Slate Breaker: FD MLB DFS (4/6)

Top Pitchers

Play of the Day: Joe Ryan, Twins (vs Guardians)

Joe Ryan took no time to get settled into the 2024 season looking like his usual self in the opener. He pumped the zone with strikes and wasted no time going right after every hitter he faced. He did get pulled a bit early when he got into a sixth inning jam, but he still pitched 5.1 innings of 1 run ball. Expect another strong outing against a Guardian team that Joe Ryan has been nothing but successful against. In 8 career matchups, Joe Ryan has only allowed the Guardians to score more than 2 runs once and he still delivered a quality start in that game. If you want a safe pitcher who will not let you down, roll with Ryan.

Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays (@ Yankees)

Since coming to the Blue Jays, Kevin Gausman has been one of the best pitchers in baseball and his dominance against the Yankees is some of the best evidence to certify that claim. Over his past 7 starts against the Yankees, Gausman has a 1.17 ERA and a 11.5 K9. Those are some monstrous numbers so until the Yankees prove they can hit him, he is a must start anytime he plays them. This is a much improved Yankees offense but the track record is far too strong to ignore.

Garrett Whitlock, Red Sox (@ Angels)

Whitlock has as much potential as any pitcher in baseball. He can strikeout any hitter with either his lively fastball or devastating slider. The main thing that has been holding him back from taking that next step into acehood is his lack of precision. He throws way too many pitches per at bat leading to early exits and ultimately led to him being demoted from the rotation multiple times. He seems to have more stable footing in the rotation allowing him a longer leash which will hopefully allow him to refine his approach and actually become consistent enough to be a reliable MLB starter. He looked great in his first start of 2024 with 5 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 8 Mariners. He was also fairly efficient using just 81 pitches to get through his outing so if he can build on this outing against a weaker Angels lineup, he will be a great fantasy asset.

Reid Detmers, Angels (vs Red Sox)

Detmers can be a bit hit or miss thanks to his high walk numbers but if he can keep the ball in the strike zone, he is a great pitcher. He matches up very well against the lefty heavy Red Sox with their current roster going a combined 3 for 17 against Detmers over his career. He will not have monster strikeout numbers against the Red Sox, but he does have a good shot of coming away with a quality start.


Top Stacks

Orioles (@ Pirates)

Start every right handed hitter on the Orioles. Heck, even the lefty Gunnar Henderson will be a solid play. The Orioles take on Bailey Falter who is nothing more than an inning eater with an ERA over 5.00 in every year of his career except one. Right handed hitters absolutely crush him so Adley Rutschman, Anthony Santander, Ryan Mountcastle are all stellar plays on Saturday.

Cardinals (vs Marlins)

The Cardinals offense is built on the backs of Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras; and what do all these guys have in common? They are right handed hitters who have had a career's worth of success against left handed pitchers so whenever a beatable lefty takes the mound against them, this offense is primed for a big day. On Saturday, they take on Trevor Rogers who has been very beatable since 2022 with a 5.33 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP so expect the core of this Cardinals lineup to find plenty of success against the former All Star.

Royals (vs White Sox)

Bobby Witt Jr. is a must play at this point since he has been rocketing every pitch he's been getting with the highest average exit velocity in the league by a large margin, but this whole Royals lineup is a great play on Saturday. They face Chris Flexen who was solid in his first couple years with the Mariners but has since lost his precision leading him to offer up a bunch of meatballs to opponents. In 2023, Flexen got annihilated, allowing a 6.86 ERA and a 2.2 HR9. Flexen did not look any better in his season debut allowing 4 ERs over 4.1 innings. The Royals should easily score at least 5 runs so there will be production throughout this lineup.


One Offs

Bryce Harper, Phillies (@ Nationals)

Harper has dominated his old team over his career. Over 245 career at bats, Harper hit .310 while hitting an XBH in 13.4% of his at bats. He is a must play anytime he plays the Nationals, but he is in line for a huge day on Saturday since he is slated to face Jake Irvin. The right handed Irvin has not been great over his young career with a 4.64 ERA while getting bitten by the long ball with a career 1.43 HR9. I like Harper's chances of hitting his 4th homer of the season on Saturday.

Corey Seager, Rangers (vs Astros)

The Rangers face JP France who is not great at missing bats, but he is good at limiting hard contact which has led to some success at the major league level. Corey Seager is not someone who makes soft contact though with a 53.2 hard hit percentage a year ago. Since France will not be able to miss Seager's bat expect the Ranger shortstop to make some solid contact off of France. He has a history of success already with 2 HRs in just 3 career at bats against France so he will be the main catalyst for the Rangers offense on Saturday.

Brandon Lowe, Rays (@ Rockies)

The entire Rays lineup is worthy of consideration since they are playing at Coors, but Brandon Lowe is the main guy who stands out. Lowe is the only proven lefty in this lineup so with a weak RHP on the mound I like Lowe's chances of squaring up a couple of balls. It will also be a fairly warm day on Saturday so the balls should have a bit more pop off the bat so I really like Lowe's chances of hitting a dinger.


Dream Team

SP: Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays (@ Yankees)

C/1B: Vinnie Pasquantino, Royals (vs White Sox)

2B: Oliver Dunn, Brewers (vs Mariners)

3B: Jose Caballero, Rays (@ Rockies)

SS: Corey Seager, Rangers (vs Astros)

OF: Jose Siri, Rays (@ Rockies)

OF: Richie Palacios, Rays (@ Rockies)

OF: MJ Melendez, Royals (vs White Sox)

UTL: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals (vs White Sox)


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