Most Saturday slates tend to have games spread all throughout the day, but that's not the case here with almost every matchup happening at night to leave us with plenty of options. With that in mind, let's get started by looking at our favorite arms.
Pitching
Joe Ryan, MIN vs. WAS ($10,200)
Minnesota has been middling all season, but Ryan has quietly been one of the best pitchers in baseball. After previously showing flashes of that dominance, he's posted a 2.63 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 10.2 K/9 rate in what's developing into a career year. He's also allowed two runs or fewer in 15 of 20 starts while scoring at least 16 DraftKings points across eight straight. That streak should be easy to continue at home against the Nats as they rank 20th in wOBA and 21st in OBP. Ryan also boasts an 11.4 K/9 rate at home while entering as a -225 favorite.
George Kirby, SEA at LAA ($9,000)
Kirby struggled mightily in his return from the IL, though that's a thing of the past. The ace has returned to the star we know and love by recording a 3.51 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 8.9 K/9 rate across his last nine outings. That's on par with Kirby's 3.56 career ERA and 1.10 WHIP, which is wild since we haven't even mentioned his statistics against the Angels. The last time they met, he only gave up two hits over seven innings while striking out a career-high 14. And that last number isn't too surprising as the Angels sit 29th in K rate.
Trevor Rogers, BAL vs. COL ($7,900)
The term "Rocky Road" has become popular in fantasy circles because analysts know the Rockies struggle on the road. There's a natural falloff outside of Coors Field, with the club sitting near the bottom of every road stat. That's continued this season with Colorado 28th in runs scored, 29th in xwOBA and last in OBP. That won't bode well against one of the hottest pitchers as Rogers has registered a 1.74 ERA and 0.87 WHIP through seven starts. He's also produced at least 15 DK points in all but one with a 0.61 ERA and 0.48 WHIP at Camden Yards this year, which is probably why he's a -280 favorite.
Find out which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!
Top Targets
Matt Olson. ATL (vs. Kumar Rocker) $5,500
It's been an awful season for Atlanta fans, but Olson is quietly going off in the second half with a .395 OBP, .541 SLG and .936 OPS across his last 57 outings. That's not far off from the stud we've seen of late as he's managed a .357 OBP, .513 SLG and .870 OPS since 2021. We didn't even mention Olson has a .380 OBP and .906 OPS against righties during that same stretch while facing a pitcher who comes in with a 5.66 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. Don't be afraid to use Ronald Acuna ($6,200) and Drake Baldwin ($4,400) if you want to stack ATL.
Ryan O'Hearn. BAL (vs. Antonio Senzatela) $4,200
O'Hearn was a surprising All-Star selection, yet he earned it during a breakout campaign where he's posted a .281 AVG, .374 OBP and .826 OPS. His splits are even more impressive as he provides a .387 OBP and .876 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor and a .365/.869 at home. That's bad news for the worst pitcher on this slate, and we'll dive more into that later.
Bargain Bats
Carlos Correa, MIN (vs. Mitchell Parker) $3,400
This is a risky pick, though Correa is showing flashes of breaking out of his season-long slump with one of the best possible matchups on the board. We'll talk about Parker in the next section, but Correa has compiled a .384 OBP and .948 OPS against lefties since the start of 2024. That already is amazing from such an affordable player while he's also recorded a .330 AVG, .400 OBP, and .857 OPS across his last 26 outings.
Yainer Diaz, HOU (vs. Jacob Lopez) $3,100
Any time you can find an affordable catcher in a great spot, you have to recommend them. That's why Diaz is one of the best values with a .280 AVG and .764 OPS the last three years. That's all you can ask from the position, and it's even better since he's hitting in the middle of a scorching Houston lineup. Diaz also has a .302 AVG and .825 OPS with the platoon advantage since last season. The matchup could be the best part as Lopez has struggled to a 7.13 ERA and 1.42 WHIP over his last four outings. Stacking the 'Stros could be a stupendous idea as Jose Altuve ($4,800) and Christian Walker ($3,700) also boast a platoon advantage.
Stacks to Consider
Orioles vs. Rockies (Antonio Senzatela): Gunnar Henderson ($4,700), Jackson Holliday ($4,000), Jordan Westburg ($4,500) and Ryan O'Hearn ($4,200)
It's embarrassing to stack against my hometown team on every slate, though that's just what you have to do when the Rockies are playing. Colorado ranks last in ERA, WHIP, wOBA and xwOBA with frequent underwhelming pitching performances. Senzatela hasn't done anything to help those stats with a 6.41 ERA and 1.83 WHIP. You may be thinking Coors Field inflates that, yet he's produced a 6.43 ERA and 2.10 WHIP on the road.
We could use this whole lineup against Senzatela, but Henderson is easily the best option ranking top-10 in fantasy points per game since the beginning of last season while generating a .287 AVG and .902 OPS against righties since 2022. Holliday is amid a breakout year at leadoff while registering a .294 AVG and .884 OPS across his last 14 fixtures. Westburg is a sneaky option with an OPS above .800 against righties going back to the start of last year.
Twins vs. Nationals (Mitchell Parker): Byron Buxton ($6,000), Willi Castro ($4,100), Ryan Jeffers ($4,000) and Carlos Correa ($3,400)
The Twins can be a tough offense to trust, though they carry plenty of capable bats in a favorable matchup. That's the most impactful variable when stacking Minnesota as Parker has been slumping as the Washington lefty has a 6.32 ERA and 1.68 WHIP from his last six starts. That's scary since the Twins are top-12 in runs scored, OBP and OPS against southpaws.
Buxton is the top stack selection having produced a .922 OPS. He's also on pace for 40 homers and 30 steals while accumulating a 1.158 OPS against left-handers. Castro has quietly been one of the best AL utilitymen with a .284 AVG and .859 OPS alongside a platoon advantage. Jeffers is the final righty bat who enters with a .368 OBP and .853 OPS versus southpaws since 2023.
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