Construct your lineup with these insights from today's slate
For the first time in a while, there’s a good chance of rain playing an impact on multiple games. The weather in Philadelphia makes a rainout likely between the Phillies and Marlins, and there’s a chance for a delay/postponement between the Yankees and Brewers, Dodgers and Nationals, Orioles and Red Sox. Buyer beware.
Mookie Betts, foot: The good news is Betts avoided structural damage and has a good chance to be back well before the end of the regular season. The bad news is that it appears that the MVP candidate will not be in the lineup for any of the games against the Nationals, so it’ll be at least a couple more days before he’s hitting at the top of that loaded Los Angeles lineup. Chris Taylor is an intriguing option to use in Betts’ place in DFS lineups.
There are not many aces taking the bump, but there are some hurlers who have the stuff/command to put together strong starts in quality matchups. Eovaldi tops the list in large part because of his matchup against the lowly Athletics but is coming off a disaster of a start against the Astros where he was pulled in the second inning. Those struggles actually make Eovaldi more intriguing to me as a bounce back candidate for a Texas team that desperately needs to pick up wins over the final three or so weeks of the year.
The Padres have been as disappointing as any team in baseball during the 2023 season, but that’s more to do with the lineup than the starting pitching (for the most part, anyway), and Lugo has shown he has the necessary tools to be a starter at the highest level. He’s posted a 3.49 ERA so far in 2023, and that number has dropped thanks to three-of-four starts seeing the right-hander give up zero runs while posting a solid -- if unspectacular -- 29/8 K/BB ratio since the start of August over 32.1 innings.
The Astros are a tough lineup to crack, but it does make sense to ride the hot hand of Lugo. You just might want to pair him with a starter who is a little more likely to miss bats for Saturday’s slate.
Dylan Dodd vs. PIT $5600
Dodd is being called up by Atlanta to make a start against the Pirates, and if he was facing the overwhelming majority of lineups, he’d be someone to consider stacking against rather than using in a lineup. He struggled in his limited time in the majors and hasn’t exactly dominated at the highest level, but he does have a solid arsenal, and since we’re big into contrarian plays, Dodd’s chance to get a win against a mediocre at best Pittsburgh team makes him worth consideration. Just be prepared for a wide variety of outcomes here.
Padres vs. Astros (Cristian Javier)
Javier has had plenty of success in this league but has not been an effective option as of late. In fact, the right-hander has seen his ERA inflate to 4.65 after an August where he registered a 6.17 ERA while walking 16 batters in 23.1 innings against just 16 strikeouts. He did strike out eight against the Yankees while allowing three runs over six frames, but it’s pretty clear that Javier doesn’t have his best stuff nor command right now. The Padres make sense as a cost-efficient streaming option for this contest.
Guardians vs. Angels (Tyler Anderson)
If fantasy players aren’t into using San Diego’s lineup, they may want to take a close look at the Guardians facing off against Anderson. The left-handed hurler has really scuffled as of late, and after posting an awful 8.10 ERA in the month of August over five starts, he had another mediocre effort Sunday against the Athletics where he allowed three runs in 5.1 innings of work.
The best part about this stack is that no one is going to break the bank, so you can use these four options and still go after some star talent to fill out the lineup. There’s simply no reason to trust Anderson as an option right now. Take advantage of it.
Has a struggling Severino figured things out? George Bissell breaks down the Sept. 8 MLB DFS slate and thinks he could be a sneaky option.
Brewers at Yankees, 7:05 p.m.
There's inclement weather in the forecast in New York, but the most likely outcome appears to be a delayed start and play. There's some risk here, but it's unlikely there will be an in-game delay that would impact starting pitchers.
Dodgers vs. Nationals - 7:05 pm
There's also a chance of a delay in Washington, but it's almost impossible to forecast when that will take place. Regardless, both MacKenzie Gore and Emmet Sheehan aren't among the stronger options on Friday's slate among starting pitchers.
Baltimore vs. Boston - 7:10 pm
It's going to be extremely humid at Fenway Park, so it's highly likely the ball will be flying. There's a strong possibility this is a high-scoring series opener.
