Zach Thompson gives his top studs and value plays for today’s fantasy baseball slate on DraftKings, which starts at 7:05 p.m. ET.

On this first Saturday of September, Major League Baseball has a few afternoon and early evening games, but the bulk of the schedule is available on DraftKings’ strong nine-game slate under the lights. With 18 teams in the player pool, multiple options make sense at almost every position. With some great matchups to attack and strong plays at a variety of price points, let’s dive in and take a look at my top MLB DFS picks from Saturday’s slate.

Before we get to the picks, here’s a quick reminder to check back on the weather before the action gets underway. Rain is in the forecast for Baltimore and Tampa Bay, which could cause those games to be delayed or postponed. Be sure to check back for the updated forecast, along with starting lineups, for any updates on availability before first pitch.

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $100K Bat Flip [$25K to 1st]!

PITCHERS

Stud

Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta Braves vs. Seattle Mariners, $9,700: The Braves are playing out a brutal season and are only 64-77, 12 games out of the third Wild Card spot. However, there have been a few bright spots, including a great second half from rookie Hurston Waldrep, who was initially called up to finish the resumption of the Speedway Classic. In his six games, Waldrep has dazzled with a 1.01 ERA, 2.66 FIP, 1.01 WHIP and 33 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings. He has only allowed four runs in those six games, averaging 22.0 fantasy points.

Waldrep had a weird zero-strikeout performance against the Marlins, but besides that, he has posted over 23 fantasy points in five straight outings. He had 23.95 fantasy points in a great start against the Phillies last Sunday in his most recent outing and has a pair of games over 29 fantasy points, showing his ceiling.

Even though he isn’t the most expensive play on the board, he’s my top stud option since he has such a high strikeout ceiling in this good matchup against Seattle. The Mariners have the fifth-highest K% in the majors over the last month while hitting just .237 as a team. They’ve lost four straight and six of their first seven on this current road trip.

Value

Stephen Kolek, Kansas City Royals vs. Minnesota Twins, $6,300: Kolek had 15.1 fantasy points in his first start for the Royals last week. He went six innings against the Tigers and allowed just one run on four hits. He has an easier matchup against the short-handed Twins on Saturday night at home, and he’ll look to establish himself as an important piece of Kansas City’s rotation.

Kolek had a few strong outings early this season for the Padres, going 4-5 with a 4.18 ERA and 4.28 FIP before being traded to the Royals at the trade deadline. He has been working in Triple-A since joining the Royals, but he will get a second straight start filling in for Seth Lugo (back). Kolek doesn’t have a high strikeout ceiling, but in a favorable matchup at this bargain salary, he brings great potential value at just over $6K.

INFIELD

Stud

Rafael Devers, San Francisco Giants at St. Louis Cardinals, $5,400: Devers has been on fire over the past month and is averaging 18.2 fantasy points per game over his last nine contests while going 16-for-37 (.432) with six home runs and 15 RBIs.

He smashed his 31st homer of the season on Friday night in St. Louis, and he’ll be in a good matchup against Andre Pallante ($5,600) on Saturday. Pallante has an ugly 5.91 home ERA and has given up 48 runs in 49 2/3 innings over his last 10 starts. The Giants’ offense has been heating up over the last two weeks as the team has surged back into the Wild Card race, and Devers is a great anchor to build a Giants stack around on Saturday.

Stud

Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves vs. Seattle Mariners, $4,000: Like most of the Braves, Albies hasn’t had a great year overall, but he has been heating up lately, making him a great midrange play on Saturday night. He has at least 14 fantasy points in each of his four games this month with an extra-base hit in each game.

Albies has eight multi-hit games in his last 10 contests with three doubles, a triple, five homers and a 51.4% hard-hit rate. In those 10 games, he is averaging 16.2 fantasy points per game. He and the Braves should be able to get Waldrep some run support against Bryce Miller ($5,900), who is 4-5 with a 5.71 ERA in his 13 games this season.

Value

Nick Sogard, Boston Red Sox at Arizona Diamondbacks, $2,500: Sogard wasn’t in the lineup on Friday against a lefty, but if he gets the start against righty Brandon Pfaadt ($6,500), he’ll be a huge potential bargain value. Sogard is hitting .242 in his 19 games in the majors this season with a stolen base and a .287 wOBA.

Sogard has been exceptional in Triple-A, though, showing his upside by going 22-for-50 (.440) with a 12-game hitting streak in Worcester. He had two homers and two stolen bases during that span while scoring 14 runs. Sogard has a very strong hit tool and makes good contact on a regular basis, which sets him up as a very strong value at this low salary. He can fit at 1B alongside Albies, or you can move him to 2B if you want to go with a bigger slugger at 1B.

OUTFIELD

Stud

Ramon Laureano, San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies, $5,500: Laureano and the Padres were shut out at Coors Field on Friday by Kyle Freeland. It was a weird night and continued the Padres’ offensive struggles, but I expect them to bounce back on Saturday night in a juicy matchup with rookie McCade Brown ($5,300), who has given up seven runs on 10 hits in 7 2/3 innings in his two MLB starts after jumping all the way from Double-A. In his limited sample size, Brown has struggled with right-handed hitters like Laureano.

Laureano has been one of the Padres’ few consistent contributors on offense, and the 31-year-old has been a huge addition since joining the Friars at the trade deadline. In his 32 games since joining San Diego, Laureano has a .322 batting average and .405 wOBA with five doubles, seven homers and a 52.2% hard-hit rate. He has a six-game hitting streak coming into Saturday’s matchup and brings a very high ceiling at Coors Field.

Value

Jeremiah Jackson, Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, $3,400: Jackson has been a great value play since sliding into the second spot in the Orioles order, and he continues to find ways to contribute just about every night. He went 1-for-4 on Friday and has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games.

Over his last 21 games, Jackson is 29-for-85 (.341) with four doubles, four homers and a .395 wOBA. He has averaged 10.2 fantasy points per game over his last 10 contests and has both power and speed potential to go with his consistent contact rate. Jackson can also slide to 3B as a value to increase his flexibility in your roster construction.

Value

Joc Pederson, Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros, $2,600: Pederson is a bargain with good upside based on his recent form, since he’s turned things around after a brutal start. He’s still hitting only .178 with a .280 wOBA on the year, but he has been much better since Aug. 1, hitting .275 with a .376 wOBA and six homers.

Four of those homers have come in his last 12 games, and he has averaged 9.4 fantasy points per game over that stretch. The veteran lefty has done almost all his damage against righties and at home, so facing Hunter Brown at Globe Life Field is a tough matchup, but one that also puts him on the strong side of his splits. Brown has been dominant on both sides of the splits this year, but lefties have hit for a little more power against him, making Pederson a boom-or-bust flier with upside in Saturday’s Texas-sized rivalry.