Fantasy baseball daily notes: Pitcher and hitter rankings for Saturday’s games
Here’s a look at Saturday’s top streaming options, focusing on players rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues.
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Chris Bassitt (R), rostered in 48% of ESPN leagues, Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers: Bassitt isn’t a hurler you necessarily get excited about, but boring can be valuable. Despite a tepid 7.1 K/9 rate, he boasts a 3.12 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP, never having allowed more than four earned runs in any outing. The right-hander is coming off his best start of the season, a seven-inning shutout performance against Houston. Bassitt will have a much easier go of it this time around, squaring off against a Rangers offense that ranks worst in baseball with a 65 wRC+.
Kevin Gausman (R), 45%, San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres: This isn’t a matchup I necessarily want to target, but Gausman still deserves consideration here. While his ERA sits at 4.05, look at the 3.52 FIP, 3.05 xFIP and 1.14 WHIP. Those all tell us he’s pitched better than the ERA suggests. Not only that, but thanks to increased velocity this season, Gausman sports a career-high 12.0 K/9 to go along with a career-low 2.3 BB/9. That’s a 5.2 K/BB rate, which ranks 11th-best in baseball. In 11 starts this season, he’s allowed more than three earned runs only once — and that includes three starts against the Dodgers and two outings at Coors Field. Yes, the Padres present another tough matchup, but Gausman has proven he’s up to the challenge.
Dakota Hudson (R), 52%, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds: Hudson struggled in his first start of the season back in late July. Since then, however, he’s been incredibly consistent. The right-hander has surrendered three-or-fewer runs in each of his last five starts, leading to a 2.36 ERA and an 0.86 WHIP during that stretch. While Hudson continues to lean on his elite groundball rate (58.3%) and the Cardinals’ strong infield defense, he’s missing more bats than last season. He’s also allowing fewer walks, making it easier to buy into his strong performance. On Saturday, he matches up well with a Reds team that sports a .311 wOBA and a 24.8% K-rate against right-handed pitching.
Justus Sheffield (L), 21%, Seattle Mariners at Arizona Diamondbacks: After getting roughed up by the Angels in late August, Sheffield bounced back in his last outing, throwing seven innings of two-run ball against Texas. It was the fourth time in his last five starts that he limited the opposition to two-or-fewer runs, culminating in a 3.03 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP during that five-start stretch. Sheffield is still a guy you want to pick your spots with, but Saturday’s bout against Arizona is one of those spots. The Diamondbacks have been flat-out brutal against left-handed pitching in 2020, ranking last in the league with a .263 wOBA and a 60 wRC+.
Bullpen
The Giants are surging right now, which makes their bullpen a lot more interesting for fantasy purposes. Tony Watson, who sports a matching 0.64 in both ERA and WHIP over 16 appearances this season, has picked up two of the team’s last three saves and is still available in 88% of ESPN leagues. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Giants continue to lean on the veteran over the season’s final two weeks.
For the latest team-by-team closer situations, please consult our Closer Chart.
Note: W-L, ERA and WHIP are 2020 statistics
Catcher — Sean Murphy (R), 14%, Oakland Athletics at Texas Rangers (Kolby Allard): Murphy gets a boost in OBP leagues, as his 17.3% walk rate is best in baseball among catchers (min. 90 PAs). He also sports a 53.7% hard-hit rate that ranks in the 98th percentile, according to Statcast data, so he’s not getting cheated very often.
First Base — Ronald Guzman (L), 1%, Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics (RHP Chris Bassitt): Guzman was recalled from the Rangers’ alternate training site in late August when Danny Santana landed on the IL, and he’s making the best of his promotion. Since his callup, Guzman is batting .344/.432/.625, including a .391/.481/.652 triple-slash against right-handed pitching.
Second Base — Garrett Hampson (R), 36%, Colorado Rockies vs. Los Angeles Angels (RHP Jaime Barria): Hampson continues to play nearly every day for the Rockies, providing a nice combination of power and speed. Friday marks the beginning of a nine-game homestand at Coors Field, so now is a good time to scoop up the 25-year-old and enjoy the benefits of that thin mountain air.
Third Base — Brad Miller (L), 23%, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds (RHP Anthony DeSclafani): Miller has slowed down since his four-hit, two-homer game to open September, but he still has a .945 OPS and a .388 wOBA versus righties. He finds himself in a prime spot against DeScflafani, who is allowing a .290/.384/.484 slash line to left-handed bats.
Shortstop — Willi Castro (S), 7%, Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox (Undecided): The fantasy community hasn’t taken notice yet, but Castro has recently been doing some real damage at the plate. The switch-hitter is batting .431/.453/.667 with two homers and 10 RBI over his last 14 games and has solidified himself in the heart of Detroit’s batting order.
Corner Infield — Ke’Bryan Hayes (R), 7%, Pittsburgh Pirates at Kansas City Royals (RHP Carlos Hernandez): It’s surprising that Hayes hasn’t received more attention. The former first-round pick is playing every day for the Pirates at the hot corner, hitting .333/.407/.667 with a 68.8% hard-hit rate since his promotion a week ago. Hayes has been batting seventh in the order, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him move up soon.
Middle Infield — Nick Madrigal (R), 24%, Chicago White Sox vs. Detroit Tigers (RHP Michael Fulmer): Madrigal, another rookie, continues to showcase his terrific hit tool, batting .380 through 14 games. He should continue to rake against Fulmer, who has an 8.24 ERA and has yet to make it past the third inning in any of his seven starts.
Outfield — Cedric Mullins (S), 1%, Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees (LHP Jordan Montgomery): I like Montgomery as a pitcher, but he just hasn’t had it this season, stumbling to a 5.72 ERA over seven starts. He’s been particularly vulnerable against righties, who have put up a .386 wOBA against him. This creates a fine opportunity for Mullins to wreak some havoc. He’s ascended to the top of Baltimore’s batting order and is batting .343/.410/.514 with three steals over his last 11 games.
Outfield — Adam Duvall (R), 44%, Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals (LHP Patrick Corbin): Many fantasy managers scooped up Duvall after his three-homer, nine-RBI onslaught against the Marlins earlier this week, but he was making noise well before that. Even prior to that stellar outing, Duvall had produced a 1.226 OPS with six homers in his previous nine games. He’s a threat to do more damage against Corbin, who hasn’t been sharp lately.
Outfield — Victor Reyes (S), 41%, Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox (Undecided): It took a while, but Reyes’ rostered percentage is finally on the rise. He’s batting .302/.336/.468 on the season with four homers and six steals, solidifying himself as Detroit’s leadoff hitter. Reyes also gets a nice park boost by swapping Comerica Park for Guaranteed Rate Field.