Check out all of our starting pitcher rankings and other lineup selection tools here to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions. MLB betting tips for each day's slate of games will also be added in the morning. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET
, and all fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.
Note: All information is accurate as of the time of publication. For updates, including what you might have missed from last night, as well as any breaking news that might impact today's MLB slate, be sure to check out the latest fantasy baseball news.
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Pitchers to stream on Saturday
The Chicago White Sox are developing the reputation for getting more from their pitchers, with Adrian Houser an example. Seven of his eight outings are quality starts. Houser's 4.06 xFIP and 4.46 SIERA indicate his 1.56 ERA is due for a steep uptick, but with the White Sox visiting the Pittsburgh Pirates, the veteran is probably safe for at least one more start as he'll face a lineup with the second lowest wOBA versus right-handers.
Emmet Sheehan hasn't thrown more than 80 pitches in any of his three outings, but working as a traditional starter coming out of the break suggests that the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to take off the kid gloves, beginning with Saturday at home against the Milwaukee Brewers. Sheehan fanned 13 with just four walks over 13 1/3 innings in three efforts heading into the break. The Brewers don't strike out much, but their home run output is well below average, so Sheehan has a shot at a quality start.
Yu Darvish stretched out to 82 pitches in his last start before the break. He was touched for four runs in 4 2/3 innings, but he's poised for a strong second half. His first post-break outing is a road start against the Washington Nationals and the 10th lowest wOBA facing right-handers.
Pitchers to avoid on Saturday
In a classic case of something must give, Shota Imanaga will take the hill in Wrigley Field against the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox strike out a lot, favoring the Chicago Cubs lefty. However, the visitors sport a top five wOBA facing southpaws, making it risky to roll with Imanaga.
Hitters to stream on Saturday
Things are bad when you need to start Joey Wentz in the second game after the break, but the Atlanta Braves are in a bind. They claimed Wentz off waivers last week and after stifling the St. Louis Cardinals last weekend with three scoreless innings featuring six punchouts, the lefty draws a start against the New York Yankees. Jasson Dominguez, Paul Goldschmidt, Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Volpe all benefit from the platoon edge over the vulnerable southpaw.
Betting tips
Best/worst pitcher/hitter matchups and betting projections are generated by THE BAT X, a 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. Betting projections for every player, team, and game can be found at EV Analytics.
Note: Expected Value is a measure of how good a bet is, factoring the probability that it will win versus the odds the book is providing. If you were to wager $1.00 100 times on a bet with an Expected Value of $25, you would win some and you would lose some, but in the end you would expect to come away with $25 in profit on your $100 investment.
Because odds typically do not get set until the previous day's games are completed, betting tips will be added in the morning.