Mookie Betts (foot)
X-rays came back negative after the Dodgers star fouled a ball off his foot during Thursday’s series finale against the Marlins. Fantasy managers should prepare for the possibility that he winds up sitting out Friday’s series opener against the Nationals.
Shohei Ohtani (oblique)
Angels manager Phil Nevin told reporters Thursday there’s a chance Ohtani is ready to return Friday against the Guardians after missing four consecutive contests due to right oblique tightness.
Austin Riley (illness)
Riley is expected to return to Atlanta’s lineup for the opener against the Pirates after sitting out Thursday’s contest against the Cardinals due to a stomach bug. There should be some clarity on his status well in advance of first pitch.
Lane Thomas (back)
Thomas figures to be ready for the Nationals in the opener against the Dodgers after missing a pair of contests this week due to back inflammation. Back issues can be complicated matters, but he’s had a couple days of extra rest to hopefully put the issue to bed.
Luis Rengifo (biceps)
Rengifo was removed Thursday against the Guardians with a left biceps strain and appears likely to wind up on the injured list. It’s a tough break as the 26-year-old has been hot at the dish of late, posting a .972 OPS over the last month.
Alex Verdugo (hamstring)
Verdugo is expected to return to Boston’s lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Orioles following a three-game absence due to left hamstring tightness.
Tim Anderson (neck)
Anderson is day-to-day after being scratched from Wednesday’s lineup due to neck stiffness. It would be Elvis Andrus starting at shortstop on Friday night if he’s not ready to return.
Matt Vierling (elbow)
Vierling was removed from Thursday’s contest against the Yankees with a right elbow contusion after being hit by an errant pickoff throw to first base.
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Friday’s slate offers few quality matchups with both top-priced options Blake Snell and Kodai Senga facing strong offenses in challenging road tilts. The Rangers have been in an extended free-fall, but trade acquisition Jordan Montgomery has pitched extremely well since coming over from the Cardinals, compiling a solid 3.60 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 30/7 K/BB ratio across 35 innings (six starts). He'll face off against a struggling Oakland lineup that ranks 29th in runs scored since the All-Star break.
Perhaps the most intriguing option for fantasy managers is rookie southpaw Kyle Harrison, who offers immense strikeout potential and will face a Rockies’ lineup that struggles away from Coors Field’s high-octane offensive environment, and also ranks as one of the worst in baseball this season against left-handed pitching with a .668 OPS against southpaws.
There will undoubtedly be some variance for the 22-year-old top pitching prospect from a run-prevention standpoint, but he's piled up a staggering 21 punch outs in 15 1/3 innings over three starts since being called up last month from Triple-A Sacramento. He might be the best option on Friday's slate, especially from a pure upside standpoint.
Eury Pérez has blossomed into one of the premier young pitchers in baseball this season, compiling a sparkling 2.86 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 95/25 K/BB ratio across 78 2/3 innings (16 starts). However, he’s worked beyond the fifth inning just twice in five starts since returning to Miami's starting rotation mix last month.
He's notched at least five strikeouts in each of those outings, but he's facing a strong Philadelphia lineup at hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park, which limits his realistic ceiling on Friday night.
Luis Severino vs. Brewers: $5,500
Hear us out. Severino has been abysmal this season, but he appeared to figure some things out of late, allowing just four runs on 11 hits with an 11/1 K/BB ratio across 11 innings over his last two starts against the Tigers and Astros, respectively.
It would be challenging to recommend him against a familiar foe, but he’s facing a Milwaukee lineup that hasn’t seen him this year and has been one of the worst in baseball since the Midsummer Classic, posting a dreadful .702 OPS, which ranks fifth worst in baseball since the All-Star break.
It’s a decent matchup, especially with Colin Rea taking the ball for the Brewers on Friday evening, and it’s difficult not to recommend him as a sneaky option at such a manageable salary.
Mets vs. Twins (Dallas Keuchel)
Keuchel looked cooked during his brief time in the majors last year and hasn’t fared much better this season for the Twins, posting a bloated 5.06 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 8/7 K/BB ratio across 21 1/3 innings (five appearances, four starts).
