Saturday, Wood's volatility is enough to scare me away. He's provided more than 37 fantasy points only three times all season, while Atlanta swings well against lefties, going for a .338 wOBA, 110 wRC+ and .181 ISO.

Cheap GPP Consideration: Lucas Giolito, CWS vs. TOR ($6,800): There's no doubting the combustibility here, and the Jays rank 10th against righties with a .320 wOBA and 101 wRC+ against righties. But Giolito has turned in three straight quality starts, allowing five runs over 19.2 innings while striking out 14. He's averaged 30.2 fantasy points over his last six starts, which includes a three-point showing at Cincinnati, which certainly plays well in this spot as a low-owned tournament gamble.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

Evan Gattis, HOU vs. TEX ($2,500): Gattis snapped out of a one-for-30 slump with a three-hit Friday, including a home run. Those willing to gamble on a small streak from Gattis could be rewarded handsomely with another long ball, with Gattis carrying a .246 ISO against righties. Rangers' starter Ariel Jurado allowed four runs in 4.2 innings against a far inferior White Sox offense in his lone start this season in May, and while his 3.28 ERA in Double-A is solid, his 5.13 K/9 isn't, and should allow Gattis to barrel more balls than he typically does.

SECOND BASE

Starlin Castro, MIA vs. WAS ($2,800): Nationals' starter Gio Gonzalez continues to be hit early and often, allowing 20 hits over his last 16.2 innings and 18 runs over his last 22.2 innings. Castro offers some cost savings and doesn't over play you into a limited Marlins offense, and his .320 wOBA is second among Marlins' regulars and plays well in this spot with Gonzalez allowing a .341 wOBA to opposite-handed bats.

THIRD BASE

Johan Camargo, ATL vs. LAD ($2,800): Manny Machado ($4,200) is absolutely the play if cost isn't an issue, as he hasn't missed a beat since coming over from Baltimore and has a .380 wOBA against lefties while only striking out 6.6 percent of the time. And the hot corner is also a position where you'd normally want to pay up, as the options drop off significantly after the top tier. But Camargo looks to be in a good spot Saturday to offer some cost savings. He hits lefties well, going for a .358 wOBA, 124 wRC+ and .250 ISO, compared to a .332/107/.139 against righties.

SHORTSTOP

Trey Turner, WAS at MIA ($3,600): Turner's splits against righties aren't great, sitting at just a .326 wOBA and 101 wRC+. But the Nats' bats have come alive in South Florida, and Turner has been right in the middle of that, with five hits and four runs in the first two games of the series. Marlins' starter Trevor Richards has been woeful against same-handed bats, allowing a .390 wOBA, a number that jumps to .421 at home.

OUTFIELD

Andrew Benintendi, BOS vs. MIN ($3,900): Three Red Sox own a wOBA north of .400 against righties, and Benintendi checks in as the cheapest, so lock and load. Twins' starter Jake Odorizzi is allowing a .367 wOBA against lefties as opposed to a .318 wOBA to righties, while Benintendi's .406 wOBA, 158 wRC+ and .221 ISO bring plenty of potential.

Matt Kemp, LAD at ATL ($3,700): If you can't afford Machado, or are all in on a Dodgers' stack, Kemp is the next option. He's crushing lefties to the tune of a .423 wOBA, 171 wRC+ and .327 ISO, adding a 50 percent fly ball rate. Braves' starter Max Fried has an incredibly limited sample size, but is still allowing a 7.63 xFIP at home to opposite-handed bats.

Shohei Ohtani, LAA vs. SEA ($3,200): Ohtani rakes against righties, posting a .427 wOBA, 179 wRC+ and .322 ISO. He's homered twice in his last four games entering Friday, and Mariners' starter Felix Hernandez continues to be hit hard, allowing homers in four straight contests and a 45 percent hard-hit rate to lefties on the road.

UTILITY

Ian Desmond, COL vs. OAK ($3,800): By in large, you could ignore everything above, stack Rockies and enjoy a fruitful evening, as A's starter Brett Anderson shouldn't worry anyone. Desmond comes in cheaper than Trevor Story ($4,200) and Nolan Arenado ($4,700), and is swinging a hot bat, riding a 11-game hit streak to bring his average up to .242 after it flirted with the Mendoza line for much of the season's first half. That he adds a .427 wOBA, 154 wRC+ and .250 ISO at home against lefties only adds to the appeal.

Stephen Piscotty ($3,500) may be my preferred bargain on the other side of this matchup, with Khris Davis ($4,600) and Matt Chapman ($4,200) being a bit more price prohibitive. This game has a total of 12, but also has the threat of weather, so going all in on Coors Saturday will require some radar watching.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Chris Bennett plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: k30kittles, DraftKings: k30kittles.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Bennett
Bennett covers baseball, college football and college basketball for RotoWire. Before turning to fantasy writing, he worked in scouting/player development for the Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos. He's also a fan of the ACC.
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