Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.
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.
Jones sets up as Saturday streamer selection
Jared Jones has experienced mixed results since returning from a lat injury in late August. After struggling against the Chicago Cubs in his first start back (5 ER in 4 IP), he bounced back with a pair of quality starts, which included a 7-inning, 2-run, 9-strikeout performance versus the Washington Nationals. Jones then took a slight step back in his most recent outing against the Kansas City Royals, failing to get out of the fourth inning.
Despite the ups and downs, there are positive signs for Jones. His velocity has returned to preinjury levels, and the Pittsburgh Pirates have not placed strict limitations on his pitch count; he has surpassed 90 pitches in each of his last two starts. This bodes well for his final couple of outings of 2024, including Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds.
While Jones struggled against the Royals, one of the toughest teams in the majors to strike out, he is poised to get better results against Cincinnati. The Reds hold the sixth-highest strikeout rate in baseball at 24.6%, and that mark has ballooned to 27.2% over the past two weeks. They have also been one of the worst offensive teams in baseball during that two-week stretch, ranking 28th with a 72 wRC+.
Jones remains available in roughly half of ESPN leagues and is a no-brainer streamer in this spot. The skills are intact, and a favorable matchup against a struggling offense is too good to pass up.
Everything else you need to know for Saturday
Matthew Boyd (24% rostered in ESPN leagues) struggled in his most recent outing against the Minnesota Twins, but he finds himself in a nice bounce-back spot Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals have fared poorly against left-handed pitching this season, ranking in the bottom five with an 86 wRC+, and the offense has continued to struggle in September (92 wRC+). On the season, Boyd holds a 2.52 ERA and 1.07 WHIP while striking out hitters at a 27.2% clip.
With a home matchup against the Chicago White Sox on tap, Martin Perez (9%) also belongs in the streamer discussion. The San Diego Padres lefty has pitched well of late, posting a 2.39 ERA over his past nine starts. He has allowed more than three earned runs just once in that span. The White Sox, meanwhile, remain in the cellar in terms of offense, ranking last in MLB with a 75 wRC+.
In his return from the injured list last Saturday, Max Scherzer (34%) didn't pitch past the fourth inning, but he ramped up to 73 pitches. This means he could get up to 80-plus Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. The M's sport the highest strikeout rate in baseball this year at 27.1%, so even if Scherzer has another abbreviated outing this weekend, he could still rack up a handful of Ks.
On the hitting side, consider Los Angeles Dodgers batters against Cal Quantrill, one of the lowest-ranked hurlers of the day. The right-hander owns a 6.79 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over his past 11 starts, giving up 11 combined free passes over his past two starts alone. Many of the Dodgers' big bats are already rostered, but Max Muncy (65%) and Tommy Edman (52%) are fine pickups if available.
Betting tip of the day: Merrill Kelly's strikeout rate is down a bit this year, but he's in a good spot to rack up some Ks on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers, who are striking out at a 25.1% clip over the last month (third-highest mark in the NL). Take over 4.5 total strikeouts (-135) for the Arizona right-hander.
Starting pitcher rankings for Saturday
Reliever report
To get the latest information on each team's bullpen hierarchy, as well as which pitchers might be facing a bit of fatigue and who might be the most likely suspects to vulture a save or pick up a surprise hold in their stead, check out the latest Closer Chart, which will be updated every morning.
Hitting report
Plan ahead in fantasy baseball with help from our Forecaster projections. Each day, we will provide an updated preview of the next 10 days for every team, projecting the matchup quality for hitters (overall and by handedness) as well as for base stealers.
Best sub-50% rostered hitters for Saturday
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.
Oneil Cruz (PIT, SS -- 50%) at Rhett Lowder
Jorge Soler (ATL, RF -- 50%) at Adam Oller
Jonathan India (CIN, 2B -- 26%) vs. Jared Jones
Andrew McCutchen (PIT, DH -- 2%) at Lowder
Wyatt Langford (TEX, LF -- 46%) vs. Emerson Hancock
Rowdy Tellez (PIT, 1B -- 1%) at Lowder
Tyler Stephenson (CIN, C -- 39%) vs. Jones
Michael Conforto (SF, RF -- 11%) at Brady Singer
Nathaniel Lowe (TEX, 1B -- 18%) vs. Hancock
Josh Smith (TEX, SS -- 24%) vs. Hancock
Worst over-50% rostered hitters for Saturday
J.T. Realmuto (PHI, C -- 80%) at Sean Manaea
Kyle Schwarber (PHI, LF -- 99%) at Manaea
Anthony Volpe (NYY, SS -- 68%) at JP Sears
Randy Arozarena (SEA, LF -- 72%) at Max Scherzer
Brandon Nimmo (NYM, CF -- 85%) vs. Ranger Suarez
Nick Castellanos (PHI, RF -- 73%) at Manaea
Royce Lewis (MIN, 3B -- 78%) at Kutter Crawford
Eugenio Suarez (ARI, 3B -- 52%) at Aaron Civale
Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY, CF -- 90%) at Sears
Brice Turang (MIL, 2B -- 68%) vs. Merrill Kelly