Yahoo DFS Baseball: Saturday Picks

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.

PITCHER

Rich Hill, LAD vs. ATL ($42): There isn't much value at the top of the board, as guys like Chris Archer and David Price have been unreliable this season, so Hill looks like the best option. He has been very sharp over his past three starts, allowing just two runs and striking out 29 in 19 innings. The matchup against the Braves isn't a great one, as they rank in the top-5 in wOBA against lefties this season, but there aren't a lot of great options and Hill isn't super expensive.

Masahiro Tanaka, NYY at SEA ($36): Day/night splits aren't normally the first place I go when scouting a slate, but Tanaka's splits this season are outrageous. Tanaka's ERA is 13.14 during the day but only 3.13 at night. Considering that 3.13 ERA consists of 13 starts, I'd say the sample size is reliable. Like Hill, his matchup isn't great, but Tanaka's daytime struggles have driven his price down, and if he holds to his night splits in this spot, he'll provide a lot of value at this price.

Sign up for a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Baseball contest today

Free entry into MLB Yahoo Cup: $25K in prizes


CATCHER

Alex Avila, DET at MN ($13):Kyle Gibson was awful at the beginning of the season, but since his return from a stint in the minors, he has been serviceable for the most part. With that said, he's regressed a bit over his past couple starts and it could be the start of another slide. Avila has cooled since a hot start, but he's managed to keep up a very healthy .408 wOBA against righties this season.

FIRST BASE

Justin Bour, MIA at CIN ($17): First base is such a valuable position that you must not only make sure the player you select is reliable, but that he has a great matchup as well. Bour checks both boxes as he's become one of the better power hitters in the league. He has a great matchup against Robert Stephenson, who enters with an 8.03 ERA, making the Marlins one of the more appealing stacks on this slate, especially with Bour, who has a .364 wOBA against righties this season.

SECOND BASE

Jose Altuve, HOU at BAL ($24):Chris Tillman takes the hill for the O's and unlike a couple weeks ago, he's actually resembled a decent starting pitcher lately. The question is whether can he carry that momentum through the rest of the season. This will be a true test for Tillman as he'll have to deal with the best lineup in the majors. With Carlos Correa on the DL, Altuve takes the mantle as the Astros' best hitter, and he's also the been solid against righties this season with a .410 wOBA.

THIRD BASE

Mike Moustakas, KC vs. DET ($18):Mike Pelfrey managed to get through the first half of the season fairly unscathed, but his ERA has risen to 4.64 after allowing 16 runs in his last 18 innings. Meanwhile, Moustakas is having what might be his best season in the majors, posting a .363 wOBA against righties.

SHORTSTOP

Zack Cozart, CIN vs. MIA ($18):Chris O'Grady takes the hill for the Marlins and through two starts, his results have been less than desirable. With that said, he only has two starts under his belt, so we can't be sure that he's reliably bad just yet. He's been bad enough that we should grab at least a small piece of the Reds in this spot and Cozart looks like the best bet to get to O'Grady, as he has a solid .462 wOBA against lefties this year.

OUTFIELD

Giancarlo Stanton, MIA at CIN ($23): As mentioned earlier, the Marlins are a good stack option against Stephenson and no Marlins stack is complete without Stanton, whose .387 wOBA against righties is the second-highest mark on the team (Marcell Ozuna). Stanton is a better option than Ozuna. as he's much more consistent and Ozuna has been mired in a slump lately.

Khris Davis, OAK at NYM ($20): There's rarely any middle ground with Zack Wheeler, he's generally pretty good or really bad. His ERA is 4.98 after allowing at least four runs in three of his past five starts, including two with at least seven. Davis has been a force in the middle of the A's lineup this season, and he's done plenty of damage against both lefties and righties, though importantly he has a .373 wOBA against right-handed pitching.

Tommy Pham, STL at CHC ($19):Jon Lester was dominant in his last outing, allowing just one run over seven innings, but that was to be expected after an embarrassing outing leading into the break when he didn't make it out of the first inning. While Lester was likely amped up for redemption the last time out, I look for him to get back to his normal performance in this spot, which hasn't been great this season. Whether or not the Cardinals get to him as a whole, Pham has a solid .440 wOBA against southpaws this season.

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. Greg Vara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: lennykarl1, DraftKings: lennykarl1.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only MLB Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire MLB fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Greg Vara
Vara is the lead golf writer at RotoWire. He was named the FSWA Golf Writer of the Year in 2005 and 2013. He also picks college football games against the spread in his "College Capper" article.
DraftKings MLB: Saturday Breakdown
DraftKings MLB: Saturday Breakdown
MLB Barometer: Hot Starts for Young Hitters
MLB Barometer: Hot Starts for Young Hitters
Collette Calls: The State of Pitching
Collette Calls: The State of Pitching
Brewers-Cardinals & more MLB Bets and Expert Picks for Friday, April 19
Brewers-Cardinals & more MLB Bets and Expert Picks for Friday, April 19
New York Mets-Los Angeles Dodgers & More MLB Best Bets & Player Props for April 19
New York Mets-Los Angeles Dodgers & More MLB Best Bets & Player Props for April 19
MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Friday, April 19
MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Strategy for Friday, April 19