This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Saturday slates can be frustrating from a structure standpoint as games are typically spread throughout the day. While we do have a handful of afternoon matchups, we have nine making up the main card beginning at 7 p.m. EDT. That's the perfect amount for DFS as it provides plenty of players to discuss, but not too many to overwhelm us.
Pitching
Corbin Burnes, BAL at TB ($9,300)
It's hard to believe Burnes is below $10K as he's been one of the best pitchers in baseball for a long time while posting a 2.63 ERA and 1.04 WHIP this season. That's on par with what we've seen for five years, and he should keep that rolling against Tampa who rank 21st in wOBA, 23rd in K rate and 28th in runs scored. That was crystal clear when Burnes threw seven scoreless innings in their last matchup en route to 28.2 DK points.
Sean Manaea, NYM at SEA ($8,200)
Manaea has been inconsistent throughout his career, yet he's difficult to fade as he hasn't allowed a run in back-to-back starts while recording double-digit Ks in both. That might look like a fluke on the surface, but he holds a 2.28 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 1.04 WHIP across his last 10 outings. The Mariners are one of the best possible matchups as they sit 26th in wOBA, 27th in runs and last in K rate (28 percent).
Michael Wacha, KC vs. STL ($7,400)
This is the most bizarre valuation on this slate. Wacha has quietly been one of the most consistent pitchers the last two months by maintaining a 2.59 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 13 appearances while not conceding more than three runs and recording at least 16 DK points in nine of them. That's nearly impossible to find from a $7,400 player, especially since he's managed a 2.77 ERA and 1.13 WHIP at home since 2021. Going up against St. Louis is favorable as the team is 19th in wOBA and 21st in runs scored.
Top Targets
Brenton Doyle, COL (vs. Max Fried) $5,100
Why is Doyle still only $5,100? He took down NL Player of the Month and has one of those Coors Field monsters every year. Let's start there because Doyle has posted a .382 OBP, .558 SLG and .940 OPS at home this season. That looks even better when you consider his recent form with a .955 OPS across his last 35 games. That doesn't even take into account he's on pace for over 25 homers and 25 steals, which is awesome since he holds the platoon advantage against a struggling southpaw. Fried has notched a 6.46 ERA and 1.89 WHIP from his last three outings and the Rockies are projected to score five runs in this game.
Seiya Suzuki, CHC (vs. Chris Flexen) $4,800
Suzuki has compiled a sensational season in Chicago, and it's hard to understand why no one is taking notice. He's up to 16 homers and 10 stolen bases through 90 appearances while generating a .345 OBP and .832 OPS. That's nearly identical to what we saw last year and we love that Suzuki has a .429 OBP and 1.095 OPS in his last 13 outings. Flexen might be the worst pitcher on this slate having posted a 5.06 career ERA and 1.49 WHIP. A Cubs stack should be successful against him with Cody Bellinger ($5,300), Ian Happ ($4,200) and Michael Busch ($3,800) all with the platoon advantage against.
Bargain Bats
Jackson Chourio, MIL (vs. Nick Martinez) $4,100
Chourio was one of the top prospects for a reason, and he's really shown why in the second half as he's up to 14 home runs and 15 steals while providing a .408 AVG, .662 SLG and 1.094 OPS over his last 16 games. That surge has moved him up to the leadoff spot in this Brewers lineup, and we're not worried about a matchup with Martinez. The Cincy journeyman has been great as a reliever this season, though lists a 4.78 ERA and 1.43 WHIP as a starter throughout his career.
Matt Wallner, MIN (vs. Gavin Williams) $4,000
The Twins play the platoon game more than any other team, and Wallner really benefits whenever they face a righty. He typically hits cleanup in those circumstances and he's recorded a .420 OBP and 1.092 OPS against righties this year. That looks even more ridiculous when you see his recent form with a .500 OBP and 1.433 OPS through his last 10 outings. Williams has been far from scary totaling a 4.91 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. If you want to stack the Twins, Royce Lewis ($5,100) and Max Kepler ($3,900) represent solid pairings with Wallner.
Stacks to Consider
Atlanta at Rockies (Dakota Hudson): Marcell Ozuna ($6,000), Matt Olson ($5,300), Jorge Soler ($5,100)
Atlanta hasn't been as dominant as they were in 2023, but they still have one of the most dangerous lineups. It becomes even more formidable in a place like Coors projected to score a slate-high six runs. It's easy to see why this is the case facing a Rockies staff that ranks last in ERA and WHIP. Hudson hasn't done anything to help those horrid averages by amassing a 5.84 ERA and 1.64 WHIP with an 8.26 and 2.13 at home.
That's enough incentive to use Atlanta, with Ozuna the best option of the bunch. He leads the team with 33 homers and 88 RBI and averages nearly 10 DK points per game. Olson has been slumping most of the season, yet has a .948 OPS across his last 12 outings and the platoon advantage against Hudson. Soler should bat leadoff while having posted a .376 OBP and .836 OPS from his last 31 appearances. He's also faced the Rockies 10 times this year with a .435 OBP and 1.078 OPS against.
Royals vs. Cardinals (Andre Pallante): Bobby Witt ($6,400), Vinnie Pasquantino ($4,900), MJ Melendez ($3,300)
Pallante is far from an impressive pitcher, but something happens to the Royals when they're at home ranking third in OPS and fourth in wOBA this season. That's bad news for Pallante as he's registered a 4.60 ERA and 1.47 WHIP since the start of 2023.
Witt is one of the frontrunners for AL MVP by accumulating a .474 OBP, .777 SLG and 1.251 OPS in his last 35 games. He's been benefiting from those superb splits while sporting a .458 OBP and 1.194 OPS at home. Pasquantino has also notched a .852 OPS at home overall with a .391 AVG, .690 SLG and 1.109 OPS over his last 19 outings. Melendez is slowly getting going generating a .874 OPS from his last 18 fixtures.
