If you’re looking for fantasy baseball advice ahead of Saturday’s loaded slate, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know before Saturday, with two lineups to stack, a hitter to anchor your DFS lineups, a streaming candidate for your rotation, and a pitcher you should fade despite his recent history of success.
Why the San Diego Padres Are a Top DFS Stack for Saturday
The first thing to consider is that this game will be played in Mexico City, where the altitude is considerably higher than at Coors Field (7,350 feet compared to Colorado’s 5,280). That means balls will be flying off the bats early and often, which usually translates to a lot of offense and problems for pitchers. But even if you leave the environmental context aside, the Padres remain a solid stack for Saturday simply based on the fact that several Padres hitters have had success against Zac Gallen in the past.
The list is ridiculous. Xander Bogaerts has hit .300 with an .833 OPS in 20 at-bats. Nick Castellanos has an .833 OPS with a homer in 10 at-bats. Jake Cronenworth has hit .310 with a .946 OPS. Gavin Sheets has a monster 1.319 OPS and a homer in 8 at-bats. And Fernando Tatis Jr. has a 1.007 OPS with 3 homers against Gallen in his career. With that kind of success, it’s hard not to look at the Padres as a worthy stack for Saturday’s contest.
Why You Should Consider a Brewers DFS Stack Against the Pirates
If you’re not completely sold on the Padres or the altitude of Mexico City, targeting a Milwaukee Brewers stack is a smart move as well. This is purely a matchup-based scenario, though, and it plays out both ways. Several Milwaukee hitters have had success against Mitch Keller, but the veteran hurler has also had problems facing the Brewers throughout his career.
No hitter has been more successful than William Contreras, who has 2 homers in 24 at-bats against Keller, but there are other dangerous options in the Milwaukee lineup. There’s Jake Bauers, who has hit .385 with a 1.000 OPS in 13 at-bats. Contreras has hit .292 with an .888 OPS outside of his 2 long balls. Sal Frelick (.375, 1.099 OPS in 16 AB) and Joey Ortiz (.500, 1.250 OPS in 12 AB) are decent targets as well. Plus, Keller has allowed Milwaukee batters to hit .297 with a .471 xSLG off him in 112 plate appearances. The matchup advantage is clearly on the side of the Brewers here.
Why Ketel Marte Is the Perfect DFS Lineup Anchor on Saturday
Among hitters with favorable pitching matchups and tons of power, there’s probably not a better option on Saturday’s slate than Ketel Marte. Granted, Eugenio Suarez would’ve been the best choice, but he’s on the IL with an oblique injury. Marte has hit safely in 6 of his last 7 games, slashing .300/.344/.333 with a .677 OPS and 9 hits across 32 plate appearances over that stretch.
Furthermore, the star second baseman has had plenty of success against German Marquez, who is a flyball pitcher, in a game to be played at extreme altitude. Marte has a long history of success against Marquez, hitting .318 with a .968 OPS and 2 homers across 44 at-bats against him. The history of success, the environmental conditions, and the fact that Marte is seeing the ball well of late suggest Marte would be an excellent alternative to anchor lineups across DFS slates.
Why Shane McClanahan Is a Top Streaming Pitcher for Saturday
There aren’t many pitchers to consider worth streaming ahead of Saturday’s slate, and our original suggestion was Kodai Senga, but the game against the Rockies has been postponed due to rain. Under that scenario, one option that stands out is Shane McClanahan, from the Tampa Bay Rays.
The four-year veteran doesn’t have the best numbers, as he owns a 5.00 ERA with a 1.33 WHIP in 18.0 innings across 4 starts, but he has a strong matchup against a Twins lineup that ranks in the middle of the pack when it comes to collective OPS at .716 (14th-best).
Despite the numbers, McClanahan has limited opposing hitters to an excellent .191 average while posting a .229 xwOBA in 11 plate appearances against current Minnesota hitters. The sample size is small, but it’s significant enough to consider giving him a go as a starting option.
Why You Should Avoid Streaming Colin Rea Against the Dodgers
Rea has been far from dominant in his first 2 starts of the season, but he owns a 2.84 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP, 7.1 K/9, and 1.4 BB/9 through 12.2 innings, posting back-to-back quality starts against the Philadelphia Phillies.
However, he was facing a struggling Philadelphia team, and the matchup on Saturday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles is far from attractive for any pitcher, regardless of how good he’s been pitching. If you need a streaming option, you might want to consider alternatives to Rea. He’s facing the best offense in the majors in their own park, which is rarely a recipe for success for non-dominant pitchers like Rea.
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