This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
It's time for some more World Baseball Classic action! The Saturday DFS slate features three games, with the first pitch at 6 p.m. ET. We have Puerto Rico against Panama, Israel versus Venezuela, and the United States taking on Great Britain. Here are some WBC DFS recommendations. The sample size of this tournament is not large, but in many instances we have plenty of information on these players in their professional lives.
Pitching
Ariel Jurado, PAN vs. PRO ($6,100): You have to roster a pitcher, two in fact. However, one commonplace sight in this tournament has been starting pitchers going two-or-three innings. As such, it feels like it makes less sense to put a lot of salary into your pitchers. Jurado is in line to start for Panama, and as a non-MLB pitcher, maybe he's more like to go three-or-for innings if things work out. While the righty didn't cut it in MLB, he's been a standout in Korea since 2022. Puerto Rico has some MLB hitters, but this is far from an imposing lineup. This is a team where Heliot Ramos and Nolan Arenado are the headliners.
Enmanuel De Jesus, VEN vs. ISR ($4,000): Venezuela has a good lineup, but the pitching drops off after Ranger Suarez. De Jesus is trying to catch back on in MLB, having signed a minor-league deal with the Tigers after some time in Korea. Israel's lineup is not imposing, unless you fear Harrison Bader, so at this salary I'd definitely roll the dice on De Jesus.
Top Target
In Venezuela's opener, Wilyer Abreu ($4,200) picked up two hits. He had his first 20-homer season in 2025, and in his career he has an .827 OPS against righties. Now, the Red Sox plan to led Abreu face more lefties, and it's not like Israel has a litany of southpaw superstars to come out of the bullpen anyway. Still, Israel's starter Ben Simon is a righty, and also the Wikipedia link for his name on the WBC Wikipedia page takes you to an unrelated retired hockey player. Probably not a good sign. As to the proper Simon, though, he's 23 and yet to pitch above Double-A.
Bargain Bat
Offering positional versatility at second base and third base Edmundo Sosa ($3,600) is coming off a season wherein he hit .276 with 11 homers and 12 doubles for the Phillies. That's workable for a second baseman, but the switch-hitting Sosa did that in 89 games. Having pitched Seth Lugo on Friday, Puerto Rico is left with an unremarkable selection of options at pitcher aside from closer Edwin Diaz. Sosa should not be overmatched by any hurler prior to if and when Diaz gets in the game.
Stack to Consider
United States vs. Great Britain (TBD): Bobby Witt ($5,800), Byron Buxton ($4,500), Brice Turang ($3,400)
It's possible the United States will do some lineup rotating, given how strong a roster it has. For example, why not let Cal Raleigh sit when your backup catcher is Will Smith? Great Britain hasn't named a starter as of this writing, but it started Jack Anderson, a 26-year-old who hasn't pitched outside the minor leagues, in an 8-2 defeat to Mexico. Vance Worley is retired and on the Great Britain roster. It's a pitching staff you clearly want to target, and I was just trying to get you three Americans at different positions with reasonable salary outlays.
Witt is one of the best players in baseball and a future MVP. He's a career .290 hitter who has stolen at least 30 bases in every one of his four MLB seasons and who has had at least 45 doubles in each of his last two campaigns. Buxton's trouble staying healthy may have the Twins heavily suggesting the Team USA staff rest him as much as possible. However, the righty is truly as powerful as any MLB hitter. He's slugged .534 over the last seven seasons and he hit 35 home runs in 126 games in 2025. Sure, 126 games is the second most he's ever played in a season, but when he's healthy, he's an elite slugger. The slick-fielding Turang once stole 50 bases in a season. Last year he "only" swiped 24 bags, but he hit .288 with 18 homers and 28 doubles as a second baseman. Plus, last season the southpaw had a .752 OPS versus lefties. Not that you should worry about Great Britain's bullpen.
