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

Published: Sep 14, 2024
Welcome to another day of MLB DFS here at Fantasy Alarm. We have a big 8-game main slate on DraftKings kicking off at 7:10 PM EST.
We have everything on this slate. The Cubs and Rockies continue their series in Coors Field and we have an elite pitcher showdown between Jack Flaherty and Chris Sale in Atlanta.
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MLB DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook
MLB Weather: Today, 9/14
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Atlanta Braves
There will be problematic weather in the area this entire series. Friday’s game went off without a problem but check the weather closer to game time for updates on the rain.
MLB DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
We have a big showdown between Chris Sale and Jack Flaherty at the top for pitching. I prefer Flaherty but either side makes a lot of sense. My favorite arm on the board is Logan Gilbert at home against the Rangers, avoiding the possible weather issues in Atlanta entirely.
With Coors Field and Kyle Freeland on the slate, the Cubs are my favorite stack. They are followed by the Houston Astros, Oakland Athletics, and San Diego Padres.
Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers
Top Options for Strikeouts
- Logan Gilbert (7.5 Ks +105) vs Texas Rangers
- Chris Sale (6.5 Ks -160) vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- Jack Flaherty (6.5 Ks +110) vs Atlanta Braves
- Brandon Pfaadt (6.5 Ks +130) vs Milwaukee Brewers
Best Odds for a Win
- Logan Gilbert vs Texas Rangers
- Jameson Taillon vs Colorado Rockies
- Joe Musgrove vs San Francisco Giants
Core MLB DFS Pitchers
Jack Flaherty, Los Angeles Dodgers
If you want to pay for Cy Young favorite Chris Sale, I won’t argue with you, but I’d rather save money and use Flaherty. Atlanta’s offense has been underwhelming all season and ranks near the bottom of the league over the last 30 days against righties. They have a 21.7% strikeout rate and a .677 team OPS. Flaherty has a 30.8% strikeout rate on the season and has put up at least 20 DK points in eight of his last 10 starts. He’s giving up some win equity with Sale on the other side, but I’m far less worried about the Braves offense than the Dodgers.
Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners
This should be a smash spot for Logan Gilbert at home against the Rangers. He has a 3.15 ERA and .88 WHIP this season, but an even better 2.35 ERA and .81 WHIP at home. He has dominated Texas in two meetings this season, allowing four hits through 14.2 innings of shutout baseball on 15 strikeouts. The Rangers rank in the middle of the league over the last 30 days while holding a 21.7% strikeout rate and with Corey Seager out for the season, we can confidently roster Gilbert here.
Joe Musgrove, San Diego Padres
I’m a little hesitant to go back to Musgrove after his last start, but it’s still a great spot. He was cruising in their meeting on 9/8 until he imploded in the fourth inning, giving up three home runs and six runs before being removed. He still had seven strikeouts, a number he has hit in three of his last four starts. The Giants rank in the bottom half of the league against righties and have led the league over the last 30 days with a 28.7% strikeout rate. He had not allowed a home run across the seven starts previously and should find success if he keeps the ball in the yard.
J.T. Ginn, Oakland Athletics
“Anyone against the White Sox” has been the strategy all season, and today that anyone is J.T. Ginn. His 5.72 ERA in AAA and 4.58 ERA in the MLB are less than desirable, but the White Sox are a dreadful baseball team. They rank 30th in nearly every offensive category and hold a 22.9% strikeout rate over the last 30 days. Ginn has had a strikeout rate above 21% at every stop in 2024 and his seven strikeouts on 88 pitches against the Mariners is what we are looking for in this matchup.
Recommended MLB DFS Hitters
Highest Expected Run Totals
- Chicago Cubs (6.1)
- Colorado Rockies (5.1)
- Houston Astros (4.9)
- Oakland Athletics (4.9)
- Minnesota Twins (4.8)
Core MLB DFS Hitters
Note: Will Be Updated as Official Starting Lineups Are Released
Jose Altuve, 2B, Houston Astros
Over his last 10 games, Altuve is batting .375 with a .994 OPS and has recorded 15 hits. He only found one home run but has four multi-hit games over his last six. I do not believe in Tyler Anderson as a pitcher so almost anyone on the Astros roster is in play here. Altuve should be in a great spot to get on base and score runs with Houston’s 4.9 implied team total and Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez hitting behind him. The Astros are largely expensive and may be difficult to stack but I don’t have a ton of interest in most of the other 2B on this slate, so Altuve fits well.
