This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Saturday's main MLB slate features no shortage of selection, with 11 games on tap after 7:05 PM Eastern time. Below, you'll find which individual pitchers and hitters are primed to provide the best value, as well as the top lineup stacking options in this slate.
Pitching Overview
This slate looks to be more hitter-friendly than usual, with a number of exploitable arms on the mound and few top-tier pitching options to choose from with the exception of Houston's Justin Verlander ($62) against Seattle.
If you can't afford Verlander but still want game-changing upside on the mound, Angels' southpaw Andrew Heaney ($45) fits the bill. Heaney boasts a robust 29.0 percent strikeout rate and faces a favorable matchup against the 28th-ranked White Sox' offense.
Among cheaper options, Tony Gonsolin ($35) of the Dodgers should find success at home against the bottom-five Giants' offense. Gonsolin gave up four runs over four innings in a mid-June outing, but he's limited the opposition to just five earned runs in 24 innings over five starts since getting another shot in late July while walking only six batters in 28 innings.
Value Plays/Chalk
It's hard to go wrong with Mike Trout ($28) in a favorable matchup, and that's precisely what the Angels' outfielder has here against White Sox' starter Dylan Covey. Trout boasts a .450 wOBA in righty-on-righty matchups this season while Covey sports a 6.88 ERA and 6.10 FIP over 52.1 innings.
Outfielder A.J. Pollock ($13) is one of the few right-handed bats in the Dodgers' lefty-laden lineup. He's made the most of his platoon advantage against lefties with a .376 wOBA in that split and leads off when the opposition puts a southpaw on the mound. Pollock's primed to provide strong bang for the buck against Giants' southpaw Tyler Beede, whose 5.61 ERA climbs to 6.31 on the road.
Cubs' outfielder Nicholas Castellanos ($24) represents another guy who loves to face left-handed pitching, as he's produced a .468 wOBA in that split this season. Brewers' starter Gio Gonzalez has allowed a .351 wOBA to batters from the right side and is unlikely to slow Castellanos down here.
Stacks
Astros vs. Yusei Kikuchi (Mariners)
Jose Altuve (2B - $21), Alex Bregman (SS - $27), Yuli Gurriel (1B - $23)
The Astros possess plenty of quality right-handed bats to punish vulnerable lefties, and Kikuchi certainly falls into the latter category given his 5.36 ERA and 5.79 FIP. Altuve's wOBA against southpaws is nearly .500, Bregman's not too far behind at .436 and Gurriel maintained an OPS over 1.14 overall since the start of July.
Mets vs. Drew Smyly (Phillies)
Wilson Ramos (C - $20), Pete Alonso (1B - $26), Amed Rosario (SS - $16)
Smyly has left a lot to be desired with a 6.65 ERA and 6.74 FIP in 94.2 innings this season, and things likely won't get any better for the southpaw against the Mets. Ramos comes in as a terrific option at the catcher spot with a wOBA over .400 against lefties. Alonso has mashed indiscriminately during his stellar rookie campaign with a wOBA over .390 against both lefties and righties, while Rosario leads off against lefties and has posted a wOBA over .380 when facing them this season.
Pirates vs. Adam Wainwright (Cardinals)
Josh Bell (1B - $19), Bryan Reynolds (OF - $21), Colin Moran (3B - $14)
Wainwright owns some of the league's most polarized home/road splits, with a 2.43 ERA and .292 wOBA against over 77.2 innings at Busch Stadium compared to 6.54 and .367 marks in 64.2 innings elsewhere. With this game taking place in Pittsburgh, the hosts are primed to add to the veteran righty's road woes. Bell and Reynolds have easily been Pittsburgh's two best sluggers this season, with each switch-hitter producing a wOBA over .400 from the left side. Meanwhile, Moran also enjoys the platoon advantage as a left-handed batter and boasts a wOBA over .350 against righties at home.
