It’s rare to have a large night slate on a Saturday, but that’s what we have here. While every team is in action, we have eight games making up the main card. We’re going to go ahead and focus on that because there are plenty of great players to pick from. With that in mind, let’s start by looking at the arms!
Starting Pitcher Rankings
It’s rare to have a large night slate on a Saturday, but that’s what we have here. While every team is in action, we have eight games making up the main card. We’re going to go ahead and focus on that because there are plenty of great players to pick from. With that in mind, let’s start by looking at the arms!
Starting Pitcher Rankings
Starting Pitcher Strategy
This isn’t the prettiest slate from a pitching perspective. We only have a few aces taking the mound, and only one has a premium matchups. There are some other intriguing options, though, but many of them are volatile arms. One of those risky players will find his way into the cash game section because his matchup and recent form are too much to pass up.
Cash Game Recommendations:
Luis Castillo (SEA) vs. STL
Using pitchers against the Cardinals is risky, but it will be tough to fade Castillo with the way he’s pitching. The righty has always been a stud in his days with Cincy, but a move to Seattle has made him a true ace. Castillo has a 0.73 ERA and 0.61 WHIP through his first four starts this year, throwing 18.2 scoreless innings at Safeco Field. He’s simply one of the best pitchers right now and should have success against anyone.
Andrew Heaney (TEX) vs. OAK
Heaney was horrible in his first start, but the lefty has bounced back since then. The southpaw has thrown 10 scoreless innings in his two starts since that dud, striking out 14 batters in those outings. That’s what we saw throughout most of last year, with Heaney totaling a 3.10 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He should carry that sparkling form over into a matchup with the A’s, who rank 26th in runs scored, 27th in OBP, and 28th in wOBA. In addition, Heaney is a -230 favorite.
GPP Recommendations:
Tyler Anderson (LAA) vs. KC
Anderson has really struggled in his two most recent starts, but it’s hard to overlook his 2021-22 numbers. The lefty had a 2.57 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in an All-Star campaign. That means he’ll get out of this slump soon, and a matchup with Kansas City is an excellent way to start. The Royals rank 29th or 30th in OBP, wOBA, and runs scored. We also don’t mind that Anderson will likely be a -200 favorite.
Kyle Gibson (BAL) vs. DET
Gibson struggled against the White Sox in his most recent start, but he’s been a solid fantasy producer all year. He’s averaging 26 FanDuel points per game, tallying a 3.44 ERA and 1.15 WHIP before that stinker earlier in the week. We saw him post numbers like those in an All-Star campaign just two years ago, and it’s clear that the friendly dimensions at Camden Yards are helping Gibson a ton. Facing the Tigers is the best part, though, with Detroit ranked bottom-three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA. We anticipate Gibson being a huge favorite as well.
Top Lineup Stacks
I feel bad for this rookie. The A’s are in rebuild mode, throwing out this youngster to get slaughtered. Fujinami has made three starts this year, amassing an 11.37 ERA and 1.66 WHIP. Those are some of the worst marks in baseball, which is scary since Texas has nine runs in three of its last five games.
Baltimore Orioles (vs. Joey Wentz)
The Orioles have a sneaky offense and are a great value against Wentz. The Tigers lefty has a 6.39 ERA and 1.34 WHIP through three starts this year. What makes the O’s so scary is that they have a ton of dangerous righties. That’s bad news for a southpaw like Wentz, with Baltimore sitting sixth in OBP and fourth in OPS against lefties this year.
Los Angeles Angels (vs. Zack Greinke)
I’ve always loved Greinke, but this guy is over the hill. This soft-tosser has a 3.73 ERA and 1.33 WHIP since the start of last year. His xFIP is closer to 5.00, and some of that negative regression could hit here. The Angels have one of the best lineups in the AL when they’re at full health, and they’re projected to score five runs in this superb spot!
