We’ve got a nine-game slate for Saturday’s MLB action.
Let’s find some studs and values for your MLB DFS lineups on DraftKings. This article was written before lineups were announced.
Make your DraftKings MLB DFS picks here: MLB $150K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox ($9,900) — Williams averages 97.2 mph on the fastball and has a 3.4 FIP through 139 innings. The strikeout rate is 32.3% while the walk rate is 7.1%. He does get hit hard, though, as the average exit velocity is 90.6 mph with an 11.5% barrel rate. That may explain the relatively high FIP and inconsistency. Williams has 11 starts that finished with fewer than 20 FPTS. The upside, though. Oh, that beautiful, beautiful upside. He’s gone over 30 FPTS eight times with a high of 41.6 FPTS. And he’s been on a crazy heater recently, striking out at least 10 batters in five straight while going over 30 FPTS in four of the last five games. Now he faces a White Sox team that is sixth in strikeouts. Not all is sunshine and unicorns, though, as Chicago is ninth in ISO, 13th in wRC+ and Williams only lasted 4.2 innings and put up 12.3 FPTS against Chicago six starts ago. I’m riding the train until it falls off the track, though. Chugga chugga choo choo!
Value
Matthew Liberatore, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Colorado Rockies ($6,100) — Liberatore is meh compared to Williams, as the FIP is 4.64 with a 13.9% K-BB%. But he’s very cheap and gets to face a Rockies team away from Coors Field. Colorado is sixth in strikeouts and 21st in wRC+ on the road. Against left-handed pitching, Colorado is fourth in strikeouts, 23rd in ISO and 29th in wRC+. Liberatore has put up over 20 FPTS in three of the last six games.
INFIELD
Stud
Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins at Milwaukee Brewers ($4,100) — Lewis was putrid to start the season, slashing .163/.261/.279 with a 31.1% strikeout rate and .115 ISO over the first two months. Then he got injured and was demoted to Triple-A. Since getting called back up on June 6, Lewis is slashing .271/.338/.506 with a 20.5% strikeout rate, a .234 ISO and 91.4 mph average exit velocity. He produced 10 home runs, 28 runs, 25 RBI and seven stolen bases over that span (210 plate appearances). Zooming in a little closer, Lewis has been hotter than the sun since July 25, a span of 11 games and 43 plate appearances, slashing .366/.395/.707 with a .341 ISO and 97.2 mph average exit velocity. On the season against left-handed pitching, the wRC+ is 117 with a .224 ISO. Robert Gasser has a 4.88 FIP and served up nine home runs to righties in 42.2 innings this season.
Value
Angel Genao, Cleveland Guardians at Chicago White Sox ($2,300) — This was written before Thursday’s game. Genao was called up two games ago. All he did in his debut was go 4-for-5 with a run and an RBI. In the next game, he went 1-for-4 with a run and a strikeout. He’s batting ninth in the order, but he’s cheap, has speed and displayed excellent plate discipline in the minors, often having a strikeout rate in the teens. Anthony Kay has a 5.66 FIP and 5% K-BB% against righties. The slash is .277/.374/.459 with 12 home runs.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Colorado Rockies ($5,300) — Walker has a 93.1 mph average exit velocity, a 13% barrel rate and a ridiculous 79.2 mph bat speed, which is in the 100th percentile. The sprint speed is also in the 93rd percentile. Against left-handed pitching, the wRC+ is 152 with a .224 ISO. Now he gets to face Kyle Freeland, who is allowing an average exit velocity of 90.3 mph with a 10.7% barrel rate. Against righties, the FIP is 5.33 and 19 home runs have been allowed. In addition, Freeland pitches worse on the road than at home.
Value
Jose Fermin, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Colorado Rockies ($3,300) — Yup, we stacking against Freeland. Fermin doesn’t have the Statcast accolades of teammate Walker, but he’s relatively cheap and the wRC+ is 111 with a .153 ISO against left-handed pitching.
