This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
After an exciting Opening Day, we have 13 more baseball games on the schedule Friday. It's a star-studded affair in terms of starting pitchers, with Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer, Lucas Giolito and Brandon Woodruff all scheduled to take the mound. With all teams playing either their first or second game of the season, there aren't exactly a lot of mediocre starting pitchers for lineups to exploit. That could make scoring runs difficult in some games. Let's get down to the task at hand and highlight some pitchers and hitters to consider for the main Yahoo evening slate.
Pitchers
The last time we saw Charlie Morton ($43) on the mound, he was trying to pitch through a fractured fibula that he suffered during Game 1 of the World Series. Outside of that injury, his first full season with the Braves couldn't have gone much better. He recorded a 3.34 ERA that was supported by a 3.18 FIP, and he posted a 28.6 percent strikeout rate. The veteran is extremely appealing for a matchup against a Reds lineup that is missing several key players from last season, including Nick Castellanos.
The Padres were certainly active during the offseason, even making a trade on Opening Day. One of the key additions that they made was Sean Manaea ($35), who will make his first start for the team against the Diamondbacks. He's coming off of three straight seasons with a FIP below 3.75, and he has a WHIP of just 1.20 for his career. The Diamondbacks had the fifth-worst OPS in baseball last season, and are trotting out a nearly identical lineup this season, so Manaea has an excellent opportunity to get off to a good start.
If you want to take a chance on a pitcher with a cheap salary in tournament play, Merrill Kelly ($25) should be on your radar. He's certainly not an overpowering force, recording a 20.2 percent strikeout rate for his career. However, he has a respectable 1.28 WHIP for his career, and the Padres' lineup isn't as formidable without Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist). They didn't get off to a hot start Thursday, scoring two runs and recording just four hits.
Top Targets
Jon Gray ($28) has a difficult task at hand in his debut for the Rangers, having to start against the loaded Blue Jays lineup. Their most dangerous hitter is Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($24), who has to be considered as one of the top targets whenever the Blue Jays are in action. He missed only one game during his breakout 2020 campaign, posting a 166 wRC+ and having just a 15.8 percent strikeout rate. Gray has had plenty of problem keeping hitters off base, recording a 1.34 WHIP for his career.
Staying with the Blue Jays, Bo Bichette ($20) is also a top option for this slate. Like Guerrero, he is difficult to strike out, posting a 19.9 percent strikeout rate last season. He also provides a unique combination of speed and power, recording 29 home runs and 25 steals last season.
Bargain Bats
The Astros suffered a big loss this offseason when Carlos Correa departed for the Twins. One tenured player in their lineup who remains is Michael Brantley ($13), who is in his fourth season with the team. His lack of power limits his upside, but he's recorded an OBP of at least .362 in four straight seasons. He could be a tough out for the inexperienced Reid Detmers ($27), who posted a 1.79 WHIP across his five starts with the Angels last season.
Another hitter on the Astros to consider if Yuli Gurriel ($11), who continues to quietly be a very important part of their lineup. He's one of the most difficult players to strikeout out in the league, posting a 10.9 percent strikeout rate for his career. He's hit at least .291 in four of the last five seasons, and he's shown a bit more power than Brantley, hitting at least 15 home runs three times during that five-season span.
Stacks to Consider
Braves vs. Reiver Sanmartin, ($31), Reds: Austin Riley ($19), Ozzie Albies ($18), Adam Duvall ($14)
Tyler Mahle took the mound for the rebuilding Reds on Thursday, and both Luis Castillo (shoulder) and Mike Minor (shoulder) are starting the season on the IL. That doesn't leave them with many viable starting options left. They'll turn to Sanmartin to make this start, and he didn't even reach Triple-A until last season. He pitched only 11.2 innings with the Reds to end the season, allowing two total runs. However, both of those starts came against the Pirates. Facing the defending champions will be a much more daunting task.
Mets vs. Josiah Gray ($28), Nationals: Pete Alonso ($20), Starling Marte ($19), Eduardo Escobar ($12)
Last season, Gray couldn't have looked much worse in his first taste of the majors. He allowed a whopping 2.4 HR/9, leaving him with a 5.48 ERA. His FIP was even worse at 6.00. Gray is still a highly regarded prospect, but his home run issues last season are a major concern. Alonso could certainly take advantage of Gray's deficiencies in that department, but we'll need to make sure that he is in the lineup after he was hit by a pitch Thursday that forced him to leave the game in the ninth inning.
Angels vs. Jake Odorizzi ($27), Astros: Shohei Ohtani ($21), Mike Trout ($23), Jared Walsh ($19)
The Angels have the potential to have one of the best top-half of the lineups in baseball. They'll need some luck in the health department, but with no issues to start out the season, they will be appealing in DFS more often than not. Ohtani and Trout are the big names, but don't overlook Walsh, who hit 29 home runs while delivering a .357 wOBA last season.
