With a handful of aces on the board who aren't performing to their ability, daily fantasy baseball players might be better off spending their money elsewhere Saturday.
Big names like Madison Bumgarner, Clayton Kershaw and Johnny Cueto have all put together huge games and are always capable of more, but they have each been inconsistent this season. If you add some sleepers in your lineup instead of spending money on these stars, you could be better off with a deeper lineup.
Regardless of your strategy, here is a look at some quality options for your May 9 team.
Pitchers to Start
Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros ($8,600)
The start of the year has been as good as Dallas Keuchel possibly could have imagined. The 27-year-old pitcher currently has a 0.80 ERA in six games and hasn't allowed more than one run in the past four starts.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports thinks he has been the best pitcher in the league to this point:
It's obviously difficult to sustain this level of success, but he is showing no signs of slowing down, and fantasy owners should stay on the bandwagon as long as he's performing well.
Jake Odorizzi, Tampa Bay Rays ($7,500)
All six of Jake Odorizzi's starts to this point have been against the American League East, and he has survived to the tune of a 2.21 ERA. Although the Texas Rangers have come alive lately, this lineup should still be easier to face than any the pitcher has seen to this point.
With his ability to keep opponents off the basepaths (0.89 WHIP), Odorizzi should be able to keep putting up zeroes.
Pitcher to Avoid
Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves ($9,000)
The Washington Nationals struggled in the early part of the season, but the lineup is coming alive as it continues to get healthy. This is bad news for any pitcher facing them, including Saturday's starter Julio Teheran.
In six appearances, the Braves star only has three quality starts while struggling with his control. Until he gets more consistent, it might be best to avoid Teheran for the current price.
Hitters to Start
Yasmani Grandal, C, Los Angeles Dodgers ($4,200)
One game will make Yasmani Grandal's stats look much better as he finished Thursday with four hits, two home runs and eight RBI. However, it's important to note the catcher has been performing well for a while with a consistent approach at the plate.
Competing in the hitter-friendly Coors Field will only give him a better chance of putting up some big numbers.
Dee Gordon, 2B, Miami Marlins ($4,200)
It's important to see if he is starting as Dee Gordon who was held out of Friday's game with a leg injury, but if he is in the Marlins lineup you need to have him in yours.
Gordon has been incredible this season with a .437 batting average and has been even better as of late, via Ace of Stats:
Although he doesn't provide much power, his consistency and ability to steal bases makes him a great option at second base.
Hitter to Avoid
Edwin Encarnacion, 1B, Toronto Blue Jays ($5,200)
Boston Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly has struggled this season, which makes selecting Toronto Blue Jays hitters especially appealing Saturday. However, Edwin Encarnacion has the cost of one of the top hitters in the game without playing like it this season.
Even though he is back over the Mendoza Line, he hasn't shown much power all year and would represent a big risk to break out in his next game.
Team to Stack
Boston Red Sox
Drew Hutchison has not fared well over his past few starts. After allowing six earned runs in each of the last two games, the Toronto Blue Jays pitcher has a 7.47 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP. He has now allowed at least four earned runs in four of his six appearances.
In a park that has historically been a good one to hit home runs, the Boston Red Sox should be able to put up some big numbers against the struggling Hutchinson.
Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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