The Mets have several right-handed platoon bats they can stack against the veteran southpaw on Friday evening in Minnesota, including rookie sluggers Ronny Mauricio, Francisco Alvares and Mark Vientos, in addition to veteran breakout DJ Stewart, assuming he's ready to go after missing a pair of contests earlier this week due to lower back tightness.
Giants vs. Rockies (Ty Blach)
It'll be lefty Ty Blach drawing the starting assignment on Friday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco, which sets the stage for the Giants' righty-mashing options to step into the starting lineup. The most notable stacking options here are Wilmer Flores, Mitch Haniger, Thairo Estrada, J.D. Davis and Luis Matos. It's flown a bit under the radar, but Flores has been one of the premier hitters in baseball since the All-Star break, posting a robust .973 OPS with 13 homers and 27 RBI in 45 games since mid-July.
Chris Crawford breaks down his favorite options on Pick 'Em style contests on Underdog and PrizePicks for Sept. 8.
Friday offers your usual smorgasbord of quality and quantity, with key matchups like the Mariners taking on the Rays and the Cubs squaring off with the Diamondbacks that are accompanied with September doldrums like Guardians-Angels.
Abbott had 8-plus ERA in August, but he bounced back nicely with 6.1 strong innings against the Cubs on Saturday. Tonight he’ll face a St. Louis lineup that ranks 19th in strikeouts, but there are hitters who offer swing-and-miss, and this is a relatively low total for a pitcher with Abbott’s stuff. Take a chance on Abbott to pile up some strikeouts.
Would anyone be shocked if Acuna hit this total before the end of the first inning? The outfielder had another monster game Thursday with two home runs against the Cardinals, and he’s already gone deep four times in September. He’s hitting just .214 this month, but there’s too much talent and success to ever bet against Acuna reaching this total in 2023.
Crawford has been a revelation for the Mariners at the top of the lineup, and on top of hitting a respectable .269, he’s among the on-base percentage leaders in baseball at .386 thanks in large part to 81 walks. Tonight he faces Taj Bradley, who has issued 15 free passes over his last 26.2 innings over six appearances, and he’s walked at least four hitters in each of his last two starts. Even without elite power, Crawford’s ability to work counts makes him a great bet to draw a walk against a pitcher that just doesn’t have great control at this moment.
There’s a lot of things to like about Harrison in the long-term, and he’s shown some flashes of brilliance in his short time in the majors. The one thing he hasn’t shown at any level thus far is efficiency, and it’s a tough task to bet on six innings for a rookie pitcher that relies on strikeouts and often has issues finding the strike zone. Harrison may pile up the Ks and hold a bad Colorado lineup in check, but you’re probably -- emphasis on probably -- looking at a pitcher that is going to be done after five innings or so.
Vaughn was excellent in the final two games of the series against the Royals earlier in the week, picking up three hits in each of those contests and adding a pair of homers for good measure. The third pick of the 2020 draft will take on Reese Olson; a right-hander who did pitch well against the White Sox on Saturday with seven scoreless innings, but he only struck out one batter in that effort, and he’s a good bet for some regression. Ride the hot hand here with Vaughn, even with a less-than-spectacular supporting cast around him.
A fun one to close things out. Snell is the presumed Cy Young favorite while leading baseball in ERA (2.50) and ranking third in strikeouts (201), but he’ll be going up against a Houston lineup that scored a whopping 39 runs over the three-game series against the Rangers. The Guardians are the only team in the American League that is more difficult to strike out.
Still, there’s no denying Snell’s ability to miss bats, and while Brown has had more downs than ups in the second half of the season, he’s a good bet to put up a handful or so of punchouts against one of the most disappointing teams of 2023 in San Diego.
Tom Viera breaks down his top plays on PrizePicks and Underdog for Thursday, Sept. 7.
Most people know today is the kickoff of the 2023 NFL season. Lucky for us that’s not the only sports action we have on tap.
We have an abbreviated but excellent schedule of MLB games. There are six matchups, among them the top two teams in the National League. The Braves and Dodgers will look to avoid being swept against lesser opponents.
The Yankees are arguably the hottest team over the last week. Rodon will toe the rubber for the Bronx Bombers as they try to win their sixth straight. He has allowed four hits or less in eight of his nine starts.
