Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Saturday’s MLB games
Note: This file will be updated with any overnight pitching changes or weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.
By Mike Sheets
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Since joining the Tampa Bay Rays starting rotation in early May, Jeffrey Springs (50% rostered in ESPN leagues) has been terrific, delivering a 1.72 ERA and an 0.95 WHIP across seven starts. Although he doesn’t throw particularly hard, averaging just 91.7 mph on his fastball, he’s still fanning a batter per inning and limiting hard contact. There will likely be some regression coming with Springs’ .231 BABIP and 97.4% LOB%, but he should remain a valuable asset. Springs will be particularly valuable as a streamer on Saturday, when he takes on a Baltimore Orioles club that’s striking out at a 25.5% clip against lefties.
It’s probably safe to file Taijuan Walker (56%) in the “boring” column, but sometimes it’s OK to be boring. Despite his lackluster 6.0 K/9, the veteran right-hander has a 3.08 ERA over 10 starts and has put up his best walk rate (2.7 BB/9) in years. He’s also allowed over three runs just once in his last seven turns, showing a pretty solid floor. Walker should continue his recent run of success on Saturday against the Miami Marlins, who have struggled to produce much offense on the road this season (90 wRC+, 24% K-rate).
The Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners are set for a doubleheader on Saturday, presenting an opportunity for fantasy managers to get an extra game’s worth of plate appearances from players who play both games. Eugenio Suarez (56%) and Dylan Moore (1%) are a pair of Mariners to consider slotting into your lineup for Saturday’s action. After a slow start to the season, Suarez is hitting .290/.395/.484 over his last 17 games, while Moore has been a terror on the basepaths, swiping four bags in his last five games.
Some hoped for a rebound after Dylan Bundy posted a 6.06 ERA in 2021, but that rebound has yet to materialize. His ERA presently sits at 5.87 through 10 starts. This includes allowing four-plus runs in five of his last seven outings. Needless to say, if there’s a hurler we want to stream hitters against on Saturday, Bundy is an awfully good candidate. There are number of widely available targets to consider, including Josh Rojas (39%), Christian Walker (38%), David Peralta (15%) and Alek Thomas (12%).
Blake Snell has made only three career starts at Coors Field, but none have gone well, as he holds a 6.08 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP over 13 1/3 rocky innings there. As a result, Saturday looks like a fine time to fire up a Colorado Rockies stack of right-handed bats. While he’ll be expensive, C.J. Cron has put up a .348/400/.659 triple slash at home this season. Meanwhile, Randal Grichuk — a more cost-effective option — is batting .321/.351/.434 versus lefties.
It’s not too late to start another free fantasy baseball league. Leagues drafted this week will start scoring fresh the following Monday.
Pitchers are ranked in order of their Forecaster/Daily Notes projected fantasy points, using ESPN’s standard scoring system (5 points per win, minus-5 per loss, 3 per inning, 1 per K, minus-1 apiece per hit or walk allowed, minus-2 per earned run allowed).
T: The pitcher’s handedness. OPP: Opposing team. ML: Caesars Money Line. O/U: Caesars Over/Under for runs scored. W%: Starting pitcher’s win probability. For the projected stat line, IP is innings pitched, ER is earned runs allowed, BR is baserunners allowed and K is strikeouts.
If a team is planning on using an “opener” to start their game, but will rely on a “bulk pitcher” to follow him on the mound after 1-2 innings, we will list the bulk pitcher and indicate with an asterisk.
Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing, and lots more.
Abraham Toro (SEA, 2B — 1%) vs. Patrick Sandoval
Luis Rengifo (LAA, SS — 0%) at Chris Flexen
Brandon Marsh (LAA, CF — 16%) at Flexen
Luke Voit (SD, 1B — 29%) at German Marquez
Elias Diaz (COL, C — 6%) vs. Nick Martinez
Matt Duffy (LAA, 3B — 0%) at Flexen
Trent Grisham (SD, CF — 49%) at Marquez
Tommy Pham (CIN, LF — 46%) vs. Jason Alexander
Max Stassi (LAA, C — 2%) at Flexen
Jarren Duran (BOS, CF — 1%) vs. Dakota Hudson
Yoan Moncada (CHW, 3B — 50%) at Justin Verlander
Owen Miller (CLE, 2B — 51%) at Julio Urias
Adam Frazier (SEA, 2B — 54%) vs. Sandoval
Frank Schwindel (CHC, 1B — 56%) vs. Kyle Wright
Travis d’Arnaud (ATL, C — 64%) at Justin Steele
Sean Murphy (OAK, C — 63%) vs. Daniel Lynch
Thairo Estrada (SF, SS — 61%) at Jose Quintana
Eduardo Escobar (NYM, 2B — 71%) vs. Braxton Garrett
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (TOR, LF — 84%) vs. Jameson Taillon