To this point in the season, the Saturday games have been split pretty evenly between the early slate and the late slate, but that is not the case today. There are just five games in the late slate, and while there are still solid players available at every position, for the most part, I have listed more players at each position for the early slate, simply because there are more players available. The notable exception is second base, as you could reasonably consider almost every second baseman going in the late slate.
| CATCHER | |||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | POS | Bats | H/A | Opp | Probable Pitcher | Throws | AB | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | ISO | BB% | K% | BABIP | FD | DK | Aces |
| Salvador Perez | KC | C | R | A | CWS | Miguel Gonzalez | R | 139 | .245 | .279 | .453 | .732 | .208 | 4.80% | 21.80% | 0.275 | $2,900 | $3,700 | $4,400 |
| Dioner Navarro | CWS | C | B | H | KC | Danny Duffy | L | 89 | .236 | .263 | .393 | .656 | .157 | 4.20% | 16.80% | 0.26 | $2,800 | $3,600 | $3,650 |
| Chris Herrmann | ARI | C | L | A | STL | Mike Leake | R | 69 | .290 | .333 | .609 | .942 | .319 | 6.60% | 27.60% | 0.341 | $3,200 | $3,100 | $3,650 |
| Tyler Flowers | ATL | C | R | A | PHI | Adam Morgan | L | 68 | .279 | .355 | .353 | .708 | .074 | 9.20% | 32.90% | 0.429 | $2,600 | $3,100 | $3,600 |
| J.T. Realmuto | MIA | C | R | H | WSH | Joe Ross | R | 133 | .308 | .326 | .429 | .755 | .121 | 2.20% | 13.80% | 0.345 | $2,900 | $3,100 | $4,550 |
| Derek Norris | SD | C | R | H | LA | Alex Wood | L | 125 | .176 | .224 | .312 | .536 | .136 | 5.20% | 26.10% | 0.207 | $2,200 | $3,200 | $4,200 |
| Buster Posey | SF | C | R | H | CHI | Jon Lester | L | 142 | .268 | .323 | .415 | .738 | .147 | 8.20% | 10.80% | 0.274 | $3,400 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
EARLY
Salvador Perez is 4-for-11 with a home run against Miguel Gonzalez and 8-for-24 with a home run over his current six-game hitting streak.
Dioner Navarro is 2-for-4 with a home run against Danny Duffy, and he has a .770 career OPS against left-handed pitchers.
Tyler Flowers is 8-for-20 with a home run in his five-game hitting streak, and he has batted fifth in his last two starts.
Chris Herrmann is 12-for-32 with three home runs and 12 RBI over his last nine games.
LATE
Buster Posey is 4-for-11 in his career against Jon Lester, and he is a nice play though there is a decent chance the Giants give him the night off.
J.T. Realmuto is 4-for-8 against Joe Ross and 7-for-22 over the last week.
Derek Norris is still struggling mightily, but he has been batting second against lefties, he homered Friday against Scott Kazmir and he is dirt cheap on FanDuel.
| FIRST BASE | |||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | POS | Bats | H/A | Opp | Probable Pitcher | Throws | AB | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | ISO | BB% | K% | BABIP | FD | DK | Aces |
| Mark Reynolds | COL | 1B | R | A | PIT | Jon Niese | L | 116 | .328 | .392 | .466 | .858 | .138 | 10.00% | 27.70% | 0.456 | $3,200 | $3,300 | $4,850 |
| Jose Abreu | CWS | 1B | R | H | KC | Danny Duffy | L | 165 | .242 | .319 | .400 | .719 | .158 | 8.00% | 20.20% | 0.274 | $3,900 | $4,300 | $4,900 |
| Dae-Ho Lee | SEA | 1B | R | A | CIN | John Lamb | L | 55 | .273 | .322 | .600 | .922 | .327 | 5.10% | 20.30% | 0.243 | $2,000 | $3,100 | $4,400 |
| Logan Morrison | TB | 1B | L | A | DET | Michael Fulmer | R | 96 | .177 | .275 | .229 | .504 | .052 | 11.90% | 26.60% | 0.242 | $2,600 | $3,000 | $3,750 |
| Tyler White | HOU | 1B | R | H | TEX | Cesar Ramos | L | 116 | .241 | .313 | .491 | .804 | .250 | 9.20% | 26.00% | 0.273 | $2,600 | $4,300 | $4,350 |
| Albert Pujols | LAA | DH | R | H | BAL | Kevin Gausman | R | 158 | .228 | .313 | .399 | .712 | .171 | 11.20% | 11.70% | 0.215 | $3,600 | $3,800 | $4,700 |
EARLY
Jose Abreu is 6-for-17 with a home run against Danny Duffy.