Going back to last season, that number is a 65% rate. There’s no sugarcoating that Rodon has struggled in pinstripes, but tonight’s opponent is what the doctor ordered. The Tigers are tied with the Athletics with the third lowest batting average against left-handed pitchers this season. They have the second fewest hits against lefties as well as the second lowest batting average on the road. Expect Rodon to give the Yankees a chance at a back-to-back sweep.
The Mariners have flipped their season around, and arguably the biggest factor has been the play of Rodriguez in the second half of the season. Over the last month he has the third best batting average in baseball and the second-most total bases.
He doesn’t have much of a history versus Rays projected starting pitcher Zack Littell, but Rodriguez has a higher batting average on the road then he does at home.
Betts is third overall across MLB in total bases this season. He has been red hot since the All-Star break. He’s averaging 2.91 total bases over the last month.
An underrated aspect of wagering on total bases is the number of at-bats a player will have in a game. Mookie is in the top five in at bats per game meaning he will likely have more opportunities to eclipse this number than most.
Miami will send lefty Braxton Garrett to the bump. Mookie is 2 for 4 in his career against him with two home runs. Betts has a .320 batting average against current Miami relief pitchers. Expect Mookie to top this number early.
Hoerner is quietly becoming one of the best hitters in baseball. He’s inside the top 30 in batting average and inside the top 10 in strikeout percentage. He is just one of eleven players in the league with a strikeout percentage below 14%.
He will face Diamondbacks starting pitcher Ryne Nelson tonight in the friendly confines. Nelson has struggled this season and is bottom ten in strikeout rate on the road. When the Diamondbacks go to the bullpen we shouldn’t be scared as they are in the bottom half in MLB in strikeouts per 9 innings.
Harris and the Braves look to avoid being swept by the lowly Cardinals. The Braves have not lost four games in a row all season. The Cardinals will have Adam Wainwright on the mound. The veteran has struggled mightily this season and August was one of his worst months ever in his 18-year career. Harris is 3 for 3 in his career against Wainwright and has quietly been one of the hottest hitters over the last two weeks tied with the second-most singles.
Wainwright has struggled all season. He has allowed more than six hits in 14 of 18 starts -- a 77% hit rate. He has the slowest average fastball velocity across MLB this season. The Atlanta bats should tee off at Truist Park. Atlanta’s projected lineup has a career .380 batting average against Wainwright.
Shelly Verougstraete breaks down which pitchers to start, which to exploit and some top stacks for Sept. 7.
The first two games on the slate are in domes so we are all good there. The other four game have no inclement weather in sight, so it is smooth sailing all around.
Taylor Walls – Groin – Walls was available off the bench Wednesday and is expected to be in the Rays starting nine Thursday but double check before adding him.
Shohei Ohtani – Oblique – Ohtani has missed the entire week after tweaking his oblique in batting practice Monday. With everything going on with him and the team, don’t be surprised if he is out again Thursday.
DK-FD
Luis Castillo is the highest pitcher on the slate, and he faces the Rays in Tampa Bay. On the season, Castillo has a 3.68 SIERA, 1.03 WHIP and a 27 percent strikeout rate. When he debuted with the Reds, he was a groundball pitcher, but his 39 percent groundball rate this season is easily the lowest of his career. He faces off against fifth best offense over the past 30 days, but he is backed by the second-best offense, so he could still pick up a win.
Ryan Pepiot has looked great since returning from injury last month. He has a1.29 ERA but his 3.23 SIERA shows that his performance so far has been a bitoverstate. That being said, he is going up against the Marlins, which have beena below league average offense over the last 30 days. The Marlins won the firsttwo games of series and it seems pretty improbable that the Dodgers will beswept.
Adam Wainwright is the pitcher I’m targeting in this slate. The veteran right-hander has an 8.10 ERA to go along with an inflated 5.85 SIERA and putrid 11 percent strikeout rate. Marcell Ozuna ($4,800 DK/ $3,800 FD) has a .272 batting average against righties at home and his price point is too good to pass up.
