Squad Up Daily MLB Fantasy Dose: Beware the Ranger danger

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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily MLB fantasy picture for the five-game slate beginning at 8:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 8:

Hitter Stacks

• Texas Rangers vs. Oakland Athletics (RHP Kendall Graveman): Graveman has allowed six earned runs in 12 1/3 innings of work at Globe Life Park in his career. The Rangers ranked 11th in the majors in team OPS vs. RHPs in 2016 and currently rank fourth with a .866 team OPS vs. RHPs in 2017 in 139 PAs. OF Nomar Mazara is off to one of the hottest starts in baseball.

3-player stack: Mazara (48K), 2B Rougned Odor (52K), C Jonathan Lucroy (48K)

• Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies (RHP Jon Gray): We've now seen 108 1/3 innings from Rockies pitcher Jon Gray at home in Colorado, which confirms what we all knew: it's really hard to pitch at Coors Field. A 5.09 ERA at altitude plays into the hands of a red-hot Dodgers squad.

3-player stack: SS Corey Seager (61K), 1B Adrian Gonzalez (53K), OF Yasiel Puig (48K)

• Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Cleveland Indians (RHP Trevor Bauer): We could drone on and on about Bauer's solid career HR/9 rate of 1.04, but Chase Field still sees much of the same stat-juicing effects enjoyed in Colorado. High altitude means less air resistance, which means balls move faster and further when put in the air. Load up on power bats.

3-player stack: 2B Brandon Drury (47K), OF A.J. Pollock (57K), 1B Paul Goldschmidt (64K)

Pitcher Breakdown

• TARGET - LHP Madison Bumgarner (106K), Giants (at Padres): Priced 29K cheaper than his rival on the Dodgers (more on him later), Bumgarner gets to face a much weaker lineup in a much friendlier venue. MadBum struck out 10.2 Padres batters per nine innings in 2016. He's the safest play of the late slate.

• BARGAIN - RHP Ricky Nolasco (45K), Angels (vs. Mariners): Nolasco had a clunky outing in his season debut, allowing three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Most of the damage was done on a pair of solo HRs. The Mariners have scored the fewest runs per game in the majors so far, so expect Nolasco's ability to suppress scoring chances to be sharper.

• FADE - LHP Clayton Kershaw (135K), Dodgers (at Rockies): You're telling me I can spend nearly half of my budget on one player, and he's pitching in the launching pad which is Coors Field? Where do I sign up? Kershaw is the greatest pitcher of a generation, but there's obvious letdown potential here.

• CONTRARIAN - RHP Felix Hernandez (51K), Mariners (at Angels): Hernandez left his last start relatively early due to groin tightness, but still tossed five innings, finishing with six Ks and two earned runs. Had he muscled through another inning and change, he would have been looking at a very strong day. Look for him to build on that abbreviated outing against the Angels.

Bargain Plays

• OF Gerardo Parra (32K), Rockies (vs. Dodgers): Parra has gotten off to a fantastic start, hitting .375 and proving that he can be a RBI creator from the back half of the Rockies' order. His rock-bottom price is a testament to the Kershaw effect, never mind that Parra has actually gone 10-for-30 with four extra-base hits against the ace in his career.

• 3B Yandy Diaz (36K), Indians (at Diamondbacks): Diaz has four runs scored in four games, along with three hits and one walk. He won't convert every time on base into a scoring opportunity, and he could stand to improve a weak .200 BA on the season, but when Diaz gets on base ahead of the top of the order, the engine of the Cleveland lineup can help push him across.

• C Dustin Garneau (30K), Rockies (vs. Dodgers): If you've spent way too much money on your infielders and outfielders, you could do worse than taking a flier on Garneau. He grants cheap exposure to a potent Rockies lineup and is off to a good start, reaching base in five of eight PAs, including a home run and a double. If Kershaw blanks him, at least he'll provide immense salary savings.

Top Fades

• 2B Robinson Cano (58K), Mariners (at Angels): When Corey Seager is only 3K more and playing at Coors Field, there's really no reason to roster Cano. The Mariners' vet hasn't helped his case by getting off to a cool start, hitting just .200 with just one extra-base hit in 22 PAs.

• C Stephen Vogt (48K), Athletics (at Rangers): Vogt is priced at the same tier as opposing backstop Jonathan Lucroy and just 5K behind Buster Posey. When your other options are arguably the two best catchers in the game, there's no reason to spend this much on a proven non-commodity. Either spend up for the studs or go with a cheap flier.

• OF Travis Jankowski (33K), Padres (vs. Giants): Jankowski is a noted speedster, able to swipe bases at an above average rate. But as they say, you can't steal first base - and Jankowski's not likely to hit himself on base, either. The Padres outfielder has posted a remarkably bad .381 OPS vs. LHPs. Bumgarner will be licking his chops.

Contrarian Plays

• OF Mike Trout (62K), Angels (vs. Mariners): To those that create rosters based on name-value alone, a tilt with King Felix sounds like trouble, even for Trout. The two have a pretty substantial history, having played in the AL West for years. Trout actually has a 1.187 OPS in 76 ABs against the future Hall of Famer, so there's not much to worry about here.

• 3B Kyle Seager (55K), Mariners (at Angels): Want to spend 55K on a player hitting just .125 to start the season? Crickets (or should we say "Grasshoppers?"). Seager hit .307 against RHPs last season, so he'll correct his slow start sooner than later. No need to over-react to a four-game sample size when it comes to this consistently good hitter.

• OF Joey Gallo (43K), Rangers (vs. Athletics): If your aim is to take down a deep tournament pool, you - and your virtual team - will literally have to swing for the fences. There is a small but not insignificant chance that Gallo homers in literally every plate appearance on a given day; there's a much larger chance that he records a golden sombrero.

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

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)