This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
After dealing with a lot of day games to start the season, we have 13 contests to choose from for Friday's main evening slate on Yahoo. With so much to wade through, let's get right down to business and highlight some players who could end up being highly owned.
Pitching Overview
The starter who will likely be the highest owned for this slate is Carlos Carrasco ($52) in his matchup against the Royals. After being hammered for six runs across 4.1 innings in his first start of the season, he rebounded to allow two runs while recording a whopping 12 strikeouts over five innings against the Blue Jays. After posting a 29.5 percent strikeout rate last year, he carries tremendous upside against a Royals lineup that isn't very imposing and lacks power.
Another popular choice should be Patrick Corbin ($47) against the Pirates. Corbin had a breakout campaign for the Diamondbacks last year with a 2.61 xFIP, 1.05 WHIP and a 30.8 percent strikeout rate. The timing couldn't have been better as it helped him land a big free-agent deal with the Nationals over the winter. After a couple of respectable starts against the Mets to open the season, he'll face a Pirates team that has been hampered by injuries to their outfield and is tied for the second-fewest home runs (eight) in the league.
For those looking to go the cheaper route at starting pitcher, Brad Keller ($36) might not be a bad choice. He hasn't exactly faced the toughest of opponents with his first three starts coming against the White Sox, Twins and Tigers, but he did his job by holding them to six runs across 19 innings. He'll be faced with another favorable opponent Friday against an Indians team that misses Francisco Lindor (ankle/calf) in the worst way. It's been so bad that they have the fourth-lowest OPS (.610) in the league. With so many people likely to deploy Carrasco, Keller could be a viable contrarian tournament play.
Key Values/Chalk
The Orioles pitching staff is terrible, so they are going to be targeted more often than not. That should certainly be the case Friday when David Hess takes the mound against the Red Sox in Fenway Park. Hess produced just an 8.3 percent swinging strike rate last season and has followed that up with a 7.1 percent mark over his first two starts. He also gave up 22 home runs across just 103.1 innings last year, so he can give up runs in a hurry. Expect J.D. Martinez ($25) and Mookie Betts ($25) to be in plenty of lineups.
The Dodgers will look to keep their hot offensive start rolling when they take on Corbin Burnes and the Brewers. Burnes has certainly produced a mixed bag across his first two outings. While he has 18 strikeouts over 10 innings, he's also allowed six home runs. Cody Bellinger ($24) figures to be among the highest owned players at any position while Max Muncy ($21), Justin Turner ($17) and A.J. Pollock ($17) should also be highly targeted.
The Astros kick off their series against the Mariners after an impressive sweep against the Yankees. Jose Altuve ($22) led the charge by going 5-for-12 with four home runs. Based on his hot streak and career .384 wOBA against left-handed pitchers, he'll be in a lot of lineups for this matchup against Wade LeBlanc. Even though he won his first two starts, LeBlanc allowed eight runs (six earned) over 11.1 innings. Alex Bregman ($22) would also be a popular choice if he's able to return from his hamstring injury.
Stacks
A Red Sox stack against the Orioles is going to be chalk for the evening. The Orioles have allowed 50 runs over their last five games. Other than Betts and Martinez, Xander Bogaerts ($20) is also someone to target. He actually had better numbers against right-handed pitchers last year (.379 wOBA) than he did lefties (.350 wOBA). For those looking to save a couple of bucks, Mitch Moreland ($18) makes a lot of sense at first base.
The Dodgers have so many good hitters that you could go a few different ways while stacking them. There are the big names like Bellinger, Muncy, Turner and Pollock, while Joc Pederson ($18) and Enrique Hernandez ($19) also provide upside. Corey Seager ($16) might not be off to the best of starts, but he has a career .379 wOBA against righties. However, you'll need to monitor his status after he left Thursday's game with a hamstring contusion. For those going with the Astros, Carlos Correa ($19) and his .370 wOBA against lefties should also be highly considered.
With so many stacks that stand out as great options, where can you turn to in tournament play to try and gain an advantage with low ownership percentages? Don't sleep on the Giants against Chad Bettis and the Rockies. Bettis was very hittable last year with his 1.40 WHIP and 15.4 percent strikeout rate. He's also been crushed in his first two starts, allowing 12 runs (11 earned) over 8.1 innings. If you do want to take a chance on the Giants, building your stack around Brandon Belt ($14) and Kevin Pillar ($10) would be a good place to start.