Core Studs
| POS |
PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
| DH |
Shohei Ohtani (LAA) |
$6,100 |
$3,900 |
| 2B/SS |
Marcus Semien (TEX) |
$5,800 |
$3,800 |
| C |
Adley Rutschman (BAL) |
$5,500 |
$4,000 |
| DH |
Yordan Alvarez (HOU) |
$6,400 |
$4,500 |
| OF |
Mike Trout (LAA) |
$5,700 |
$4,100 |
- Ohtani just threw a gem on Friday night, so you know he wants to show out with the bat here. He always does that when he faces weak righties, flirting with a .900 OPS against right-handers throughout his career. He’s also got most of his steals against righties, and facing a soft-tosser like Greinke puts that in play as well.
- Semien gets on these stretches where he looks like one of the best hitters in baseball. The second baseman has a .366 AVG, .659 SLG, and 1.093 OPS over his last 10 games. That sort of run makes him impossible to fade against a pitcher with a double-digit ERA.
- Rutschman might be regarded as the best catcher in baseball for the next decade. This youngster is third in the AL in OPS since last year’s All-Star break, tallying a .447 OBP and .962 OPS so far this year. That’s terrible news for Wentz because he’s another dangerous bat from the right side.
- Alvarez hit a game-winning dinger on Friday, and it’s truly amazing how consistent this youngster has been. The lefty masher has a .294 AVG, .384 OBP, .586 SLG, and .970 OPS throughout his five-year career. That’s hard to even fathom, and he gets to face a struggling righty sporting a 6.23 ERA and 1.73 WHIP.
- Trout has killed every pitcher throughout his career, but he’s loved facing Greinke. The former MVP has a .318 AVG, .682 SLG, and 1.030 OPS in 23 at-bats against the veteran. Those actually aren’t far off of his absurd career averages, and he’s impossible to avoid if you’re going to stack the Angels.
Value Plays/Punts
| POS |
PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
| OF |
Austin Hays (BAL) |
$4,400 |
$3,200 |
| 3B |
Josh Jung (TEX) |
$4,100 |
$3,000 |
| 3B |
Anthony Rendon (LAA) |
$4,300 |
$3,100 |
| 1B |
Vinnie Pasquantino (KC) |
$3,500 |
$2,900 |
| OF |
Jarred Kelenic (SEA) |
$3,800 |
$3,400 |
- Hays went yard on Friday night, and he’s quietly been a massive player for the O’s. The young outfielder has a .324 AVG and .935 OPS so far this season. That doesn’t even include that big game on Friday, but we love him here because he faces a lefty. Baltimore has been batting him leadoff in these circumstances recently and should never be this cheap in that sort of role.
- Jung has been raking in the minors for years, and we’re finally seeing him go off at this level. Since struggling the opening two days, Jung has a .305 AVG, .349 OBP, and .858 OPS across his last 16 games played.
- People forget just how good Rendon has been throughout his career. The third baseman has a .294 AVG, .386 OBP, and .902 OPS since 2017. The last few years have been a bit of a struggle, but hitting Rendon at cleanup proves that LA believes that a hot bat is right around the corner. He’s one of the only cheap LA hitters we can stack, and he makes a great pairing with Ohtani and Trout.
- Vinnie P has gotten off to a rough start this season, but it’s just a matter of time before he starts mashing. This was one of the best minor league hitters over the last three years, and he continues to provide elite advanced metrics at this level. We discussed how Anderson is a good option, but his 6.75 ERA and 1.84 WHIP in the early going have us hesitant against a righty beast like Pasquantino.
- Here were are with another post-hype prospect. Kelenic is finally having the year we’ve all been waiting for, collecting a .310 AVG, .603 SLG, and .988 OPS. Those are right on par with what we saw in the minors, and this could be the breakout we’ve been waiting for. Miles Mikolas has been mauled all year for the Cards, compiling an 8.10 ERA and 2.05 WHIP.
Hitter Strategy
When you’re stacking offenses like the Rangers, Orioles, and Angels, there’s plenty of value across the board. All of these teams have plenty of cheap options to pick from, and they’re not the only offenses we like. The Mariners and Red Sox are intriguing options as well, and it should be easy to pair those guys with all of the arms 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.
