MLB DFS Picks & Underdog Player Props: Saturday (8/23)

Today sees the return of college football, but it’s still a good day to play some Major League Baseball DFS. On DraftKings, we are looking at the slate of nine games, which begins at 6:05 p.m. ET. FanDuel has an identical slate that we can compare.

Saturday’s Top MLB DFS Picks & Player Props

Saturday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings (8/23)

• This is a slate to pay up for one of the top pitching options. Freddy Peralta versus Logan Webb is the premier pitching matchup of the day. If you wanted to take a chance on Webb, I wouldn’t fault you. Peralta is my choice as he has been considerably better at home with a 2.66 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Meanwhile, Webb has been worse on the road. This game is in Milwaukee.
• If you are looking for a slightly cheaper option, go with Tyler Glasnow. He doesn’t have the innings to qualify; otherwise, he is back to a top-10 strikeout rate among starting pitchers at 30.6%. He has a tough matchup against a Padres team that doesn’t strike out, but Glasnow can generate strikeouts against anyone.
• Mick Abel is expected to be recalled to make his Twins debut today against the White Sox. There were some flashes of brilliance in his first try at the big leagues, including a nine-strikeout effort in his very first start. Today, he gets a matchup against the White Sox. While better recently, they still have a 22.6% strikeout rate on the year.

Suggested Lineup Stacks

New York Mets Projected Lineup (8/23)

• It’s taken a while, but the New York Mets’ offense is finally clicking. Over the last 14 days, no team has a higher wRC+ than the Mets’ 150. They also led in OPS during that span (.898). Today, they have a matchup against the Braves’ newly acquired starting pitcher, Cal Quantrill. He has a 5.50 ERA, which is fully supported by his expected ERA of 5.51.
• Juan Soto is batting only .227 over the last two weeks. That’s because he has been unlucky with a .200 batting average on balls in play (BABIP). He is still hitting the ball as hard as ever with a 53% hard-hit rate. Soto did hit five home runs during that span. Don’t be scared off by the price tag. He is as likely as anyone to deliver multiple extra-base hits.
• Another Mets star who is on a tear recently is Francisco Lindor. Over the last two weeks, he has hit four home runs and recorded three stolen bases. That comes with a .380 batting average. He also has a 53% hard-hit rate over the last two weeks.
• If you are looking for a cheaper option in the Mets’ lineup, look at Brett Baty. Quantrill is a right-handed pitcher. Baty has hit 24 of his 26 extra-base hits against right-handed pitchers, including 13 home runs.

Los Angeles Dodgers Projected Lineup (8/23)

• The Los Angeles Dodgers take on left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes today. The Dodgers are a top-five offense against left-handed pitching per wRC+ and OPS. Meanwhile, Cortes has a 5.87 ERA on the season with an 8.51 FIP.
• An affordable starting point to a stack of Dodgers is Teoscar Hernandez. While he has been able to hit against right-handed pitching, it’s nothing like the production he has shown against left-handed pitchers. He has a .971 OPS against left-handed pitchers and only a .702 OPS against right-handed pitching.
• If you go cheap on starting pitching, there are three more stars in the Dodgers’ lineup who you can play against left-handed pitchers. Shohei Ohtani is never a bad choice with a .924 OPS against left-handed pitchers, but he is the most expensive hitter in the pool. Will Smith has cooled off a bit in August, but still has an .859 OPS against left-handed pitchers. While Freddie Freeman is left-handed, it doesn’t impact his ability to hit against them, with an .816 OPS.
• If you want cheap exposure to the Dodgers’ lineup, look at Miguel Rojas. While he is the least flashiest bat in the entire lineup, he has a .798 OPS against left-handed pitchers.

Core Studs

• Jose Altuve has a matchup today against Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer. Altuve is 8-for-17 against Kremer in his career with four extra-base hits, including one home run.
• Julio Rodriguez has a matchup with left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs. Rodriguez is on a tear recently with a .933 OPS in the second half, plus he has been better against left-handed pitchers all season. If that isn’t enough, he has gone 4-for-12 against Springs in his career with two home runs. His cost on FanDuel makes him a near must-play.
• The Atlanta Braves’ offense was close to being a team to stack, as their offense has finally started hitting better recently. Over the last two weeks, Matt Olson has recorded a .972 OPS. He has a matchup today against Clay Holmes, who he is 3-for-6 against in his career with a couple of doubles.

Value Plays/Punts

• Carlos Correa has settled back into his comfort zone in Houston. In 18 games with the Astros, he has five extra-base hits, including two home runs. His OPS is up to .854, after being only .704 earlier in the season with the Twins.
• While Andrew Vaughn has cooled a bit from his Barry Bonds-like pace of his first couple of weeks with the Brewers, he has still been very good. His .947 OPS in Milwaukee would rank fourth in baseball on a season basis behind Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber.
• We are no longer getting the big discounts on Michael Harris. That’s what happens when you record 20 extra-base hits in the last 28 days. That equates to a 1.205 OPS during that span.

Today sees the return of college football, but it’s still a good day to play some Major League Baseball DFS. On DraftKings, we are looking at the slate of nine games, which begins at 6:05 p.m. ET. FanDuel has an identical slate that we can compare.

