This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Buckle in for a packed Friday that will feature all 30 teams in action. There is only one early start time, leading to a busy night across the majors. There are a few key series, including when the Phillies host the Mets, and the Yankees take on the Blue Jays. There is also the potential for a few lopsided affairs, such as when the Dodgers host the Marlins. Another blowout could be brewing for when the Padres play the rebuilding Nationals. As we dig into all of the matchups, here are some hitters and pitchers to consider for your Yahoo lineups.
Pitchers
After a couple of rough outings against the Guardians and Tigers, Shane McClanahan ($50) bounced back by limiting the Orioles to two runs over six innings in his last start. He only had four strikeouts, though, leaving him with a combined 11 strikeouts over 16.2 innings in his last three starts. That's a stark contrast to his 32.2 percent strikeout rate for the season. Still, with him facing a Royals team that ranks inside the bottom-10 in baseball in runs scored, this matchup might be too good to pass up.
There is risk that comes with selecting Blake Snell ($45), who can wreck a DFS lineup when his command is off. However, he can also be a difference maker with his 31.4 percent strikeout rate. When he faced the Nationals last week, he finished with 10 strikeouts and no walks over six scoreless innings. Given the state of their lineup, more success could be coming in this rematch.
Marco Gonzales ($30) has a mediocre 4.18 ERA, which could be even worse when you factor in his 5.10 FIP. His 13.2 percent strikeout rate also doesn't leave him with a ton of upside in DFS. However, he is still a viable option for a matchup with the Athletics, who have scored the second-fewest runs in baseball. He's faced them three times already this season, allowing two or fewer runs twice.
Top Targets
Shohei Ohtani ($22) has become a one-man wrecking crew for the Angels. With the rest of their lineup floundering, he is 13-for-30 (.433) with three home runs and two triples across his last eight games. Look for him to stay hot against Matt Manning ($33), who has a career 1.47 WHIP.
Mookie Betts ($21) is having another stellar season, recording a .375 wOBA and a 144 wRC+. He's been even better with a .418 wOBA and a 174 wRC+ versus left-handed pitchers. He'll be facing one in Jesus Luzardo ($34) who allowed four runs over five innings in his last start versus the Braves.
Bargain Bats
The Reds don't have many viable hitters to pursue in DFS. They have a great matchup, though, against Bryse Wilson ($28), who has a 5.93 ERA and a 5.19 FIP. He's also allowed 1.7 HR/9 for his career, so this could be the night to take a chance on Aristides Aquino ($9), who has a career .225 ISO.
It's not often that you see Carlos Correa ($11) at such a cheap salary. Part of it could be because of his matchup versus Martin Perez ($42), who has been excellent for the Rangers. With that being said, Correa has a 150 wRC+ versus left-handed pitchers this season. He's also on a hot streak, hitting 10-for-28 (.357) with a .472 OBP over his last eight games. This is setting up as a spot for him to potentially provide value.
Stacks to Consider
Padres vs. Paolo Espino ($25), Nationals: Juan Soto ($21), Manny Machado ($22), Jake Cronenworth ($14)
The good news with Espino is that he only has a 4.3 percent walk rate, which has helped him produce a respectable 1.29 WHIP. His problem has been an inability to keep hitters inside the ballpark, allowing 1.8 HR/9. That could spell trouble against the powerful duo of Soto and Machado, who have a .228 ISO and a .232 ISO, respectively.
Cardinals vs. Tommy Henry ($26), Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt ($26), Nolan Arenado ($22), Tommy Edman ($11)
Henry had control issues in the minors, posting a 10.8 percent walk rate at Double-A in 2021, and a 9.6 percent walk rate at Triple-A this year. That has carried over to the majors, with him walking eight batters over 17.1 innings. This is not a good matchup for him versus the Cardinals, who have drawn the ninth-most walks on their way to the third-highest OBP in baseball. Not only does Goldschmidt have a good eye at the plate, but he has a 273 wRC+ versus left-handed pitchers.
Giants vs. Jose Urena ($25), Rockies: Joc Pederson ($12), Brandon Belt ($14), Mike Yastrzemski ($14)
After a few strong outings to begin his tenure with the Rockies, the wheels have come off for Urena. Over his last five starts, he has a 7.77 ERA and a 1.81 WHIP. Two of those outings came at Coors Field, where he allowed a combined 14 runs (11 earned) over nine innings. He's given up eight home runs through 50.2 total innings, which is also a concern when pitching at his hitter-friendly home park. One player to consider building a Giants stack around is Pederson, who has a .239 ISO to go along with his .348 wOBA.
