This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
After a limited slate Thursday, Major League Baseball sets up for a busy Friday with 14 games on the schedule. Yahoo will include 11 of those in their main evening contest, leaving plenty of options to wade through. Let's try to narrow things down and highlight some players to consider.
Pitchers
There is no shortage of aces set to take the mound. While there are a lot of great options, one that stands out in the top-tier price range is Shane Bieber ($50) against the Royals. He is coming off of a breakout 2019 season in which he recorded a 3.28 ERA that was supported by a 3.32 FIP. He also stepped up his game in the strikeout department, posting a 30.1 percent strikeout rate. The Royals don't have a deep lineup, to begin with, and will now have to play without Hunter Dozier (illness), who was one of their best hitters last season.
Looking for a pitcher on the cheaper end of the price scale brings us to Ross Stripling ($26), who will start the Dodgers' second game of the season. He opens with a spot in the starting rotation because David Price decided to opt out of the season. Stripling has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen during his career. His career 3.71 ERA as a starting pitcher is certainly respectable and he also a 1.20 WHIP in that role. He is faced with a stellar matchup against the Giants, who will be playing without Evan Longoria (oblique), Brandon Belt (heel) and Buster Posey, who decided to opt out of the season. Based on this matchup, Stripling will be difficult to resist given his price.
Top Targets
Marcus Semien ($21) put it all together last season, finishing with a .373 wOBA and a .237 ISO. His counting stats were also stellar with 33 home runs, 92 RBI and 123 runs scored. He particularly excelled against left-handed pitchers, posting a .388 wOBA against them. That could mean that he starts off 2020 on the right foot facing southpaw Andrew Heaney ($33), who struggled last season with a 4.91 ERA and a 4.63 FIP.
The Rockies will send German Marquez ($37) to the mound in their opener against the Rangers in Texas. Marquez won't have to pitch at Coors Field, where he allowed 1.6 HR/9 last season. However, he wasn't much better on the road, allowing 1.4 HR/9. He'll have his work cut out for him against Joey Gallo ($20), who launched 22 home runs in only 70 games last season.
Bargain Bats
Starting for the Royals against the Indians will be Danny Duffy ($27), who has produced a FIP of at least 4.70 in back-to-back seasons. With the lefty on the mound, Jordan Luplow ($11) is an intriguing cheap option to consider. Not only did he post a career-high 137 wRC+ last season, but he had a whopping 198 wRC+ against lefties.
Khris Davis ($12) had an insane streak of batting exactly .247 for four straight seasons entering 2019. That came to an end in a bad way since he finished the season at just .220. He also didn't show his customary power, finishing with just a .166 ISO and failing to hit at least 40 home runs for the first time since 2015. An injury after running into a wall may have been a cause for his decline in production, so there's a chance we see a rebound campaign from him now that he's healthy. With his career .351 wOBA versus left-handed pitchers, he could also have success against Heaney.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Marco Gonzales ($26), Mariners: Alex Bregman ($21), George Springer ($21), Jose Altuve ($20):
How will the Astros' hitters respond to the offseason cheating scandal? The good news for them is that they have a favorable matchup out of the gate against the lefty Gonzales, who doesn't miss many bats and had a 1.31 WHIP last season. Bregman, Springer and Altuve all mash left-handed pitching, which resulted in each of them posting at least a .383 wOBA against them last season. This trio is pricey, but their upside is also extremely high.
Red Sox vs. Tommy Milone ($25), Orioles: J.D. Martinez ($21), Xander Bogaerts ($20), Michael Chavis ($12):
The Orioles basically only have one above-average starter in John Means (arm) and he's currently on the IL. They've decided to give Milone their Opening Day start, which only further underscores their issues. The Red Sox are likely to be the chalk stack of the night. Martinez and Bogaerts are two of the obvious top players in their lineup, but don't sleep on Chavis. Milone allowed 1.9 HR/9 last season and Chavis has a lot of power, evident by his 18 home runs in 95 games in 2019.
Indians vs. Duffy, Royals: Francisco Lindor ($20), Carlos Santana ($14), Franmil Reyes ($13)
Luplow isn't the only worthwhile player on the Indians to pursue given this matchup. Lindor is a great play against just about any pitcher while Santana had a .407 wOBA versus left-handed pitchers last season. Reyes launched a combined 37 home runs during his time with the Padres and Indians last season and although right-handed pitchers held him to a .329 wOBA, he posted a .364 wOBA versus lefties.