Diamondbacks (Ryne Nelson) vs. Cubs:
DK-FD
Ryne Nelson is returning to the Diamondbacks rotation Thursday, just ahead of a big series against the Cubs. Seiya Suzuki’s price is one to bounce on as the Cubs outfielder is hitting .367/.411/.735 with seven homers over the past 30 days. Cody Bellinger’s resurgent season will surely payoff in the offseason when he signs a large contract in free agency but he can also help you in tonight’s slate. He is hitting .287/.310/.565 over the past month.
Mariners vs Rays (Zack Littell)
DK-FD
Zack Littell's season has been a great story. He effortlessly moved from the bullpen to the rotation once the injury bug took most of the Rays rotation. However, he faces one of the best offenses over the past month.
After a disappointing start to the season, the fantasy superstar that is Julio Rodríguez has blossomed in the second half of the season and has moved back into discussion for a top five round draft next season. The price is steep, but is .389/.421/.731 slash line over the past month is hard to ignore.
To go a cheaper route, Mike Ford has been destroying right-handed pitching since he landed in Seattle. Over the past month, he is hitting .245/.385/.547 with five homers and could easy go deep in the Trop Thursday evening.
Sara Sanchez discusses the top plays for Wednesday's MLB slate
They say everything is bigger in Texas, but I’m not sure Max Scherzer ($11000) and Justin Verlander ($10200) need the backdrop of the Lone Star State to hype up this matchup. The two-time former teammates will face off at 8:05 p.m. ET Wednesday as the Texas Rangers try to right the ship and the Houston Astros look to keep rolling.
If this battle seems too uncertain from a daily fantasy perspective, you can still roster an ace to build your stack. It’s worth noting that most rosters I built with the Contrarian Edge Optimizer today paired an ace with a cheaper option to lock in pitching value. The other ace taking the mound Wednesday is Spencer Strider ($12300) against St. Louis at Truist Park. Strider has at least 9 strikeouts each of his last three outings and will face a Cardinals team that is 4-6 in their last 10.
On the hitting side there are intriguing stacks to build around in a robust early slate or the main slate tonight. If you’re looking at the afternoon games, look no further than the Diamondbacks vs the Rockies' Chris Flexen at Chase Field. Flexen faced the D-Backs less than a month ago in Arizona and -- while he went six innings and struck out six -- he also gave up four earned runs including a home run to Christian Walker ($4600).
Walker will be leading my stacks today at 1B. He went 2 for 4 vs Flexen in August, but he’s been hot. Walker is slashing .319/.390/.593 with seven home runs over the last 30 days. Back him up with Geraldo Perdomo ($3400) for a cost-effective play at SS who has been on base at a .344 clip in the last month.
If you’re looking for a stack during the main slate on Draft Kings, check out Braves against the Cardinals. The Braves' Eddie Rosario ($4000) gives you a reasonably priced outfield option who has been slashing .308/.386/.522 with four home runs and two stolen bases over the last 30 days while hitting sixth in the best lineup in baseball. You can choose from a slew of elite options at the top of that lineup, but I like Ozzie Albies ($5700) at 2B. Albies has been excellent dating back to early August with a .333/.378/.507 slashline while hitting four home runs and stealing three bases.
Stacking Braves can be pricey, so pair that with a more cost-effective leadoff option from the Los Angeles Angels. Check the lineups before first pitch, as the Angels have played around with their lineups as of late. Nolan Schanuel ($3500) and Luis Regnifo ($4100) have been excellent at leadoff and could do damage against Kyle Gibson, who is gave up seven earned runs and struck out only two against the White Sox.
That outing was not an anomaly. Gibson has struggled in five games started dating back to August 5. He’s thrown 29⅔ innings with a whopping 7.89 ERA. While his 5.21 FIP indicates he’s been unlucky, that mark wouldn’t be a great month, either.
Christopher Crawford helps you create your best fantasy lineup for Monday's slate.
Weather Report
There’s some hot weather on tap for this holiday slate, but no games look to be in danger of being rained out.
Injury Report
Luis Robert (quad) -- Robert was scratched from the lineup the last two games because of cramping in his right quadricep. The outfielder is day-to-day, but with a day game upcoming, there’s a very good chance he won’t be in the lineup against the Royals on Monday.
