Yahoo DFS Baseball: Saturday Picks

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Saturday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.

PITCHER

Corey Kluber, CLE at DET ($65): The way Kluber has been going lately it doesn't matter which team he is facing, but the fact that he's getting a depleted Tigers team makes him a no-brainer. The only thing that has slowed Kluber this year is injury and now that it's no longer a concern, there's really no reason to fade him. The Tigers have decent numbers against righties this season, but the bulk of those came when Justin Upton was in the lineup.

Max Scherzer, WAS at MIL ($63): I know, I know, tough call to take the top two pitchers on the slate, but at these prices there really is plenty to consider. I considered if the matchup was good, which it is, and I also considered if there were any pitchers further down the salary scale that might be worth a shot and there aren't. If Scherzer had a less enticing matchup, I would go with one of those options down the line, but Milwaukee has been a strikeout machine for the entire season and now their production has dropped off as well. It certainly won't be easy to fill out the rest of your lineup with these two at the top, but I think it's the way to go.

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CATCHER

Mitch Garver, MN vs. KC ($11): The Royals are sending out Onelki Garcia to face the Twins, a guy who surrendered five runs in 0.2 innings in his only action this season. That outing wasn't much of a surprise, as he struggled in the minors for most of the year as well. There are plenty of Twins who will be good plays, but Garver offers a cheap option with nice upside. In limited action this season, he has a .404 wOBA against lefties this season.

FIRST BASE

Albert Pujols, LAA at TEX ($13): If Friday's 10-9 Rangers win is any indication of what we can expect this weekend, then you'll want to get a piece of both of these teams over the next couple of days. Pujols has been on a bit of a tear over his past couple games after an ESPN article pegged him as the worst player in the league right now. Perhaps that triggered this recent surge, but whatever the reason, he's locked in and now faces A.J. Griffin and his 5.26 ERA.

SECOND BASE

Chase Utley, LAD at SD ($8): With Jordan Lyles on the mound for the Padres, you'll want to get a piece of the Dodgers. Lyles enters with a whopping 6.94 ERA, and even the comfy confines of Petco Park likely won't help lower that number. Utley is certainly not the first name you think of when considering Dodgers, but he's dirt cheap and has upside thanks to his potential runs scored.

THIRD BASE

Jose Ramirez, CLE at DET ($17):Jordan Zimmermann is scheduled to start for the Tigers, making the Indians a great stacking option. Ramirez is at the top of the list of players to consider when the Indians face a righty because he enters with a team-high .383 wOBA against them this year.

SHORTSTOP

Andrelton Simmons, LAA at TEX ($14): With the amount of money being spent on Kluber and Scherzer, it's nice to have a team to stack like the Angels, who come cheap, with the exception of Mike Trout. Simmons has been a big reason why the Angels stayed in the wild-card race, but lately he's been overshadowed by the return of Trout and and the acquisition of Justin Upton. Even though the spotlight is elsewhere, he still has a .341 wOBA against righties this season.

OUTFIELD

Lonnie Chisenhall, CLE at DET ($16): With the two top pitchers listed above, I'm making an effort to keep all hitters under $20, and with options like the recently activated Chisenhall, that shouldn't be a problem. As mentioned earlier, the Indians are one of the best stacks on the board against righties, and Chisenhall fits right in with his .380 wOBA against them.

Shin-Soo Choo, TEX vs. LAA ($18): As mentioned earlier, this game should have plenty of runs, and with Ricky Nolasco on the mound for the Angels, the Rangers just might hit double-digits again. Choo has been hitting everyone lately, lefties, righties, it doesn't matter, as long as they throw overhand, Choo has been hitting them. The Rangers have higher-priced options that will be appealing as well, but in the interest of being cost effective, I'll target Choo, who sits in a sweet spot in the lineup.

Kevin Pillar, TOR at BAL ($11): If someone can explain how these two teams played 13 innings Friday and scored one run combined, I'd love to hear it. Thankfully we're not expecting it to happen again, as the 9.5-run over/under implies. Wade Miley has been decent, but he struggles with righties and Pillar counters with a .376 wOBA against them this year.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Greg Vara plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: lennykarl1, DraftKings: lennykarl1.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Greg Vara
Vara is the lead golf writer at RotoWire. He was named the FSWA Golf Writer of the Year in 2005 and 2013. He also picks college football games against the spread in his "College Capper" article.
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