The Rangers dropped the first game of the series against the Marlins 6-4, in extra innings. That puts a damper on their playoff chances. However, Jack Leiter takes the mound and he will look to lead the Rangers to a win on Saturday against the Adam Mazur, who has struggled with an 0-4 win-loss record, and earned run average of 4.85.
Here is who to target for the Rangers against the Marlins:
Starting Pitcher Jack Leiter ($8,000):
Leiter has not faced the Marlins thus far in his career; however, based on the way he has looked this season, he has performed better at home, with a 6-2 win-loss record, than on the road with a 3-7 win-loss record. His earned run average at home is also lower, although he has pitched four more innings there than on the road. In a slate with very few aces on the mound, and Leiter facing an average Marlins offense, while pitching at home, he should be on the radar for daily fantasy players.
Outfielder Joc Pederson ($3,000):
Pederson has struggled this season, but he did have a big game on Friday against the Marlins and will look to build on that performance. During Friday's matchup, Pederson had one hit and one run, while drawing a walk, totaling 11 fantasy points. For that price tag, Pederson is worth taking as he has hit seven of his eight home-runs off right-handed batters this season.
First Baseman Rowdy Tellez ($2,700):
Tellez was not in the lineup on Friday, but he came into the game as a pinch hitter and swatted a home-run. On the season, Tellez has managed a .245 batting average against right-handed pitchers, hitting 16 home-runs, 42 runs batted in, while drawing 13 walks. He is a value play for Saturday's slate.
Third Baseman Josh Jung ($3,500):
Playing the hot hand, in the past four games, Jung has garnered five hits, three runs, one home-run, and five runs batted in. On the season, he has a slightly higher batting average against right-handed pitchers (.252) than left-handed pitchers (.248), and given the price tag, Jung could be a very solid option at third base in Saturday's slate.
Here is who to avoid for the Rangers against the Marlins:
Outfielder Adolis Garcia ($4,200):
In the month of September, Garcia has gone 1-for-22, batting just 0.45 on average. On Friday, his cold streak continued, going 0-for-5, and due to a right-handed pitcher being on the mound, it's best to avoid Garcia in Saturday's slate. If his price tag was lower, he might have been in the target category, but his current price is too steep based on the form he has been in.