This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have a 10-game slate featured on DraftKings for Saturday. First pitch is 6 p.m. EDT with the Twins taking on the Royals. The Diamondbacks and Giants close out the night in what should showcase the best pitching option on the slate. Who to pair will be the biggest challenge, as the choices for an SP2 appear to be limited at first glance.
Pitching
Zac Gallen, ARI at SF ($9,600): Now I may be somewhat bitter after having plenty of Aaron Nola on Friday, but I still think Gallen offers more upside than the most expensive option on the slate in Zack Wheeler. Even without power hitters Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies, the Braves still look loaded with talent and proved that last night by shelling the aforementioned Nola in less than three innings. Gallen faces a Giants' team that has performed better of late, but tend to roll out right-handed heavy lineups. He's held batters to a .208 batting average to that side of the plate in 2020 and possess elite strikeout upside with six or more in all five starts this season. The Giants rank in the top half of the league in strikeouts per game at 8.11, but were rung up for 11 in their most recent matchup and will most likely throw six to seven righties at Gallen. That should allow him to navigate their lineup without too much trouble.
Justus Sheffield, SEA vs. TEX ($6,500): The options get dicey when it comes to an SP2 on this slate. It's been a mixed bag for Sheffield to start the season with a complete dismantling by the Angels in his first start followed by three decent outings. He takes on a Rangers' team averaging only 3.96 runs per game while been struck out 12 times per over their last three. Sheffield offers some strikeout ability and should face three to four lefties, a side of the plate he's held to a .158 batting average to start the season. His pitch count remains steady, having logged over 80 in three of four games in 2020.
Top Picks
Mookie Betts, LAD vs. COL ($6,200): If you can find the salary, Betts always makes for a great option when facing a lefty. Capable of hitting multiple home runs any night, he's set to face Rockies' pitcher Kyle Freeland who allowed close to a .300 batting average to righties in 2019 while giving up 22 long balls.
Freddie Freeman, ATL vs. PHI ($5,300): While I believe Gallen represents the better SP1 option over Wheeler, I still wouldn't go out of my way to stack against him. However, Freddie Freeman as a one-off is always in play and has shown strong success when facing Wheeler during his career. In 29 at-bats, Freeman has produced 14 hits, two home runs and seven RBI. He's also been hot at the plate with three straight double-digit fantasy point outings, featuring one homer and no strikeouts.
Value Plays
Kyle Seager, SEA vs. TEX ($3,300): Seager makes for a nice option, as he can display power at the plate with five home runs on the season. He also fills an infield spot and faces a pitcher in Jordan Lyles who has displayed very little strikeout ability and has been hammered by left-handed batters with a 1.72 WHIP across five starts.
Jake Cronenworth, SD vs. HOU ($2,800): Not much to say here about someone batting .328 for the season and still under 3k, although batting lower in the order maybe has kept that from increasing. But in a potent offense like the Padres, it doesn't really matter where they slot Cronenworth in. He enjoys the platoon advantage here facing Brandon Bielak, who has been solid to start the season going 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA. But this just comes down to salary and recent production, and I don't think you can find much better than Cronenworth when factoring that in.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Kyle Freeland: Mookie Betts ($6,200), Justin Turner ($5,000), A.J. Pollock ($4,100)
I already highlighted Betts, but adding two more righties facing Kyle Freeland feels like a nice stack that could churn out plenty of production. Turner has been somewhat cold of late, but has been hitting the ball extremely hard with a 40-percent hard hit rate on the season. Pollock rounds out the stack and represents an appealing option with his career success against Freeland by going 8-for-20 with two home runs and four RBI.
Orioles vs. Martin Perez: Anthony Santander ($4,800), Hanser Alberto ($4,800), Renato Nunez ($4,300)
After a heater that saw Santander crush four home runs and five RBI over three games, he has since cooled off a bit but could find the fire again facing Martin Perez. The Orioles crushed him the first start of the season, with the other two players listed for this stack combining for 28 fantasy points. Perez has looked decent outside of that start, but he's still allowed close to a .300 batting average to righties since 2019 and will be in a hitter-friendly ballpark today.
