DraftKings MLB: Saturday Picks

DraftKings MLB: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.

PITCHER

Jake Arrieta, CHC vs. PIT ($10,700): Pittsburgh has been middle of the road against righties this season but unfortunately, Arrieta is not a middle-of-the-road pitcher. For a few hundred dollars cheaper than Chris Sale, I'm more willing to spend on Arrieta, who already has 16 Ks in his first two starts, both on the road. An even bigger selling point is his dominance from a season ago, when he had a 28.5 percent K-rate in home games, compared to 19.2 on the road.

Tanner Roark, WAS vs. PHI ($8,100): Roark may not be as dominant as some of the other pitchers Saturday, but at this price, he's worth a shot. To help, the Phillies have the second worst wOBA against righties (.298 wOBA) in the early going and are also striking out more than most (23.1 percent K-rate). The Nationals are one of the bigger favorites on the day, and Roark could be in for a solid outing.

CATCHER

Yasmani Grandal, LAD vs. ARI ($3,600): Patrick Corbin has had a decent start to the season and Grandal hasn't been great early on, but his .347 wOBA against lefties last season is still relevant for now and he remains a better hitter at Chavez Ravine after a ridiculous .417 to .283 wOBA split in home vs. away games in 2016.

FIRST BASE

Anthony Rizzo, CHC vs. PIT ($5,100): Rizzo has been cooking in his last few games and is worth the price if you can afford it. While most of his work has been against lefties this season, his .404 wOBA against righties in 2016 is still a reason to back him here. Tyler Glasgow hasn't gotten off to a good start and struggled in limited appearances last season, allowing a .364 wOBA against lefties (albeit through only 8.1 IP).

SECOND BASE

Scooter Gennett, CIN vs. MIL ($3,700): Gennett should be back in the starting lineup with a righty on the mound for the Reds as he looks to build on Tuesday's three-hit, three-RBI performance. While Gennett's .316 wOBA against righties is mediocre, his 19.4 percent K-rate is more than eight percent lower than his mark against lefties. That should help against Zach Davies, who had an 18.1 percent K-rate against lefties a year ago.

THIRD BASE

Miguel Sano, MIN vs. CWS ($4,000): We might as well keep riding Sano until he stops giving. The third baseman has been on a tear and that should continue against lefty Jose Quintana. Last season, Sano not only had a better wOBA (.345) against lefties, but also a better ISO (.258). In 12 at-bats against lefties this season, he has one home run and a couple of doubles, and it looks like he'll continue producing at that 2016 level.

SHORTSTOP

Zack Cozart, CIN vs. MIL ($3,500): In the same vein as Sano, there's no reason to stop using a cheap player like Cozart while he's hot. He continues to get on base and his ability to hit righties as well as lefties is a good reason for that. Last season, Cozart had a .313 wOBA vs. righties and .310 wOBA vs. lefties. While those numbers aren't great, it's hard to deny what he's done vs. righties so far, as he's already produced 12 hits in 23 at-bats.

OUTFIELD

Robbie Grossman, MIN vs. CWS ($3,500): This could be considered stepping outside of the box at this price for an outfielder, but it makes sense. Grossman had four hits in nine at-bats in the first series against the White Sox and, more importantly, crushed lefties last season with a .423 wOBA. Quintana hasn't had the easiest start to the season with two losses and eight ER in 12.2 IP.

George Springer, HOU vs. OAK ($4,200): Springer already has five home runs, and that's as good a sign as any to take him against lefty Sean Manaea. Springer not only had a .400 wOBA against lefties last season, but Manaea hasn't been too hot early on and struggled much more against righties last year with an xFIP of 4.26 and wOBA of .322.

Bryce Harper, WAS vs. PHI ($4,900): Jeremy Hellickson controlled Washington in their first meeting less than a week ago and got Harper out both times. But keeping the Nationals down in back-to-back starts so close to each other will be tough for a pitcher that doesn't rely on strikeouts (only three Ks this season). Harper hasn't had many issues against righties this season with a .435 wOBA, which carries over from last season's .352.

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. Adam Zdroik plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: zdroik, DraftKings: rotozdroik, Yahoo: StreakMaster.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adam Zdroik
Adam, a 2019, 2018 and 2017 Finalist for FSWA's Soccer Writer of the Year, is RotoWire's soccer editor. He also runs RotoWire's Bracketology, as well as writes on other various college basketball content. He has previously worked at ESPN and Sporting Kansas City, and he is a former Streak for the Cash winner and Michigan State graduate.
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