Fantasy baseball pitcher rankings, lineup advice for Saturday’s MLB games

by


Check out our daily fantasy baseball starter pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions, and MLB betting tips every day. MLB game odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and Fantasy Advice is geared towards ESPN 10-team, standard-scoring leagues.

Note: This file will be updated with any nightly pitching changes or game postponements due to weather, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the posted time of publication.

What you need to know for Saturday’s MLB games

By Mike Sheets

  • Saturday’s 16-game slate includes a double-header between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins. As always, Twin-Bills offer daily streamers the opportunity to maximize plate appearances by finding players launching both games. As a starless team, the Marlins have a roster of players that are widely featured in ESPN leagues. In fact, every hitter in Miami’s roster is in less than 33% of the leagues. Two names to consider are JJ Bleday (2%) and Charles Leblanc. Bleday, who will have the draw advantage in both matchups, has been batting .409/.500/.682 over the past week, and Leblanc has been quietly batting .429/.444/.629 in the 10 games since his promotion.

  • Saturday also marks the return of the Houston Astros’ Lance McCullers Jr., who has been sidelined since last year’s playoffs with a forearm injury. The right-hander made four starts on his rehab stint and hit 86 pitches on his most recent outing, so he shouldn’t be on an overly restrictive course number. While there’s always some risk in starting a pitcher who’s sustained a serious injury, the Oakland Athletics offer a soft landing spot, so it’s okay to go ahead and include McCullers in the streaming discussion this weekend. McCullers is available in nearly 50% of ESPN leagues and recorded a 3.16 ERA and a 10.3 K/9 in 28 starts in 2021. So he has the potential to be a game changer over the long run, what makes it a high priority pickup.

play

1:32

Though Lance McCullers Jr.’s performance drew no attention during his rehab stint, he gets an extremely soft matchup on his return to the Astros rotation when he takes on the light-hitting Athletics. Video by Tristan H Cockcroft

  • Reid Detmers has clearly made a turnaround since his last promotion from Triple-A, but the fantasy community has yet to fully get on board as he’s still listed in just 42% of ESPN leagues. Since getting the call in early July, Detmers has not allowed more than a single earned run in four of his five starts, culminating in a 1.16 ERA at the track. More notable is the fact that his strikeout rate has increased to 11.0K/9, compared to just 7.5 in his first 12 starts of the season. Thanks in part to an overhauled slider, the 23-year-old left-hander is a different pitcher at the moment. Even against a Minnesota Twins lineup that has outperformed against lefties this season, Detmers is playing strong.

  • Speaking of lefties not being in enough leagues, Jesus Luzardo (33%) is back from the IL and has looked good in two starts and only allowed two runs over 12 innings with 11 strikeouts and just one walk. His speed has slowed down a bit, which is mildly concerning, but the uptick – particularly in the strikeout department – is still substantial. Luzardo is certainly not a “must have” against a tough Braves offense on Saturday, but he’s a guy who could offer a lot of value over the long run.

Starting pitcher ranking for Saturday