This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We get an eight-game slate featured on DraftKings for Saturday. Zac Gallen tops the pitching pool in a solid bout against the Mariners, while the mid-range may offer the best bang for your buck with two capable pitchers in beatable matchups. The game in Coors should draw the most attention yet again, but we also see some vulnerable pitchers elsewhere that can give us an edge in tournaments.
Pitching
Kyle Hendricks, CHC at MIL ($8,700): Consistency is always the issue when it comes to Hendricks. He's been stellar of late recording back to back games with 20+ fantasy points. The pitch count has also been ultra-steady, averaging over 90 per outing and he'll be facing a Brewers' team who he threw a complete game shutout against in his season opener. Milwaukee remains in the bottom of the league in strikeouts per game at 9.78 and are even worse at home with 10.22 on the season. Hendricks has been excellent against lefties in 2020, holding them to a .207 batting average while striking out 30 over 58 innings.
Dakota Hudson, STL vs. CIN ($8,300): In his previous start, Hudson threw an encouraging 101 pitches but was mostly ineffective allowing three runs while only striking out four batters against the Cubs. Here, he gets a Reds' team he's already faced twice this year with both being his highest fantasy point scores of the season. The Reds have been middle-of-the-road with 8.57 strikeouts per game, but have been rung up 10.38 time over their last three. It's not the only offensive category they struggle in, as they carry a league-low .210 team batting average and an abysmal 3.84 runs per contest. Hudson comes in with a 3.19 ERA with 27 strikeouts and 1.00 WHIP over 31 innings and should be able to navigate this lineup with ease.
Top Targets
Mike Trout, LAA at COL ($6,000): There isn't much else to say except it's Mike Trout in Coors. Arguably the best hitter in baseball, he leads the league in home runs with 16 and faces a Rockies' pitcher in Kyle Freeland who's given up 26 homers since 2019 to right-handed batters. You'll have to pay for the Angels star outfielder as usual, but Trout promises an excellent opportunity to bang in some runs and hopefully send a ball or two over the fence factoring in the ballpark and his hitting prowess.
Jose Ramirez, CLE at MIN ($5,600): The Indians as a whole haven't quite lived up to expectations in 2020, but that hasn't stopped Ramirez from making his mark on the season. Always with the ability to go yard in any matchup, his nine stolen bases add an extra element to his game when he's not knocking in runs. Ramirez faces Rich Hill, who tends to limit power but carries a 38.7 percent hard hit rate on the season. Ramirez should be able to get it done on the basepaths and doesn't have to get one to leave the stadium to pile up fantasy points.
Value Plays
Justin Upton, LAA at COL ($3,000): Like Trout, Upton earns the platoon advantage against Freeland but comes in at half the salary. After a slow start to the season, Upton has been turning things around by reaching base seven times in his last eight games and should continue to bat clean-up with the opportunity the register some RBI with Ohtani, Rendon and Trout all batting ahead. You'll want some exposure to Coors Field and Upton makes for an inexpensive way to do so.
David Dahl, COL vs. LAA ($2,900): Another cheap way to gain access to Coors is with Dahl. His 2020 numbers aren't anything exciting, but he gets a platoon advantage against Jaime Barria and won't have to do much at $2,900 to return value. It's not a guarantee Dahl cracks the lineup since he's been injured, but you could do a lot worse than someone with an almost .300 batting average to both sides of the plate since 2019.
Stacks To Consider
White Sox vs. Michael Fulmer: Jose Abreu ($5,300), Tim Anderson ($5,600), Luis Robert ($5,100)
The White Sox strike out at a high clip, but should experience continued success against Michael Fulmer and the Tigers' bullpen. Abreu has produced the best numbers of the White Sox when facing Fulmer by going 7-for-16, which includes a homer and four RBI. While Anderson and Robert haven't seen much of the right hander, they carry as much upside with their ability to get on base and steal bags. They both offer tremendous power and boast a combined 18 home runs on the season.
Tigers vs. Reynaldo Lopez: Victor Reyes ($4,100), Willi Castro ($4,200), Jeimer Candelario ($3,900)
Staying in the same game, the Tigers square off against Reynaldo Lopez and his 8.38 ERA. Equally as bad to both sides of the plate, the trio listed are all switch hitters and have been able to exploit the White Sox pitcher in the past. Reyes and Candelario have each taken Lopez deep while collecting four RBI, with the latter adding two stolen bases along the way. Castro had been heating up at the plate recently, but cooled off over his last three and facing Lopez should be an instant boost to his fantasy production if he can avoid the strikeouts. The Tigers always make for an attractive stack, as they fill multiple positions and have a few inexpensive bats at the bottom of the order.
