Saturday, Aug. 7, starts things off with five afternoon games leading into a 10-game main slate. Let’s get into the top MLB DFS picks for pitchers and stacks for Yahoo, DraftKings and FanDuel daily fantasy baseball lineups.
MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers and Top Stacks, Saturday, Aug. 7
Yahoo Stack of the Day: Tampa Bay Rays at RHP Spenser Watkins — 6.1 implied runs
Rookie Spenser Watkins will celebrate his 29th birthday later this month. After six seasons in the Detroit minor league system, Watkins was actually set to give up baseball before getting a call from Baltimore. The Orioles are so depleted Watkins was called up this season and pressed into the rotation. Targeting against the slow-throwing right-hander (bottom 5% velocity) with the lefty-heavy lineup of Tampa Bay is the perfect spot for DFS gamers to begin their roster construction.
Brandon Lowe ($20), Austin Meadows ($15), and Ji-Man Choi ($13) all have posted .220+ ISOs in their last 500 at-bats against opposite-handed hurlers. Fellow lefties Joey Wendle ($9) and Kevin Kiermaier ($8) are discount dandies who are viable options depending on where they are in the batting order. Nelson Cruz ($13) is still getting it done at 41-years old, and he has thrived when batting in Camden Yards with a .283/.353/.502 triple-slash line across 499 plate appearances. Finally, Mike Zunino ($14) is always in play for his power upside at catcher.
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Oakland Athletics vs. RHP Drew Anderson — 5.3 implied runs
Rookie Drew Anderson was pitching in the Australian Baseball League last season before playing for the Rangers. The 27-year old has had cups of coffee in five different seasons for three teams appearing in a dozen games with 26.1 innings, posting an unsightly 8.20 ERA while allowing nearly two base runners per inning. He should be good for 50ish pitches before giving way to the overworked and abysmal Texas bullpen.
Getting Starling Marte at the deadline proved quite fortuitous for the Athletics now that Ramon Laureano is suspended for 80 games, having tested positive for PEDs. Matt Olson continues to rake, and he should be the centerpiece of any Oakland stack. For differentiation, we can always turn to Mitch Moreland instead of Olson as he has similar power numbers over the last two-plus seasons. Mark Canha and Jed Lowrie will be in their customary leadoff and cleanup roles, and former Nationals Yan Gomes and Josh Harrison can round out any full-stacks.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. RHP Jaime Barria — 5.4 implied runs
Depending on your vantage point, this is shaping up to be a long or short night for Jamie Barria. Barria has spent most of the season with Triple-A Salt Lake, though we know his limitations through his various stints in The Show. With just 35 strikeouts in his last 52.0 innings, the Dodgers should be putting balls in play with great frequency tonight. Though he has allowed only five home runs in this most recent stretch, he still has a career of 1.57 home runs allowed per nine innings.
Trea Turner made his Dodgers debut pinch-hitting in the ninth inning on Friday after clearing the health and safety protocol. He is expected to start tonight, which only adds to the collection of All-Stars in Chavez Ravine. Mookie Betts has been dealing with a sore hip, so he may get the rest of the weekend off. Max Muncy, Corey Seager and Justin Turner are the trio to target in all formats and slates. The bottom of the order with Chris Taylor, Cody Bellinger and A.J. Pollock only underscores the depth of the Dodgers roster.
Spotlight Pitchers
Top Target: RHP Brandon Woodruff vs. San Francisco Giants — 3.7 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $49 | FanDuel $11,000 | DraftKings $9,900
Milwaukee certainly has an amazing starting rotation, and tonight it will be Brandon Woodruff taking the mound. Currently, he leads all starters with a 0.88 WHIP, and his 2.26 ERA is fourth. The 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings this season provide fantasy upside and make Woodruff the clear top option on the main slate.
Secondary Target: LHP Julio Urias vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — 3.2 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $51 | FanDuel $10,000 | DraftKings $10,500
Last night Shohei Ohtani was only used as a pinch hitter, and while he has played in the outfield six times this season, there is a decent chance he is on the bench again tonight. That really dilutes the Angels’ offense and improves the matchup for Julio Urias. The Dodgers have been careful with the workload for Urias. However, as they are battling for a playoff spot, we could see him go 90ish pitches tonight. At his current salary, there is not much room for upside with the lefty. However, ideally, he provides a stable floor which is key in cash games.
Wild Card: LHP Austin Gomber vs. Miami Marlins — 4.9 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $40 | FanDuel $7,500 | DraftKings $6,600
Taking pitchers in Coors Field is always a risky proposition. There is no reason to consider Austin Gomber on Yahoo tonight, and he is best left to the short-slate on FanDuel. DraftKings is a different story where the low salary and the matchup against the anemic Marlins could be a recipe for a rewarding fantasy appearance.
Final Thoughts for the Saturday, Aug. 7 MLB DFS Picks Slate
There is a chance for late afternoon or early evening showers in Baltimore and Philadelphia, but nothing that should cause any postponements. Saturday should be a fun tournament environment with so many shaky pitchers taking the mound.
