Jared Contestabile 
Saturday is finally here, and there is no shortage of MLB action on tap. The first game starts at 2:10 ET, followed by a ton of games in the mid afternoon. There are four games that start at 7:15 ET or later, so we have plenty of opportunities to find some paydays. Let’s get to it!
MLB DFS Aces
Jon Gray vs Colorado Rockies
I’m going back to the well with Gray on Saturday. He was phenomenal for us last time out, and I’m ready to lock him in again. He faces his former team, the Colorado Rockies in this one, and we all know the story here.
Colorado has been a bottom-five offense against RHP this season, and these team stats INCLUDE Coors Field.
22.7% K, 7.7% BB, .144 ISO, 84 wRC+, and that has all been with the benefit of the 2nd-highest BABIP in MLB at .321.
On to Gray. He has been sensational of late, totaling 15 IP, allowing just 1 ER on 7 hits with a 13/2 K/BB over his last two starts. He may not have a high ceiling for strikeouts in this one, but he should go deep again and smash salary.
Mitch Keller vs Arizona Diamondbacks
If any of you are prospect nerds or dynasty baseball players like myself, you remember when Keller was supposed to be the next big thing. It seems like ages ago, but here he is finally showing his elite potential. He has been nothing short of phenomenal over his last three starts. Check this out.
vs TB: 5 IP, 5 R (1 ER) 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K
vs COL: 9 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
vs BAL: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 13 K
He now has 8+ K in four straight, and against the likes of Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and the Dodgers.
Now he draws a Diamondbacks team that is inexperienced. They have a low K rate against RHP (under 19%), but that doesn’t worry me here. There might not be a hotter pitcher on the planet right now.
Hunter Brown vs Oakland Athletics
Hunter Brown is in the midst of a solid start to his young career. He has had some issues with allowing too many baserunners, but this is a solid matchup. Vegas agrees too, listing the Astros as -300 favorites here. Brown has struck out 47 over 44.2 innings of work, and this Oakland offense is scaring nobody.
MLB DFS Stacks
Chicago White Sox vs Jordan Lyles
There is an argument to be made that Lyles is the worst starting pitcher in MLB. He has allowed 24 ER over his last four starts (20.1 IP), including 4 against these White Sox two starts ago (although he did go 9 innings).
He has allowed multiple home runs in five of his last six starts. He has a WHIP of 1.34…the list goes on all day. I’m all over the hot-hitting Luis Robert, Jake Burger, Tim Anderson, and Yoan Moncada here. You can pick and choose some other power bats as you see fit. Lyles is a ticking time bomb.
St. Louis Cardinals vs Noah Syndergaard
There was once a time where “Thor” was one of the best arms in MLB, but those days are a distant memory. He has had major issues missing bats (26 K in 36.1 IP), and has served up 24 ER over that span. His 1.38 WHIP is brutal as well, and there are few teams swinging the bat better than the Cardinals.
Nolan Arenado and Nolan Gorman have combined for about 300 home runs over the last week (10 actually, but it feels like more), and Paul Goldschmidt always needs to be on your radar as well. Willson Contreras, Lars Nootbaar, and even the “all-or-nothing” bat of Paul DeJong are all in play here.
Houston Astros vs JP Sears
Sears actually hasn’t been THAT bad this season, but he is still a very hittable pitcher. He has served up 11 HR in 42.2 IP, and this is a Houston lineup that is finally getting healthy. The most underrated bat in MLB, Yordan Alvarez, leads the way for me here. Alex Bregman has been heating up, Jose Altuve is back, and nobody ever talks about Kyle Tucker. I’m not after the corpse of Jose Abreu here, but could grab some shares of Jeremy Pena here.
MLB DFS Summary
Happy Saturday! Let’s start the weekend off with some winners!
Find the team in the Discord and let’s chat about some plays!
Good luck and hope to see you in the green.
Check me out on Twitter @BigItaly42 and let me know who you are playing tonight! Always around to talk some MLB!
