MLB DFS Picks, Projections, Lineups & Stacks Today: Saturday Playbook

Published: Aug 24, 2024
Welcome to another day of MLB DFS here at Fantasy Alarm. We get a great 7-game main slate on DraftKings kicking off at 7:10 PM EST.
We have been blessed with a slate that should not have any real weather concerns and no Coors Field. Pitching is headlined by Tarik Skubal who takes on the White Sox while the most expensive hitter is Shohei Ohtani, fresh off his walk-off grand slam which put him in the 40/40 club.
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MLB DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook
MLB Weather: Today, 8/24
St. Louis Cardinals vs Minnesota Twins
Light rain is expected but it shouldn’t be enough to delay the game.
MLB DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
Pitching starts with Tarik Skubal who gets the soft matchup against the White Sox. If you can afford it, pairing him with Michael King seems like the best approach, but there are solid options in the mid-tier.
The Tigers have the highest implied run total on the slate and are largely priced down. The wind is blowing out in Kansas City which will favor hitters in that game, while the Braves and Dodgers also have appeal.
Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers
Top Options for Strikeouts
- Tarik Skubal (7.5 Ks +105) vs Chicago White Sox
- Michael King (6.5 Ks -120) vs New York Mets
- Sonny Gray (6.5 Ks +100) vs Minnesota Twins
- Charlie Morton (5.5 Ks -165) vs Washington Nationals
Best Odds for a Win
Core MLB DFS Pitchers
Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
Tarik Skubal has at least eight strikeouts in four of his last five starts. On the season he holds a 2.49 ERA and .93 WHIP with a 14-4 record. He’s in a prime spot here against the struggling White Sox and it does not take a lot of analysis to see this is a smash play. The White Sox rank 30th in almost every offensive category against lefties over the last 30 days, with a 27.6% strikeout rate on top of that.
Michael King, San Diego Padres
Michael King has a 2.79 ERA at home this season and has looked great of late. He’s had at least seven strikeouts in three of his last four starts and is matched up against a Mets team that has a 26.1% strikeout rate against righties over the last 30 days. The Mets rank in the middle of the league in most categories and King should be in line for another solid outing.
Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins
Pablo Lopez is in an interesting spot against the Cardinals who hold just a 17.6% strikeout rate over the last 30 days. His 4.47 ERA is eye-opening but his peripheral stats suggest he’s been getting unlucky, with an xERA of 3.56 and xFIP of 3.43. He’s been burned by the home run ball, allowing 1.40 HR/9 on the season and at least one in four of his last five starts. The Cardinals hold just a .137 ISO against righties over the last 30 days so if he can keep the ball in the yard, he could have another great start.
Charlie Morton, Atlanta Braves
Charlie Morton has been so up and down it’s difficult to know which version we are going to get. He was great in his last two starts, tallying seven and eight strikeouts, but he’s had two blowups over his last five. The Nationals have given him trouble in both meetings this season but the current roster sits in the middle of the league in most offensive categories over the last 30 days. The Nationals hold just a 17.6% strikeout rate over the last 30 days but Vegas favors him to go over 5.5 strikeouts.
Recommended MLB DFS Hitters
Highest Expected Run Totals
- Detroit Tigers (5.1)
- Philadelphia Phillies (5.0)
- Atlanta Braves (4.8)
- Kansas City Royals (4.8)
Core MLB DFS Hitters
Note: Will Be Updated as Official Starting Lineups Are Released
Shohei Ohtani, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani is playable on every single slate. He hit a walk-off grand slam in Friday’s game and has been flashing the speed lately, with steals in his last three games. He’s super expensive, but he has 40 home runs and 40 steals on the season so he can give you points even if he gets intentionally walked. Taj Bradley is in the midst of a difficult stretch, allowing 18 runs over his last 20 innings with five home runs over that span. You may have to punt a position to afford him with elite pitchers but his power-speed combo just does not exist anywhere else.
Corey Seager, SS, Texas Rangers
Corey Seager is in an interesting spot against Ben Lively. Over his last 10, Seager has two doubles, three home runs, and nine RBI. Lively has been decent but he is allowing 44% flyballs and a 1.84 HR/9 to lefties. He’s given up six home runs over his last five starts while Seager holds a .262 ISO and .938 OPS against righties on the year. You can pay up for Bobby Witt, or save some salary and go with Seager who has 28 home runs on the season.
Jurickson Profar, OF, San Diego Padres
Jurickson Profar continues to be one of my favorite plays at the position when a lefty is on the mound. On the season, he has a .327 BA, .967 OPS, and .221 ISO against southpaws. He has hits in four of his last five games, including a three-run home run. David Peterson has been good but the Padres are one of the toughest matchups for any pitcher, as they have just a 17.5% strikeout rate against lefties on the year.
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Detroit Tigers
Spencer Torkelon has looked good in the few games since being recalled from AAA. He has two multi-hit games and a home run over the six games since rejoining the team. He had 31 home runs last season so we know the power is there, and that came with a .294 ISO against left-handed pitchers. With Ky Bush making the start for Chicago, the Tigers have the highest implied run total on the slate and Torkelson hits in the middle of that lineup at a fair price tag.
Player Pool
Stacks
Royals | Bobby Witt | Maikel Garcia | Salvador Perez |
![]() | 6700 | 4400 | 5200 |
![]() | 4400 | 2800 | 3000 |
Tigers | Spencer Torkelson | Colt Keith | Riley Greene |
![]() | 3900 | 3500 | 5100 |
![]() | 2800 | 2700 | 3100 |
Braves | Marcell Ozuna | Matt Olson | Michael Harris |
![]() | 5700 | 5100 | 4300 |
![]() | 3900 | 3300 | 3000 |
Dodgers | Shohei Ohtani | Max Muncy | Freddie Freeman |
![]() | 6900 | 4700 | 5000 |
![]() | 4800 | 3400 | 3600 |
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.
Endy Rodriguez (finger) had his splint removed this week.
Rodriguez suffered a lacerated right index finger on April 14th. Now that he is out of his splint, he “is playing catch and doing a slightly modified swing.” Once he can progress to taking full swings, we’ll have a better sense of the timeline for his return.