Christian Walker (elbow) - Walker is dealing with an elbow contusion, but he came off the bench Sunday and hit a homer in the Diamondbacks’ loss to Baltimore. There’s a good chance he’ll start against Colorado on Monday, but fantasy GMs will want to make absolutely sure before adding him.
Yordan Alvarez (knee) -- Alvarez was able to stay in the game against the Yankees on Sunday, but Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters the slugger did bang his knee after he tripped while attempting to make a play in left field. That he was able to stay in the game is a good sign, but Houston will take caution with Alvarez to begin a massive three-game series against the Rangers.
Top Priced Starting Pitchers (DraftKings)
Justin Steele vs. SF: $10,000
Aaron Civale vs. TB: $9,700
Logan Webb vs. CHC: $9,500
Merrill Kelly vs. COL: $9300
Jose Berrios vs. OAK: $8800
J.P. France vs. TEX: $8400
Bryan Woo vs. CIN: $8000
Brayan Bello vs. TB: $7800
It’s not the deepest group of starting options, but there are some solid names. Steele is the priciest, and he’s somewhat quietly ranked second in all of baseball in wins (15) and ERA (2.69). The southpaw is coming off six innings of shutout baseball against the Brewers on Tuesday, and while the price is high, it’s certainly reasonable to expect solid numbers from the 28-year-old against a mediocre San Francisco lineup.
Berrios’ matchup against the A’s looks awfully good on paper, but this is one fantasy MS might want to take a closer look at before making the decision to place him in the lineup. After pitching well in the first half of the 2023 campaign, the right-hander has given up five runs in back-to-back starts with an ERA of 5.53 with only 23 strikeouts in 27.2 innings of work. The A’s, meanwhile, are coming off a sweep against the Angels to improve to a pathetic 42-95 record, but they’ve been playing much better as of late thanks to help from hitters like Zack Gelof. This isn’t the slam dunk on paper that you might believe.
Bellohas shown flashes of brilliance in his first full season with Boston, but there hasn’t been a ton of consistency, which is to be expected from a 24-year-old pitching in the AL East. He was shaky in his last outing against the Astros while not getting out of the fifth inning, but he only allowed one run in each of his two starts before that. He had a 3.34 ERA in six starts in August. The Rays are a tricky option and Bello doesn’t miss many bats, but you can justify him as your second starter because of his ability to initiate ground balls.
Sneaky option
Cole Ragans vs. CHW: $7,200
This one almost seems too easy. Ragans has been fantastic since joining the Kansas City rotation, and the southpaw has a fantastic 53/9 K/BB ratio over his last six starts. The left-hander will face a White Sox lineup that is probably going to be missing Robert, and even if the talented centerfielder returns to action, the rest of the lineup leaves a lot to be desired. Expect a lot of DFS players to be using Ragans so this isn’t as sneaky as you might think, but it’s impossible to not recommend Ragans at this price. Too easy.
Stack Attack
Mariners vs. Reds (Tejay Antone)
C Cal Raleigh $4,700
3B Eugenio Suarez $4,600
OF Julio Rodriguez $6400
OF Tesocar Hernandez $4600
Rodriguez and Hernandez were outstanding in August and have helped Seattle take a lead in the American League West into September for the first time in 20 years. Raleigh has also been excellent with the power, and getting to play in Great American Ballpark gives all four of these players a chance to go yard. Add in the fact that the Reds are going with a bullpen game, and it makes a ton of sense to load up on Seattle options for the first game of this three-game set.
Diamondbacks vs. Rockies (Peter Lambert)
1BChristian Walker $4,500
2B Ketel Marte $4,900
OF Corbin Carroll $5500
OF Tommy Pham $3500
Managers will want to make sure both Pham and Walker do return to the lineup, as we discussed the Walker injury and Pham is day-to-day with a finger injury. Either way, this is a matchup to exploit with the D-Backs taking on a mediocre-- at best -- starting option in Lambert. Carroll is always a good bet for a combo meal (homer and stolen base) and Marte has enjoyed a strong bounceback season from his disappointing 2022 campaign. Get as many Diamondback options into your lineup as you can for the main slate.
Chris Crawford helps you build out your lineup for Saturday's slate.
Weather Report:
Even with a full slate, it doesn’t look likely that there will be any games that are impacted by the weather.