Mark Reynolds is 10-for-18 with two home runs against Jonathan Niese, and 5-for-11 in his last three games.
Dae-Ho Lee went 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI Friday, and he has a .797 OPS against lefties.
Logan Morrison is 7-for-12 over his last four games, and Michael Fulmer has failed to go more than five innings while allowing at least eight baserunners in every start.
LATE
After a hot start, Tyler White has shown himself to be a platoon player, and that is just fine for DFS. White is slugging .543 against lefties this season, though he is a bit overpriced on DraftKings.
Albert Pujols is 8-for-16 over his last five games, and he still has eight home runs on the season despite his slow start.
| SECOND BASE | |||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | POS | Bats | H/A | Opp | Probable Pitcher | Throws | AB | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | ISO | BB% | K% | BABIP | FD | DK | Aces |
| Jimmy Paredes | TOR | DH | B | A | MIN | Pat Dean | L | 10 | .400 | .455 | .800 | 1.255 | .400 | 9.10% | 0.00% | 0.333 | $2,500 | $3,300 | $4,150 |
| Brian Dozier | MIN | 2B | R | H | TOR | J.A. Happ | L | 144 | .208 | .292 | .333 | .625 | .125 | 9.30% | 17.30% | 0.232 | $2,700 | $3,800 | $4,650 |
| Gordon Beckham | ATL | 2B | R | A | PHI | Adam Morgan | L | 58 | .345 | .424 | .466 | .890 | .121 | 10.60% | 12.10% | 0.4 | $2,400 | $2,800 | $3,500 |
| Starlin Castro | NYY | SS | R | A | OAK | Sean Manaea | L | 154 | .266 | .302 | .429 | .731 | .163 | 4.30% | 16.70% | 0.295 | $2,800 | $3,100 | $4,750 |
| Ben Zobrist | CHI | LF | B | A | SF | Matt Cain | R | 135 | .326 | .444 | .519 | .963 | .193 | 17.60% | 10.00% | 0.33 | $4,200 | $4,300 | $5,200 |
| Jonathan Schoop | BAL | 2B | R | A | LAA | Matt Shoemaker | R | 142 | .268 | .295 | .479 | .774 | .211 | 3.40% | 20.80% | 0.295 | $2,900 | $3,700 | $4,300 |
| Johnny Giavotella | LAA | 2B | R | H | BAL | Kevin Gausman | R | 110 | .264 | .287 | .373 | .660 | .109 | 3.40% | 9.40% | 0.276 | $3,100 | $2,900 | $3,500 |
EARLY
Everyone in the Toronto lineup is in play against Minnesota lefty Pat Dean, but Jimmy Paredes is the cheapest option. In four games since joining the Blue Jays, Paredes is 4-for-10 with a home run.
Brian Dozier is 3-for-7 with two home runs and a stolen base against J.A. Happ, and Dozier value will remain high if he leads off again.
Gordon Beckham burned me when I recommended him Sunday, but he is 7-for-14 since then and he has a career-high 11.5 percent walk rate for the season.
Starlin Castro batted second the last time the Yankees faced a lefty, and he is a nice option if he bats second against A’s lefty Sean Manaea.
LATE
Ben Zobrist is a no-brainer to bat second with Jason Heyward likely out. Zobrist has a 1.210 OPS in May, and if he gets on base from the two hole he could easily score a couple of runs.