Saturday’s Top MLB DFS Picks & Player Props

Saturday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings (8/23)

• This is a slate to pay up for one of the top pitching options. Freddy Peralta versus Logan Webb is the premier pitching matchup of the day. If you wanted to take a chance on Webb, I wouldn’t fault you. Peralta is my choice as he has been considerably better at home with a 2.66 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings. Meanwhile, Webb has been worse on the road. This game is in Milwaukee.
• If you are looking for a slightly cheaper option, go with Tyler Glasnow. He doesn’t have the innings to qualify; otherwise, he is back to a top-10 strikeout rate among starting pitchers at 30.6%. He has a tough matchup against a Padres team that doesn’t strike out, but Glasnow can generate strikeouts against anyone.
• Mick Abel is expected to be recalled to make his Twins debut today against the White Sox. There were some flashes of brilliance in his first try at the big leagues, including a nine-strikeout effort in his very first start. Today, he gets a matchup against the White Sox. While better recently, they still have a 22.6% strikeout rate on the year.

Suggested Lineup Stacks

New York Mets Projected Lineup (8/23)

• It’s taken a while, but the New York Mets’ offense is finally clicking. Over the last 14 days, no team has a higher wRC+ than the Mets’ 150. They also led in OPS during that span (.898). Today, they have a matchup against the Braves’ newly acquired starting pitcher, Cal Quantrill. He has a 5.50 ERA, which is fully supported by his expected ERA of 5.51.
• Juan Soto is batting only .227 over the last two weeks. That’s because he has been unlucky with a .200 batting average on balls in play (BABIP). He is still hitting the ball as hard as ever with a 53% hard-hit rate. Soto did hit five home runs during that span. Don’t be scared off by the price tag. He is as likely as anyone to deliver multiple extra-base hits.
• Another Mets star who is on a tear recently is Francisco Lindor. Over the last two weeks, he has hit four home runs and recorded three stolen bases. That comes with a .380 batting average. He also has a 53% hard-hit rate over the last two weeks.
• If you are looking for a cheaper option in the Mets’ lineup, look at Brett Baty. Quantrill is a right-handed pitcher. Baty has hit 24 of his 26 extra-base hits against right-handed pitchers, including 13 home runs.

Los Angeles Dodgers Projected Lineup (8/23)

• The Los Angeles Dodgers take on left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes today. The Dodgers are a top-five offense against left-handed pitching per wRC+ and OPS. Meanwhile, Cortes has a 5.87 ERA on the season with an 8.51 FIP.
• An affordable starting point to a stack of Dodgers is Teoscar Hernandez. While he has been able to hit against right-handed pitching, it’s nothing like the production he has shown against left-handed pitchers. He has a .971 OPS against left-handed pitchers and only a .702 OPS against right-handed pitching.
• If you go cheap on starting pitching, there are three more stars in the Dodgers’ lineup who you can play against left-handed pitchers. Shohei Ohtani is never a bad choice with a .924 OPS against left-handed pitchers, but he is the most expensive hitter in the pool. Will Smith has cooled off a bit in August, but still has an .859 OPS against left-handed pitchers. While Freddie Freeman is left-handed, it doesn’t impact his ability to hit against them, with an .816 OPS.
• If you want cheap exposure to the Dodgers’ lineup, look at Miguel Rojas. While he is the least flashiest bat in the entire lineup, he has a .798 OPS against left-handed pitchers.

Core Studs

• Jose Altuve has a matchup today against Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer. Altuve is 8-for-17 against Kremer in his career with four extra-base hits, including one home run.
• Julio Rodriguez has a matchup with left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs. Rodriguez is on a tear recently with a .933 OPS in the second half, plus he has been better against left-handed pitchers all season. If that isn’t enough, he has gone 4-for-12 against Springs in his career with two home runs. His cost on FanDuel makes him a near must-play.
• The Atlanta Braves’ offense was close to being a team to stack, as their offense has finally started hitting better recently. Over the last two weeks, Matt Olson has recorded a .972 OPS. He has a matchup today against Clay Holmes, who he is 3-for-6 against in his career with a couple of doubles.

Value Plays/Punts

• Carlos Correa has settled back into his comfort zone in Houston. In 18 games with the Astros, he has five extra-base hits, including two home runs. His OPS is up to .854, after being only .704 earlier in the season with the Twins.
• While Andrew Vaughn has cooled a bit from his Barry Bonds-like pace of his first couple of weeks with the Brewers, he has still been very good. His .947 OPS in Milwaukee would rank fourth in baseball on a season basis behind Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber.
• We are no longer getting the big discounts on Michael Harris. That’s what happens when you record 20 extra-base hits in the last 28 days. That equates to a 1.205 OPS during that span.

Saturday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props

Francisco Lindor (SS – NYM): 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI — Higher

Francisco Lindor has been one of the best hitters in baseball recently. Over the past two weeks, he has recorded a wRC+ of 278. He has cleared this 1.5 combined hits + runs + RBI number in 10 consecutive games.

Miguel Andujar (3B, OF, DH – CIN): 1.5 Total Bases — Higher

Miguel Andujar has a 1.118 OPS since joining the Cincinnati Reds. He has exceeded 1.5 total bases in nine of his last 11 games. That includes yesterday, as an eighth-inning pinch hitter. Today, he has a matchup against journeyman reliever Nabil Crismatt.

Tyler Glasnow (SP – LAD): 5.5 Strikeouts — Higher

Yes. Striking out the Padres is difficult. I expected a strikeout number of 7.5 for Tyler Glasnow. Underdog has gone very low, setting it at 5.5. It’s an easy choice given that he just faced them in his last start and struck out eight batters.

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