Injury Report:
Jose Altuve - leg -- Altuve left Friday’s loss to the Yankees after fouling a ball off his leg. The injury does not appear to be serious, but there’s a chance he won’t return to the lineup for the Astros on Saturday. He’s considered day-to-day.
Danny Jansen - finger -- Jansen exited against the Rockies on Friday with what has been diagnosed as a fractured finger. The backstop is assuredly heading to the injured list before Saturday’s contest against Colorado, and Alejandro Kirk should see the majority of reps behind the plate for Toronto for the rest of the 2023 campaign.
Top Priced Starting Pitchers (DraftKings)
Blake Snell vs. SF: $11,300
Luis Castillo vs. NYM: $11,100
Aaron Nola vs. MIL: $10,600
Jordan Montgomery vs. MIN: $9,900
Kyle Bradish vs. ARI: $9,400
Hunter Brown vs. NYY: $8,800
Kyle Harrison vs. SD: $8,500
Bryce Elder vs. LAD: $8,300
Mike Clevinger vs. DET: $8,000
Tanner Houck vs. KC: $7,700
Plenty of aces will take the bump Saturday, and Snell is unsurprisingly the top-priced option for the slate. The veteran southpaw is coming off an outing where he fired seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts -- albeit with five walks as well -- and he registered an ERA of 3.00 thus far in August with a 37/17 K/BB ratio over five starts while picking up three wins. It’s an expensive play and one you’ll likely see plenty of managers play, but it’s not hard to justify against a mediocre San Francisco lineup.
Castillo has also been outstanding as of late, and he’s gone at least seven innings in his last three starts with the last two seeing him giving up just one run with a 15/1 K/BB. It’s worth pointing out that those starts came against the lowly White Sox and Royals, but he gets another friendly matchup with the Mets -- a team that is no longer in playoff contention and which has scored no more than three runs in eight of its last nine games.
Those who get a chance to watch Padres-Giants will see two talented lefties on the bump. Snell will be taking on Harrison, who is coming off a sensational outing against the Reds where he struck out 11 and allowed three hits over 6.1 scoreless frames. The left-hander has battled command issues in the minors and has issued three free passes in 9.2 innings at the highest level, but the 16 strikeouts in that timeframe tell you just how good Harrison’s stuff is. There’s plenty of risk and plenty of reward in Harrison’s arm, and the Padres are not the threat that many thought they would be to begin 2023.
Sneaky option
Slade Cecconi vs. Bal: $6,000
It’s tough to recommend non-aces against Baltimore, but there’s good value with Cecconi for those who want to take a risk. The 24-year-old has not allowed more than two earned runs in any outing since joining the Arizona staff at the start of August. He’s coming off a strong outing against the Reds, where he allowed just one earned run over 5.2 quality frames. That low salary allows players to target some of the bigger name bats, and there’s reason to believe he can be successful, even against the quality Baltimore lineup.
Stack Attack
Pirates vs. Cardinals (Drew Rom)
1B Connor Joe $3,500
3B Ke’Bryan Hayes $4,400
SS Alika Williams $2,100
OF Andrew McCutchen $4000
Rom offers long-term potential after being acquired by the Cardinals in the deal for Jack Flaherty, but he’s allowed 13 hits in nine innings, and the Pirates scored eight runs (six earned) when they faced the southpaw two outings again. All of the options above are on the less-expensive side of things and have a chance to pick up some knocks against a left-hander on the bump. You can stack these four and still target some of the major stars playing during the full slate.
Blue Jays vs. Rockies (Ty Blach)
1B Vlad Guerrero Jr. $5500
2B Whit Merrifield $4900
3B Ernie Clement $2600
OF George Springer $5100
It’s lazy, but whenever you get a chance to stack a decent lineup in Colorado, you should do it. The Blue Jays offense -- which has been disappointing in 2023 -- scored 13 runs in their game Friday against Colorado. Blach has been effective in three of his last four starts, he’s a veteran journeyman due for regression, particularly when pitching in the unfriendly confines of Coors Field. Don’t be surprised if a couple of these hitters take Blach deep, and Springer and Merrifield offer the potential for a combo meal (homer plus stolen base).
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