Ian Happ, Isaac Paredes, Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs
With Kyle Freeland on the mound and this game in Coors Field, you can play any Cubs that fit your build. Freeland has better stats at home this season but the Cubs have an implied run total of 6.1 and we want exposure to that environment. Paredes has not been great but he has hits now in five straight games and found three hits in Friday’s series opener. On the year he holds a .909 OPS and .227 ISO against lefties while Happ comes with a .776 OPS and .210 ISO, and Swanson a .893 OPS and .213 ISO.
Lawrence Butler, JJ Bleday, Oakland Athletics
Oakland has one of the highest implied run totals on the board against Chris Flexen and the White Sox. Flexen has been terrible against both splits, but against lefties, he is giving up a .517 SLG and 1.89 HR/9. Both Bleday and Butler have 20+ home runs on the season and cheap price tags. Butler has a .834 OPS and .247 ISO while Bleday has a .778 OPS and .193 ISO.
Fernando Tatis, OF, San Diego Padres
It took him a few games to settle in, but Fernando Tatis is back. He’s now homered in three straight games, making up for all that lost time on the IL. Mason Black is starting for the Giants and has allowed a home run in all six appearances this season. It’s a small sample but he’s been crushed by both splits and allows a .566 SLG and 2.13 HR/9 to righties. Tatis has a .873 OPS and .245 ISO against righties, and 16 of his 17 home runs have come off right-handed pitchers.
Player Pool
Stacks
Cubs | Dansby Swanson | Seiya Suzuki | Isaac Paredes | Ian Happ |
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Astros | Jose Altuve | Alex Bregman | Jeremy Peña |
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Padres | Manny Machado | Jake Cronenworth | Fernando Tatis |
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Athletics | JJ Bleday | Lawrence Butler | Zack Gelof | Brent Rooker |
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Player News
Emmett Sheehan allowed three hits and two runs with two walks and five strikeouts over five innings in a 5-2 win over the Red Sox on Friday.
Sheehan turned in a solid start after nearly unraveling in the first inning. He walked two of the three hitters he faced and was all over the place. It took him 32 pitches to finally get through that inning and he wound up finding some consistency during the middle innings by leaning on his fastball up in the zone. That pitch and his slider carried him in a game where he had no command of his usually strong changeup. Those five innings also tied his longest outing of the season as he tries to hold his spot in this Dodgers rotation as the rest of their staff gets healthy. His next start is scheduled to come on the road against the Rays.
Ben Casparius allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth inning to get the save against the Red Sox on Friday.
So far this season, Casparius has been a high leverage reliever, middle reliever, bulk reliever, starting pitcher, and now apparently a closer. This was his first save of the campaign and came after an off-day. Yirby Yates, the Dodgers’ current presumed closer, did throw 18 pitches in the eighth inning in their last game on Wednesday and allowed two runs without recording an out. It’s anyone’s guess as to who will save the Dodgers’ next victory.
Teoscar Hernández went 1-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and a walk on Friday against the Red Sox.
Clinging to a one-run lead through the middle innings, Hernández provided some great insurance for the Dodgers with his two-run blast in the eighth inning. It was a shot too traveling 415 feet to straight away center field in Fenway Park. Despite missing some time due to injury earlier this season and a recent slump, Hernández has been his usually productive self with 15 homers and 61 RBI through 83 games played.
Alex Bregman went 1-for-4 with a double and a RBI on Friday against the Dodgers.
After a few weeks of being red-hot, the Red Sox offense has suddenly gone ice cold. Bregman’s run-scoring double in the third inning drove home their final run of the night and they only recorded one hit from that point on against the Dodgers’ bullpen. A week of poor play coming out of the All-Star break could quickly turn them back into sellers before this week’s trade deadline.
Brayan Bello allowed six hits and three runs with two walks and five strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Dodgers on Friday.
Bello was mostly done in by a poor third inning where loaded the bases with one out, walked in a run, and then wriggled out of trouble after a sacrifice fly. He leaned on his new cutter in the strike zone and forced nine total swings-and-misses with his sweeper and changeup. He located those two pitches especially well and all things considered, pitched a fine game. This Dodgers lineup is just relentless. Bello’s next start is scheduled to come on the road against the Twins.
Tyler Soderstrom went 2-for-5 with a homer, double and three RBI on Friday night as the Athletics crushed the Astros in Houston.
Soderstrom opened the scoring in the ballgame with a two-run double off of Ryan Gusto in the opening inning. He then tacked on a 376-foot solo blast in the third that made it a 6-0 ballgame. With his two-hit attack, the 23-year-old slugger is now hitting .258/.332/.458 with 19 homers and 60 RBI.