This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have a seven-game slate featured on DraftKings for Saturday with two games - the Red Sox taking on the Yankees and the Athletics against the Giants - starting at 7 p.m. EDT.
Pitching
Patrick Corbin, WAS vs. BAL ($10,500)
In what is one of the smaller slates of the shortened season so far, Corbin stands out as the ace of the pitching pool. Despite getting a ballpark downgrade, he faces an Orioles' team only scoring three runs with a league-low .213 batting average at home this season. Baltimore can throw a bevy of right-handed batters into their lineup, but that hasn't seemed to affect Corbin too much as he's held opposing offenses to a .191 batting average to that side of the plate over two starts. With a slate limited on pitching options, paying up for Corbin should give you a solid floor to pair with a more volatile choice as your SP2.
Cristian Javier, HOU vs. SEA ($7,400)
Of the cheaper options, Javier appears to have the best matchup on paper with the Mariners bottom of the league in batting average at .255 and runs per game at 3.95. They also rank middle-of-the-road in strikeouts per game with over eight. Javier struggled during his most recent start against the Athletics, but will look to right the ship and flash some of the strikeout upside he displayed in his second start of the season when he K'ed eight Dodgers.
Top Targets
J.D. Martinez, BOS at NYY ($4,700)
It's been a slow start to the season for the Red Sox slugger. He's batting .219 with only two home runs, but faces Yankees' pitcher James Paxton who he's faced 17 times. In those plate appearances, Martinez has produced four extra base hits - including two home runs - and five RBI. He's coming off a week where he blasted a grand slam against Tampa Bay in a four-game series that saw him rack up 59 total fantasy points. Hopefully Martinez is starting to find his stride at the plate and can continue his success facing a familiar foe in Paxton and the Yankees.
Matt Olson, OAK at SF ($4,900)
Olson hasn't been great so far, as his .153 batting average will show. But what he lacks in hits, he makes up for with power. With seven home runs and 15 RBI on the season, you're basically looking for Olson to send one over the fence as he's done in back-to-back games and faces Kevin Gausman who gave up eight long balls to left-handed batters in 2019.
Value Plays
Jake Cronenworth, SD at ARI ($2,900)
Cronenworth may not crack the lineup here due to the platoon split. But if he does, this makes for one of the best values on the slate. Going hitless in only four games this season, Cronenworth has taken full advantage of the opportunity since being acquired from Tampa Bay. He faces a pitcher in Alex Young who has actually been worse to lefties this season by allowing a .294 batting average in seven games.
Robbie Grossman, OAK at SF ($3,300)
Sticking with another Oakland bat, Grossman enjoys the platoon advantage due to his switch-hitter capabilities and possesses many of the same qualities as Matt Olson. Grossman is a power hitter and comes in at a steep discount for a guy batting .306 with a 1.073 OPS percentage. He usually bats in the middle of the order, which allows him to knock in runners with nine RBI. Grossman and Olson make for a nice two-man stack if you're looking to get exposure to the Athletics' offense.
Stacks to Consider
Rockies vs. Kyle Gibson: Charlie Blackmon ($6,100), Daniel Murphy ($4,600), Ryan McMahon ($4,800)
There isn't really anything sneaky when it comes to a Rockies' stack in Coors. Most DFS players are aware of what happens in this ballpark with the altitude and pitches losing movement. With the trio listed here, you're getting three lefties facing a capable pitcher in Kyle Gibson who has allowed a .288 batting average to that side of the plate since 2019. Murphy comes in as the cheapest option of the bunch and has produced four hits with two RBI in five at-bats against Gibson over his career.
Astros vs. Nick Margevicius: Jose Altuve ($4,900), Alex Bregman ($5,500), Martin Maldonado ($3,500)
The Astros may get overlooked here with most flocking to the teams in Colorado, but it can be argued they enjoy an equally favorable spot facing Nick Margevicius with not many teams being able to roster as many right-handed batters. It should be noted Margevicius has performed better over his career versus righties with a .263 batting average against in 2019. However, the Astros aren't your typical group and rank top-three in runs scored per game at 5.47 and bottom-half of the league in strikeouts with only eight per contest. The one category that really stands out is their league leading walks per game at 4.58, which could find Margevicius in a lot of trouble early. The nice thing also about this stack is that it fills infield positions, including Maldonado taking up a catcher spot. He has also been crushing the ball and has scored over 10 fantasy points in his last four games with two home runs.
