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Squad Up Daily MLB Late Fantasy Dose: Up comes Frazier!

Jason Getz / USA TODAY Sports

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily MLB fantasy picture for the five-game slate beginning at 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 27:

Hitter Stacks

  • Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets (RHP Zack Wheeler): The Pirates have scored 38 runs over their past seven games -- a notable improvement for a team still sitting 24th in runs scored. OFs Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco are unavailable for selection, so go with a more unheralded trio.

3-player stack: 2B Adam Frazier (49K), C Francisco Cervelli (43K), 1B Josh Bell (52K)

  • St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies (LHP Kyle Freeland): Freeland has pitched just 23 2/3 innings at home this season so his 3.80 ERA at Coors Field lacks much meaning. Though he surrendered just one home run in his first seven starts, Freeland has given up three bombs in his past two starts.

3-player stack: 3B Jedd Gyorko (62K), SS Aledmys Diaz (55K), OF Dexter Fowler (59K)

Pitcher Breakdown

  • TARGET/BARGAIN - LHP Ty Blach (37K), Giants (vs. Braves): This season at home, Blach has pitched to a 1.59 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 28 1/3 innings. Blach has also lasted exactly seven innings in four of his past five starts. With an uninspiring Atlanta offense on the other end of this matchup, there's no reason for a dip in performance.
  • FADE - RHP Zack Wheeler (76K), Mets (at Pirates): At this price, it would be much preferred to get a more stable starter. Though Wheeler has respectable numbers, he has pitched six innings or more in just three of his eight starts. Wheeler has also allowed 14 walks over his past four starts.
  • CONTRARIAN - RHP Adam Wainwright (74K), Cardinals (at Rockies): Wainwright is a surprising 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA in five appearances at Coors Field over his career. This year, Wainwright is inducing groundballs at 48.1 percent clip and has given up just four homers in 48 2/3 innings. He may be able to mitigate the park factors.

Bargain Plays

  • SS Jordy Mercer (38K), Pirates (vs. Mets): Mercer is a healthy 10-for-20 with two homers and six RBI over his past five games. Few hitters have been hotter than him over the past week. Against Wheeler, Mercer should be able to continue his hot streak.
  • OF Cody Bellinger (38K), Dodgers (vs. Cubs): Bellinger has cooled down of late, but he is still hitting .275 and has 25 RBI on the season. Most recently, he slid down to sixth in the lineup. But that is still a fine place for him to rake considering his power. Chicago SP John Lackey owns a 4.82 ERA and 2.06 HR/9.

Top Fades

  • 1B Matt Carpenter (61K), Cardinals (at Rockies): Carpenter has just three extra-base hits and a .184 average against LHP pitching this season. Though Freeland is a rookie, Carpenter's splits are simply too poor to invest this amount of salary. Gyorko makes for a better selection.
  • C Welington Castillo (36K), Orioles (at Astros): Castillo is 1-for-16 in his past four games. That dip is quite drastic considering the numbers he put up in his first few games back from the DL. With Houston ace Dallas Keuchel taking the mound, another poor outing seems likely.

Contrarian Plays

  • OF Ender Inciarte (49K), Braves (at Giants): Inciarte lacks the power upside most look for in an OF selection. But his .343 average against LHP pitching makes up for that rather quickly. Prior to a 0-fer outing on Friday, Inciarte had gone 11-for-19 in his past four games.
  • 1B Adrian Gonzalez (53K), Dodgers (vs. Cubs): Gonzalez hit his first homer of the year Friday against Chicago. With that knock, Gonzalez now has hits in each of his past three games. Hitting fourth should provide him with RBI opportunities against a rocky Lackey.

For up-to-the-minute starting lineups, check out Baseball Press.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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