This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
An eight-game main slate awaits Saturday evening at FanDuel, with first pitch coming at 7:05 p.m. EDT. Only five of the available 15 arms are considered pay ups, and we don't have a game with a run total higher than 8.5, so offense figures to be limited and worth paying for in the right situation. The Dodgers are currently without a confirmed starter, though it appears Justin Wrobleski ($6,800) will get that opportunity.
We're likely going to see some moderate weather impacts. Rain looks possible in game for Red Sox - White Sox, making starting pitching a tad risky. Winds are blowing out there and in Los Angeles, swirling in Atlanta and inward in St. Louis. The slate is too small to ignore any game, but Cardinals - Mariners may not be the best target.
Pitching
Dylan Cease, SD vs. SFG ($9,700): If money were no object, I'd look to use either option in the Toronto - Atlanta matchup, but thanks to some sliding form, Cease stands out and has a plus matchup. The Giants have just a 92 wRC+ off righties, striking out 23.3 percent of the time. He's faced the Giants twice to date, and while they've managed some timely hits to lead to scoring, they have just six hits while striking out 13 times in 10.2 innings. Cease has just one quality start in his last seven, which results in the reduced price. The Giants have the slate's second-lowest implied run total at 3.0, further pointing to a bounce back for the Padres' starter.
Garrett Crochet, CWS at BOS ($7,900): This is about as risky as it comes, but for a sub 8k price, I'd be willing to at least consider it for GPPs. Crochet is essentially a long use opener at this point, having not thrown more than four innings since June 30th. But that could play perfectly for the White Sox if an in-game rain delay occurs. We're targeting his massive strikeout potential to get us to 30 fantasy points. Crochett has 21 Ks in his last 11.1 innings, and has an incredible 16.5 K/9 rate against lefties, something we know Boston is long on. Further, the Red Sox have a 28.2 percent K rate against lefties. If Crochet records 12 outs, it's fair to think half can be via swing and miss.
Tobias Myers, MIL vs. COL ($7,500): This looks like an easy/obvious pay down spot. Colorado has an 84 wRC+, 26.3 percent strikeout rate and an implied run total of 2.5. Myers has just one quality start in his last eight and his innings potential is very much in question, capping some potential. But he's also worked at least five innings in 13 of his last 15 starts, so with some run support and limited damage, he could be in a spot for a win. And while his 8.0 K/9 isn't massive, it can play up against this lineup.
Top Targets
Runs are apparently so scarce that only four hitters are priced at $4,000 or greater, two of which are Dodgers, so we should see some solid offensive builds where we aren't forced to pay top dollar. Milwaukee looks like a great spot to test that theory. Colorado starter Ty Blach is getting pelted by righties, allowing a .442 wOBA, which rises to .494 on the road with a massive 1.190 OPS. With Willy Adames ($3,600) the highest priced Brewer, this is an easy stacking opportunity with Jackson Churio ($3,300) and a slumping William Contreras ($3,300), who has the best splits against southpaws.
Assuming the Dodgers do start Wrobleski, Jose Ramirez ($4,000) is the payup target, boasting a .444 wOBA, 195 wRC+ and .346 ISO off southpaws, though he's not likely to get more than two plate appearances to exploit the match up.
Manny Machado ($3,500) is off a two homer Friday and has hit safely in nine of his last 11. Giants' starter Logan Webb has allowed 10 runs and 12 hits in his last 11 frames, and Machado is 8-for-27 with a long ball against him.
Bargain Bats
Jack Leiter has an 11.78 ERA, and while the 5.80 xFIP doesn't fully back that, it's still a massive number. He's allowing a .453 wOBA to lefties and .415 to righties, seemingly putting the entire Angels' offense in play. No Angel has a wOBA north of .343 however, so it's not something I feel overly confident in. Logan O'Hoppe ($2,800) is a fine target for some thump, as is Mickey Moniak ($2,700).
In the same game, Wyatt Langford ($3,100) is riding a six-game hitting streak and has a reasonable .359 wOBA, 135 wRC+ and .232 ISO off lefties, while Angels' starter Tyler Anderson has allowed 13 runs and 27 hits in his last four starts, spanning 20.2 innings.
Wait until we have confirmed lineups, but there should be ample opportunities within the Dodgers' batting order to round out your lineup for cheap, now even moreso with Teoscar Hernandez sidelined. Minimal upside, but any of Chris Taylor ($2,400), Andy Pages ($2,500), Kike Hernandez ($2,600), Gavin Lux ($2,700) or Miguel Rojas ($2,700) give us shares behind their big three.
Stack to Consider
Royals vs. Bailey Ober (Twins): Bobby Witt ($4,400), Salvador Perez ($3,100), Tommy Pham ($2,800)
I initially set out to target Ober as a pitching play, but the matchup immediately told me otherwise. He's faced the Royals twice this season, allowing 14 runs, 16 hits and six homers across 6.1 innings. The roster is 37-for-107 (.346) with a 1.035 OPS against him. Witt gives us a steady block to build around, and is 9-for-16 off Ober with a homer and three triples. The rest of this lineup is really cheap, so you can pick and choose based on your roster needs. I'll back Perez and Pham as the second and third pieces, giving us a traditional 1-2-3 stack. Perez isn't in good form, not posting double-digit fantasy points since August 26, but is 7-for-17 with two homers off the Twins starter. Pham is just 2-for-7, but has homered off Ober and has seven hits in his last five. We don't want to back BvP exclusively, but this is a large sample to feel confident in.
