This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
All 30 teams will take to the diamond Friday, which should make for a fun night of baseball. There is one day game, with the Cubs playing the Mets at Wrigley Field. That game does have a bit of intrigue as former Met Marcus Stroman will start for the Cubs. Among the important series is the Yankees playing host to the Red Sox. Another AL East matchup that is all of a sudden impactful is the Rays taking on the red-hot Orioles. Out West, runs might be difficult to come by when Brandon Woodruff starts for the Brewers against Alex Wood and the Giants. As you start to prepare your Yahoo lineups, consider the following players who could exploit favorable matchups.
Pitchers
With the Royals traveling to Toronto to play the Blue Jays, we learned that 10 players were unable to make the trip because they were not vaccinated against COVID-19. They have already scored the fifth-fewest runs in baseball, and will be without some of their best hitters in Whit Merrifield, Andrew Benintendi, Hunter Dozier and MJ Melendez. Their backups could be dominated by Alek Manoah ($54), who has a sparkling 0.98 WHIP.
One series that provides a significant mismatch is the Astros hosting the Athletics. The Astros have had some uncertainty surrounding their starting rotation with Justin Verlander away from the team while handling a personal matter. It is expected that Jake Odorizzi ($42) will start this game, so with the A's scoring the second-fewest runs in baseball, he's a great option if he does indeed take the hill.
Zach Plesac ($36) is set to take on the Tigers, who have scored the fewest runs in baseball, for the second time in his last three starts. In their first meeting, he allowed two runs and recorded three strikeouts over six innings. While his 17.0 percent strikeout rate limits his upside, this matchup still makes him a great option.
Top Targets
When he's facing a left-handed pitcher, Manny Machado ($18) stands out for DFS. He has a .394 wOBA against them this season, and a .361 wOBA for his career. Given the unenviable task of trying to slow him down will be Madison Bumgarner ($30), who has a 4.60 FIP that indicates he hasn't pitched as well as his 3.65 ERA would lead you to believe.
Kris Bryant ($20) has performed well since a stint on the IL, hitting 16-for-51 (.314) with four home runs and three doubles over his last 13 games. He'll try to stay hot in a home game against Jose Quintana ($32), who might not be on the Pirates once the trade deadline passes. As good as Quintana has been, this might still be a great matchup for Bryant since he has a career .405 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
Bargain Bats
Andres Gimenez ($11) had a big first game of this series, hitting 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and a walk Thursday. He's been a bright spot in what has been a mostly underwhelming Guardians' lineup, recording a 131 wRC+ through 76 games. Up next is a matchup against Drew Hutchison ($28), who is anything but overwhelming when you consider his 14.3 percent strikeout rate and 11.0 percent walk rate.
Another way to gain some exposure to the game at Coors Field, while also not destroying your budget, is to take a chance on Ben Gamel ($12) in a matchup against German Marquez ($32). Left-handed pitchers have limited him to a 91 wRC+ this season, but he has a 114 wRC+ versus righties.
Stacks to Consider
Braves vs. Patrick Corbin ($28), Nationals: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($20), Dansby Swanson ($23), Adam Duvall ($17)
Corbin also faced the Braves in his last start, giving up four runs over six innings. It was the continuation of a disappointing season that has seen him record a 5.70 ERA and a 4.56 FIP. His 1.67 WHIP has to be considered the main culprit, and he's allowed 14 home runs over his last 62 innings. Duvall should be considered for any Braves stack, given his 133 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers this season.
Cardinals vs. Hunter Greene ($32), Reds: Paul Goldschmidt ($23), Nolan Arenado ($22), Lars Nootbaar ($12)
Make no mistake about it, Greene has the potential to be an overpowering force. In his last outing, he posted nine strikeouts and allowed just one run over six innings against the Rays. However, he's already allowed a staggering 22 home runs over 85.1 innings. There is risk involved with stacking against him, but it could be worth the potential reward. What's nice about Goldschmidt and Arenado is that they both bring plenty of power to the plate, while only having 21.2 percent and 12.6 percent strikeout rates, respectively.
Mariners vs. Matt Bush ($25), Rangers: Julio Rodriguez ($24), Ty France ($13), Dylan Moore ($14)
Dane Dunning (ankle) was placed on the IL earlier this week, opening up a spot in the Rangers' starting rotation. Bush will serve as the opener for this game, and it is expected that Taylor Hearn will follow him and pitch multiple innings. That will be a different role for him since he started 13 of his 14 appearances before being demoted to the minors. Given that he had a 4.79 FIP and a 1.67 WHIP in his first stint, the Mariners could be in line for a productive evening. That includes Moore, who is 8-for-26 (.308) with a home run and four doubles over his last nine games.