Jonathan Schoop is 8-for-21 with two home runs over the last week, and Matt Shoemaker owns an 8.49 ERA this season.
Johnny Giavotella has a nine-game hitting streak, and he is batting .440 over his last seven games. He is actually a lot cheaper than Schoop on DraftKings and FantasyAces.
| THIRD BASE | |||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | POS | Bats | H/A | Opp | Probable Pitcher | Throws | AB | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | ISO | BB% | K% | BABIP | FD | DK | Aces |
| Evan Longoria | TB | 3B | R | A | DET | Michael Fulmer | R | 159 | .258 | .304 | .472 | .776 | .214 | 5.80% | 22.80% | 0.298 | $3,900 | $3,800 | $4,850 |
| Juan Uribe | CLE | 3B | R | A | BOS | Joe Kelly | R | 97 | .216 | .287 | .278 | .565 | .062 | 9.30% | 19.40% | 0.263 | $2,100 | $2,600 | $3,700 |
| Josh Donaldson | TOR | 3B | R | A | MIN | Pat Dean | L | 167 | .251 | .352 | .509 | .861 | .258 | 12.40% | 20.70% | 0.274 | $3,700 | $5,500 | $5,450 |
| Tommy La Stella | CHI | 2B | L | A | SF | Matt Cain | R | 64 | .313 | .389 | .547 | .936 | .234 | 8.30% | 12.50% | 0.34 | $2,500 | $3,000 | $4,450 |
| Adrian Beltre | TEX | 3B | R | A | HOU | Mike Fiers | R | 159 | .264 | .310 | .453 | .763 | .189 | 6.30% | 8.60% | 0.25 | $3,400 | $3,500 | $4,900 |
EARLY
Juan Uribe is 4-for-11 against Joe Kelly.
Evan Longoria is 10-for-26 with a home run over the last week.
You could make a compelling argument for Nolan Arenado, especially on DraftKings, but I like Josh Donaldson if you can afford him. Donaldson homered Friday and has an excellent chance to do so again Saturday against Pat Dean.
LATE
Tommy La Stella could start if Heyward is out, and he could be a nice value considering he is batting .313/.389/.547 this season.
If you play on FanDuel, where La Stella is only eligible at second base, Adrian Beltre is probably the best late play. He is 2-for-3 with a home run against Mike Fiers, and he won’t break the bank like Kris Bryant.
| SHORTSTOP | |||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | POS | Bats | H/A | Opp | Probable Pitcher | Throws | AB | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | ISO | BB% | K% | BABIP | FD | DK | Aces |
| Aledmys Diaz | STL | SS | R | H | ARI | Robbie Ray | L | 134 | .373 | .403 | .634 | 1.037 | .261 | 4.90% | 9.70% | 0.379 | $3,400 | $3,300 | $4,550 |
| Francisco Lindor | CLE | SS | B | A | BOS | Joe Kelly | R | 158 | .335 | .394 | .443 | .837 | .108 | 8.50% | 15.30% | 0.388 | $4,000 | $4,400 | $5,050 |
| Asdrubal Cabrera | NYM | SS | B | H | MIL | Zach Davies | R | 150 | .280 | .337 | .380 | .717 | .100 | 4.30% | 17.80% | 0.336 | $2,900 | $3,000 | $4,350 |
| Corey Seager | LA | SS | L | A | SD | Cesar Vargas | R | 163 | .288 | .343 | .503 | .846 | .215 | 7.90% | 15.20% | 0.308 | $4,100 | $4,700 | $4,850 |
| Addison Russell | CHI | SS | R | A | SF | Matt Cain | R | 130 | .246 | .353 | .415 | .768 | .169 | 13.10% | 22.90% | 0.304 | $3,500 | $3,600 | $4,300 |
EARLY
Aledmys Diaz is 7-for-20 over his current five-game hitting streak.
