Saturday’s main slate features six games starting at 7:15 pm ET.
Pitchers
The four pitchers projected to score the most fantasy points today are:
Gerrit Cole (R)
Freddy Peralta (R)
Joe Musgrove (R)
Walker Buehler (R)
The highest-priced pitcher on both DraftKings and FanDuel is Gerrit Cole, who has been solid throughout the first half of the 2021 season. In 105 innings, Cole has struck out 135 batters with an ERA of 2.91 and 8-4 record.
Hoping to head into the All-Star break on a high note, Cole will be on the mound against his former team the Houston Astros. The Astros have a moderately-high projected implied runs total today of 4.2 runs.
After being named a first time MLB All-Star on Friday night, Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta will look to continue proving his doubters wrong today.
Peralta has been electric through the first half of his 2021 campaign. In 93 innings pitched, he has struck out 129 batters with a 2.23 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 7-3 record. Peralta faces the Reds, who are projected to have the third-lowest implied runs total on the slate (3.5 runs).
The top-rated pitcher on Bales Model for both DraftKings and FanDuel is Joe Musgrove. Although Musgrove has a losing record (5-6), he has been dominant while on the mound this year. In 94 innings pitched, Musgrove has struck out 110 opposing batters, has a 2.97 ERA, and a career best 0.915 WHIP.
If you are looking for a reason to fade the Padres’ right-handed pitcher, I recommend looking at his last two starts. In his last nine innings he has allowed 10 earned runs including three home runs. Tonight, Musgrove will be pitching against the Rockies, who are 7-34 away from Coors Field.
Walker Buehler is hoping to build on his 8-1 record as he takes on the Diamondbacks. Arizona is projected for the lowest implied runs total on the slate, only 2.9 runs. Like the Rockies, the Diamondbacks have struggled mightily away from home (11-36).
If the last three starts are a trend of how Buehler will perform today, he is set for a big fantasy performance. Another reason to back the Dodgers’ right-hander is that the Diamondbacks rank seventh in MLB in team strikeouts (814).
Value
The pitcher that is considered the highest bargain play on the slate for FanDuel is Patrick Sandoval from the Angels. Although he has allowed two or more runs in each of his last five starts, Sandoval has continually increased his strikeout numbers as the season has progressed.
The pitcher that is considered the highest bargain play on the slate for DraftKings is the Rockies’ German Marquez. Recently, he has been dominant while on the mound. Two starts ago, he threw a one-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates while striking out five batters. Tonight, he will be taking on the San Diego Padres 22 runs in their last four games.
Hitters
Notable Stack
Today’s top projected points stack comes to you from the -315 Los Angeles Dodgers:
- Mookie Betts (R)
- Max Muncy (L)
- Justin Turner (R)
- Cody Bellinger (L)
The Dodgers have the highest projected implied runs total on the slate (5.3 runs) and are hoping to benefit from the Diamondbacks road woes. Although the Dodgers lost yesterday, they currently own the second-best run differential in MLB (+118 runs).
Caleb Smith will be on the hill for the Diamondbacks. In his last outing, Smith allowed five earned runs in six innings, including two home runs. On FanDuel, this stack will cost you $13.5k in salary and is projected for a combined 50.3 fantasy points.
Other Hitters
Bales Model projects the highest floor play on the slate is Christian Yelich. Although Yelich has struggled recently, he is more than due for a big game today against Reds starter Vladimir Gutierrez. Yelich and the Brewers currently hold a six-game lead in the NL Central and are hoping to build on this before the All-Star break.
The second highest rated batter on the slate for both DraftKings and FanDuel per Bales Model is Luis Urias. The Brewers are projected for the second highest implied runs total today (5.1 runs). Urias is the projected leadoff batter for the -208 Brewers and is another strong stack to consider.
A name that stands outs on Bales Model as a batter that has a high ceiling is Shohei Ohtani. Although he is rarely covered by the media (sarcasm), Ohtani has put up very impressive hitting numbers throughout the first half of the season. After hitting home runs in back to back games, he currently holds a five-home run lead over the rest of baseball (33).
Value
As usual, here is a handful of batters to consider while completing your lineups today that are projected for a high fantasy points/salary:
- Albert Pujols
- Tom Murphy
- Myles Straw
- Dylan Moore
- Anthony Rizzo
Pictured above: Gerrit Cole
Credit: Joshua Bessex/Getty Images
