This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There will be no shortage of action Friday with 14 games on the schedule. There will be some top-tier pitchers scheduled to start, including Justin Verlander, Shane Bieber and Alek Manoah. There will be a few rivalry series, as well, including the Rays hosting the Yankees and the Phillies taking on the Mets. Brandon Woodruff, who has been disappointing based on his lofty standards, will try to string together his second straight quality start when he faces the Cardinals in St. Louis. As we wade through the myriad of options to consider on Yahoo, here are some players that stand out amongst the crowd.
Pitchers
Verlander ($55) hasn't allowed a run in any of his last three starts, lowering his ERA to 1.22 for the season. His FIP is also stellar at 2.81, although his strikeout rate has declined to 26.3 percent. Still, he has to be considered among the top starting pitching options for a matchup against a Mariners team that ranks inside the bottom-10 of baseball in runs scored.
The Royals are usually a good team to pick on in DFS given that they have scored the fourth-fewest runs. Bailey Ober ($39) will get his second straight start against them after he held them to one run over five innings in their last matchup. Although strikeouts aren't usually his forte, he has allowed two runs or fewer in four straight starts, while building a 1.14 WHIP for the season.
A move to the Rangers has yet to help Jon Gray ($37), who has battled injuries while on his way to a 5.14 ERA through six starts. On the bright side, his FIP is much more impressive at 3.30 and he's allowed only two home runs over 28 innings. This could be a perfect spot to deploy him in DFS against the Athletics, who have the worst OPS in baseball. This game will also be played at the A's pitcher-friendly home park.
Top Targets
Chris Flexen ($28) has been done in by the long ball, allowing nine home runs over 43.1 innings. He's allowed two home runs in three straight starts, and he's complicated matters by posting a 1.43 WHIP for the season. His propensity for giving up home runs could be his downfall against Yordan Alvarez ($20), who already has 12 of them.
Whenever a left-handed pitcher is on the mound, Manny Machado ($23) stands out as a top target. He's dominated southpaws this season, posting a .552 wOBA against them. For his career, he has a .365 wOBA versus lefties. Taking the mound for the Pirates will be Jose Quintana ($32), who allowed five runs to the Cardinals in his last start.
Bargain Bats
Nelson Cruz ($13) has only hit four home runs this season on his way to a .325 slugging percentage. He does look to be heating up a bit at the plate, though, hitting 12-for-23 (.480) with two doubles over his last seven games. Combine that with his career .395 wOBA against left-handed pitchers and he could provide value in a matchup against Austin Gomber ($33).
Jameson Taillon ($37) enters his start against the Rays with a 2.95 ERA and a 3.23 FIP, but he generally pitches to contact, recording just a 19.1 percent strikeout rate. The Yankees bullpen is also compromised, which could be a problem for them given that Taillon has logged at least six innings in just two of his eight starts. With Wander Franco's ($12) ability to put balls in play and his reduced salary, he might be worth taking a chance on.
Stacks to Consider
Braves vs. Trevor Rogers ($36), Marlins: Austin Riley ($16), Dansby Swanson ($20), William Contreras ($22)
Rogers looked to be well on his way to being a significant fantasy option after posting a 2.55 FIP, 1.15 WHIP and 28.5 percent strikeout rate last season. However, he's regressed in all three areas with a 4.71 FIP, 1.51 WHIP and 20.9 percent strikeout rate through eight starts. For those looking to take advantage of his struggles, Swanson could be an ideal option for a Braves stack. He's caught fire, hitting 15-for-36 (.417) with two home runs and a double over his last nine games.
Red Sox vs. Kyle Bradish ($27), Orioles: Rafael Devers ($27), Trevor Story ($24), Alex Verdugo ($10)
It took a little while, but the Red Sox's lineup is starting to fire on all cylinders again. They destroyed Dallas Keuchel on Thursday, and have worked their way into the top-10 in baseball in runs scored. They will try to stay hot against Bradish, who has a 5.74 ERA and a 5.03 FIP through five starts. At the center of any Red Sox stack should be Story, who is 13-for-39 (.333) with eight home runs over his last 10 games.
Brewers vs. Dakota Hudson ($33), Cardinals: Christian Yelich ($17), Rowdy Tellez ($16), Kolten Wong ($16)
Hudson doesn't leave himself with much of a margin for error given his career 17.4 percent strikeout rate. This season, he has a 13.1 percent rate, to go along with an 11.3 percent walk rate and a 1.35 WHIP. Despite the absence of Willy Adames (ankle), this could still be an opportune matchup to roll with a Brewers stack. One of their best hitters has been Tellez, who has a 135 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers.