Francisco Lindor has five consecutive multi-hit games, and seven in his last eight. For his part, Joe Kelly has allowed 24 baserunners in 8 2/3 innings this season.
Asdrubal Cabrera has a modest three-game hitting streak, and Zach Davies has a 5.58 ERA and 1.60 WHIP on the young season.
LATE
I totally get it if you would rather pay a bit more for Carlos Correa or Manny Machado, but I think Corey Seager is the best shortstop play of the night. He is batting .379 with four home runs over the last week, and he is currently on an 11-game hitting streak.
If you cannot afford Seager, you Addison Russell provides just as much upside at a cheaper price. Russell is 2-for-2 against Matt Cain.
| OUTFIELD | |||||||||||||||||||
| Player | Team | POS | Bats | H/A | Opp | Probable Pitcher | Throws | AB | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | ISO | BB% | K% | BABIP | FD | DK | Aces |
| Mookie Betts | BOS | CF | R | H | CLE | Trevor Bauer | R | 187 | .267 | .315 | .460 | .775 | .193 | 6.00% | 16.00% | 0.291 | $4,200 | $5,100 | $5,250 |
| Stephen Piscotty | STL | LF | R | H | ARI | Robbie Ray | L | 164 | .329 | .396 | .512 | .908 | .183 | 8.20% | 17.60% | 0.386 | $3,600 | $4,200 | $4,850 |
| Austin Jackson | CWS | CF | R | H | KC | Danny Duffy | L | 139 | .223 | .288 | .309 | .597 | .086 | 7.70% | 22.60% | 0.295 | $2,800 | $3,400 | $4,200 |
| Yoenis Cespedes | NYM | CF | R | H | MIL | Zach Davies | R | 134 | .291 | .375 | .642 | 1.017 | .351 | 10.50% | 21.10% | 0.292 | $4,300 | $4,500 | $5,500 |
| Jeff Francoeur | ATL | RF | R | A | PHI | Adam Morgan | L | 88 | .250 | .287 | .352 | .639 | .102 | 5.30% | 22.30% | 0.303 | $2,500 | $2,700 | $3,300 |
| Franklin Gutierrez | SEA | CF | R | A | CIN | John Lamb | L | 51 | .176 | .295 | .275 | .570 | .099 | 13.10% | 32.80% | 0.258 | $2,000 | $3,100 | $4,000 |
| Nelson Cruz | SEA | RF | R | A | CIN | John Lamb | L | 147 | .279 | .374 | .517 | .891 | .238 | 10.30% | 22.40% | 0.314 | $4,100 | $5,300 | $5,300 |
| Kevin Kiermaier | TB | CF | L | A | DET | Michael Fulmer | R | 121 | .240 | .311 | .455 | .766 | .215 | 8.10% | 16.30% | 0.253 | $3,400 | $3,500 | $4,250 |
| Jorge Soler | CHI | RF | R | A | SF | Matt Cain | R | 95 | .200 | .278 | .326 | .604 | .126 | 9.30% | 24.10% | 0.235 | $2,200 | $3,200 | $4,350 |
| Denard Span | SF | CF | L | H | CHI | Jon Lester | L | 162 | .265 | .365 | .346 | .711 | .081 | 12.00% | 9.40% | 0.292 | $3,700 | $3,000 | $4,650 |
| Mike Trout | LAA | CF | R | H | BAL | Kevin Gausman | R | 158 | .323 | .410 | .576 | .986 | .253 | 13.10% | 20.20% | 0.366 | $5,000 | $5,300 | $6,000 |
| Matt Kemp | SD | RF | R | H | LA | Alex Wood | L | 165 | .236 | .250 | .473 | .723 | .237 | 2.30% | 20.50% | 0.236 | $2,900 | $4,600 | $5,000 |
| Melvin Upton | SD | CF | R | H | LA | Alex Wood | L | 143 | .266 | .346 | .441 | .787 | .175 | 11.00% | 25.80% | 0.333 | $2,700 | $3,600 | $4,450 |
EARLY
Austin Jackson is 8-for-23 with a home run against Danny Duffy.
