DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Saturday 8/13/22

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Pitchers

Jacob deGrom FD 10800 DK 10600
Opponent - PHI (Aaron Nola) Park - PHI
FD - 44.99 DK - 26.15

Despite a strict pitch count in his first two starts of the season, deGrom has looked as dominant as ever striking out 18 of 36 batters he has faced. Read that again! With around a 25% increase in that pitch count from start one to two he likely gets up around a full workload on Saturday so these prices definitely feel like a buy-low. The matchup on paper may not look great but the Phillies are already without Bryce Harper and are likely still without NL home run leader, Kyle Schwarber. Fire up deGrom in all formats.

Lucas Giolito FD 8500 DK 7500
Opponent - DET (Matt Manning) Park - DET
FD - 38.08 DK - 20.18

To say 2022 has been a roller coaster ride for Giolito would be a massive understatement but it has helped keep the price in check which is great news considering he gets the best matchup on the board tonight. He faces a Tigers' team that ranks dead last on the season and has been even worse in the second half with an ugly .261 wOBA, 67 wRC+, and 27% K rate. For Giolito, the walks have been the biggest issue but he has battled through them lately winning two straight while posting 18+ DK points in each. All things considered, he is my top SP2 on this slate.

Catcher/First Base

Freddie Freeman FD 3900 DK 5400
Opponent - KC (Brad Keller) Park - KC
FD - 15.15 DK - 11.42

The Dodgers are scorching hot right now winning 11 straight games and have scored seven or more runs in eight of those and we are going to continue to ride that high on Saturday. It starts with MVP hopeful Freddie Freeman who checks all the boxes starting with a price that is somehow sitting in the mid $5K range on DraftKings and sub $4K range on FanDuel. It's not like he has cooled off hitting .338 in the second half with a .391 wOBA/155 wRC+ and now faces a pitcher in Brad Keller who has recorded a 6.65 ERA/5.22 xFIP in the second half and has given up home runs at almost double the rate to lefties. All things considered, Freeman is our top play at first and one of our top overall plays on this slate.

Christian Walker FD 3800 DK 4400
Opponent - COL (José Ureña) Park - COL
FD - 13.7 DK - 10.39

If you stacked the Coors game last night you were likely disappointed as the under hit but we are going back to the well on Saturday in another plus matchup for the bats. Walker is likely not a play on FanDuel at just $100 cheaper than Freeman but on DraftKings he provides excellent PTS/$ value in the mid $4K range. The overall average(.213) is nothing to write home about but the good news is that he comes in hot with hits in seven straight games and is on the verge of setting a career-high in home runs(26 thus far). He also faces a pitcher in Jose Urena who has struggled to a 8.35 ERA across four second-half starts while walking(11) more than he has struck out(10). Fire up Walker in all formats on DraftKings.

Second Base

Marcus Semien FD 3400 DK 4100
Opponent - SEA (Marco Gonzales) Park - SEA
FD - 12.56 DK - 9.5

Second base is a position I will take some salary relief tonight and I never would have thought Marcus Semien would fall into that category but here we are, at least on DraftKings. I get he isn't having the MVP-like season he did a year ago but he has been better in the short term with hits in five straight including two home runs and has been better against lefties with a(.326 wOBA/114 wRC+). I won't force him into my lineups on FanDuel but he is easily my top play at second on DraftKings.

David Fletcher FD 2300 DK 3300
Opponent - MIN (Dylan Bundy) Park - MIN
FD - 7.55 DK - 5.96

The Angels, without Mike Trout, are not a team I will be stacking but there is definitely some value here that we can use to help us load up on pitching and/or some big bats. David Fletcher is the piece I am focusing on tonight as he checks a ton of boxes starting with the fact he has heated up with hits in six straight and 10 of his last 11 starts prompting a move to the leadoff spot over the last four games. The upside is lacking but he has only struck out three times in those 11 games(6.7%) leading to an elite .393 wOBA/160 wRC+. All things considered, Fletcher is my top PTS/$ at any position tonight.

Shortstop

Trea Turner FD 4200 DK 5400
Opponent - KC (Brad Keller) Park - KC
FD - 14.6 DK - 11.24

Pairing Trea Turner with Freddie Freeman is far too easy on DraftKings tonight as their prices are both trending down which is a bit puzzling as the team is raking. Turner for instance comes in with multiple hits in three straight and has at least one hit in 21 of 22 games in the second half(.322 average/138 wRC+). He has dominated left-handed pitching(171 wRC+) but has still been very good against righties(.346 wOBA/125 wRC+) and faces a struggling Brad Keller. Turner is our top projected play at shortstop and an elite play in all formats.

Also Consider: Dansby Swanson(ATL) or Corey Seager(TEX) as GPP pivots

Third Base

Manny Machado FD 3900 DK 5400
Opponent - WSH (Aníbal Sánchez) Park - WSH
FD - 16.07 DK - 12.19
Brandon Drury FD 3700 DK 5300
Opponent - WSH (Aníbal Sánchez) Park - WSH
FD - 12.55 DK - 9.68

The Padres have one of the best matchups on the board Saturday so I am going to group these two together and likely stack them together in all formats. Let's start with that matchup against Anibal Sanchez who is somehow still in the big leagues and through five starts, has given up 21 earned runs(7.56 ERA) and eight home runs(21% HR/FB rate) and things won't get easier for him as both these sluggers come in hot. Machado has gone 7 for 15 in his last three games with seven RBI and has hits in eight of his last nine overall. Drury got off to a slow start with his new team after the deadline but has also started to heat up with five hits in his last two games including two home runs. Look for the Padres to take advantage of this elite matchup and put more big numbers. Fire up both these guys in all formats.

Also consider: Alex Bregman(HOU) whose price remains under $5K on DraftKings while he has heated up in the second half with an elite .325/.398/.519 slash line

Outfield

*If you have any salary leftover, Mookie Betts and Juan Soto are easily our top projected plays in the outfield but let's take a look at few other options that come a bit cheaper*

Eloy Jiménez FD 2900 DK 4500
Opponent - DET (Matt Manning) Park - DET
FD - 11.07 DK - 8.41

Jimenez missed just over two months due to injury so it took a bit of time to get back into game shape but he has arrived and has been one of the few bright spots for the White Sox in the second half. Since the break, he has put together an elite .389/.423/.583 slash line with four home runs and a 189+ wRC+. While the matchup against Matt Manning is not at the top of my list, it is hard to ignore the value pricing on Jimenez, especially on FanDuel in the sub $3K range. I will have exposure in all formats.

Jurickson Profar FD 3000 DK 4400
Opponent - WSH (Aníbal Sánchez) Park - WSH
FD - 12.85 DK - 9.81

I don't think any hitter who was not traded at the deadline has been happier than Profar who now gets to hit ahead of Juan Soto and Manny Machado. He has also been red-hot in the second half with a .302/.355/.500 slash line and yet the price has failed to really adjust on either site providing us some near-elite PTS/$ value in one of, if not the best matchup on the board. Fire up Profar in all formats.

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