Saturday’s main slate on FanDuel features six games starting at 6:40 pm ET, while the DraftKings main slate features all games except the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds. We will be using the Bales Model to highlight some of the top options to consider.
Pitchers
The three pitchers projected to score the most fantasy points today are:
Joe Musgrove (R)
Eduardo Rodriguez (L)
Aaron Nola (R)
The highest-rated pitcher on Bales Model today on both DraftKings and FanDuel is Joe Musgrove from the San Diego Padres. Just over four months ago, Musgrove threw a no-hitter for his hometown team. In more recent memory, he came off the mound last start after only five innings in which he allowed 10 hits against and six earned runs.
Hoping to regain momentum, Musgrove will be on the hill against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies are projected for the third lowest implied runs total on the slate of 3.7 and have the lowest team rating (57). Due to his high ceiling, Musgrove is projected to have the most ownership today, however his 62% consistency rating is noteworthy.
The highest priced pitcher on FanDuel today is Eduardo Rodriguez from the Boston Red Sox. Although his 4.97 ERA and 1.36 WHIP are not the most attractive, Rodriguez is coming off a strong performance last start. Against the Baltimore Orioles, he threw six innings and allowed only three hits while striking out six.
Rodriguez has been in fine form lately and is looking to continue this trend tonight against the Texas Rangers, who rank second last in MLB with a team batting average of .223 and are projected for the lowest implied runs total today (3.4 runs). Rightfully so, the Rangers are the biggest underdogs on the slate (+281) and have the worst road record in baseball (14-46). All these examples are great reasons as to why Rodriguez is well worth his high price tag today.
Another pitcher with a high ERA is Aaron Nola from the Philadelphia Phillies. Nola has struggled with his command of the baseball recently. He was pulled from his last start after only 4 1/3 innings after walking three and giving up four earned runs. The three walks tied his season high total which is not where you want to be trending at this point in the season. Bales Model does not rate Nola highly today as he has a tough matchup against the San Diego Padres.
Although he is projected for a fairly high fantasy point total, his hefty price tag is not appealing.
Value
Two pitchers worth a look due to their high projected points/salary are Zac Gallen and Jordan Lyles.
Gallen’s 1-7 record and 5.03 WHIP are areas for improvement, but the young Diamondbacks righty has shown signs that he can emerge as a valuable player. A projected pitch count of 94 leads me to believe he will have his opportunities to put up fantasy points tonight even though he is pitching at Coors Field. Gallen has the fourth best K/9 on the slate (9.844) and his low projected ownership catches my eye.
Yet another pitcher that is looking to get back on track is Lyles from the Texas Rangers. Lyles has allowed 17 earned runs in his last three outings and has a tough task again today against the Boston Red Sox. Lyles is capable of strong performances if, and only if, he can avoid giving up home runs.
Last six games he has allowed at least one home run, including four in his last start. The five strikeouts, no walks, and 103 pitch count proves that he can be effective at the major league level. A strong reason Lyles is worth consideration is the projected wind blowing in from center field. This will definitely help the fly-ball pitcher.
Hitters
Notable Stack
Today’s top projected points stack comes to you from the -179 Atlanta Braves:
- Ozzie Albies (S)
- Jorge Soler (R)
- Freddie Freeman (L)
- Austin Riley (R)
The Braves are projected for the third highest implied runs total on the slate today (6.1 runs). Currently one of the hottest teams in baseball, the Braves are on a seven-game win streak in which they have averaged over seven runs per game. This powerful offense has increased their lead in the National League East division to four games, and they don’t look to stop anytime soon. On FanDuel, this stack will cost you $16.3k in salary and are projected for a combined 53.5 fantasy points.
Other Hitters
The highest rated batter on Bales Model for FanDuel is Connor Joe from the Colorado Rockies. No surprise here that a Rockies’ batter is highly rated when playing at home. Joe has collected multi-hit games in three of his last five and is in great form. Joe is projected to lead off for a team that has the highest projected implied runs total on the slate (6.3 runs).
A minimum priced batter that is worth a dart throw is Stephen Vogt from the Atlanta Braves. We already highlighted their strong stack possibility, and this would even improve the points/salary projection to your fantasy lineup. With the DH available in the American League Vogt is worthy of consideration with the heavy hitters behind him.
Value
Finally, here is a handful of batters to consider while completing your lineups today that are projected for a high fantasy points/salary:
- Ramon Urias
- Jesus Sanchez
- Yadier Molina
- Tommy Edman
- Austin Hays
Pictured above: Aaron Nola
Credit: Justin Berl/Getty Images