Jeff Francoeur has home runs in two of his last three starts, and he has been batting fourth against lefties.
Stephen Piscotty is 7-for-11 over his last three games.
Mookie Betts is 16-for-50 over his current 10-game hitting streak.
Nelson Cruz has four home runs in his last eight games, and he has at least one hit in eight of his last nine.
Kevin Kiermaier is working on an eight-game hitting streak, and he is producing across the board with five home runs and six stolen bases on the season.
Yoenis Cespedes is 7-for-19 with two home runs over the last week.
LATE
Jorge Soler is 4-for-9 with a home run over his last three games. He has cheap power potential against Matt Cain, who has allowed 1.37 HR/9 this season.
Denard Span is 8-for-23 with two stolen bases against Jon Lester, and David Ross, Lester’s personal catcher, has allowed 16 stolen bases in 20 games played this season.
For all of the talk about Bryce Harper being the best player in baseball, Mike Trout’s numbers are just as good, and he has been far better lately. Trout is batting .414 over the last week while Kevin Gausman has allowed seven earned runs in 11 innings over his last two starts.
His overall numbers aren’t great, but I feel like Matt Kemp has been pretty good for DFS this season. His price is pretty low, especially on FanDuel, and his good games have been pretty easy to predict. I am predicting a good game Saturday, as Kemp is 5-for-9 with a home run against Alex Wood.
I never thought I would recommend Melvin Upton Jr. ever again, and I was wrong. He is a better GPP play than a cash game play, but he is 3-for-6 against Alex Wood, and he has a home run in four of his last 10 games.
Player News
TJ Friedl went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs and a walk in a 4-3 win over the Braves on Wednesday.
This was the ‘TJ Friedl’ show as he opened the game by homering off a hanging curveball from Grant Holmes in a game the Reds would never trail. He took Holmes deep again in his next at-bat and this was his first multi-home run game since August 14th of last season. While his tools will never jump off the page, he’s still hitting lead-off nearly every day for the Reds.
Emilio Pagán allowed one hit and struck out two batters in one inning of work to earn the save against the Braves on Wednesday.
Pagán did well here to put yesterday’s blown save behind him. He worked around a two-out single from Michael Harris to set the Braves down with ease and is running a 31.7% strikeout rate, which would be his highest since way back in 2019. The team clearly still trusts him to be their guy in the ninth inning.
Drake Baldwin went 2-for-3 with a solo home run on Wednesday against the Reds.
Baldwin’s solo home run in the fifth inning started the Braves comeback that would eventually be for naught, but he has managed to keep hitting despite falling into a back-up role since Sean Murphy returned from injury. He’s only playing one of every three games – very standard for a back-up catcher – yet has maintained some relevance in two-catcher formats with his .796 OPS on the season and three home runs in his last 15 starts.
Grant Holmes allowed seven hits and four runs with one walk and five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Reds on Wednesday.
TJ Friedl burned Holmes for a lead-off home run on a hanging curveball and not much came easily after that. Friedl got Holmes for another homer in his next at-bat and in all, he’d given up four runs through the first four innings. He did manage to pitch into the sixth inning though and still forced 12 swings-and-misses, but that curveball command was spotty all game and forced him to lean on his slider a bit more than he would’ve liked. He’s set for a two-start week against the Nationals and then Red Sox in Fenway Park.
Orioles acquired RHP Luis F. Castillo from the Mariners for cash considerations.
Castillo heads to Triple-A Norfolk as quality extra starting pitching depth for the Orioles, who are struggling to find solutions for the back of their rotation which currently features struggling veterans Charlie Morton and Kyle Gibson. The 30-year-old righty holds a career 5.06 ERA in five appearances (two starts) in the majors.
Orioles designated LHP Walter Pennington for assignment.
Pennington has been jettisoned from Baltimore’s 40-man roster to make room for the club to acquire Luis F. Castillo from the Mariners. The 27-year-old lefty was claimed off waivers last week from the Rangers.