This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Friday won't be short on action across baseball with 14 games set to be played. They all have varying start times, so let's lock into the main slate on Yahoo and highlight some pitchers and hitters to consider.
Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw ($57) looked as good as ever in his first start of the season. He needed just 76 pitches to get through six innings, allowing one run and recording nine strikeouts against the Diamondbacks. He allowed a total of four baserunners, and he has an astonishing 1.00 WHIP for his career. Look for him to cause problems against for a Diamondbacks' lineup that has a lot of left-handed hitters.
Lucas Giolito ($39) took a significant step backward last season, posting a 4.90 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. His FIP was slightly better at 4.06, but his hard-hit rate was nearly five percentage points higher than it was in 2021. Against the Astros in his season debut, he allowed three runs (two earned) and recorded six strikeouts across five innings. Despite his struggles last season, he's worth deploying against a Pirates team that scored the fourth-fewest runs in baseball last year.
Rolling with a starting pitcher who is facing the Athletics is usually not a bad idea. They scored the second-fewest runs in baseball last season and made no significant upgrades to their lineup. Zach Eflin ($36) will start against them for the Rays, marking his second straight favorable matchup. In his season debut against the Tigers, he allowed one run and recorded five strikeouts over five innings.
Top Targets
The Braves have been hit by injuries to their starting rotation, forcing them to turn to Jared Shuster ($25) again despite him only throwing 48.2 innings at Triple-A last season. He didn't perform well in his season debut against the Nationals, allowing four runs over 4.2 innings. It could have been even worse since he allowed six hits and five walks. Now he has an even more difficult opponent in the Padres. Two players who could exploit this matchup are Manny Machado ($19) and Juan Soto ($19). Machado has hit left-handed pitchers well, posting a .212 ISO and a .358 wOBA against them for his career.
Bargain Bats
Brad Keller ($25) is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he has had an ERA of at least 5.09 and a FIP of at least 4.50. He doesn't give up a ton of home runs, but his career 17.4 percent strikeout rate doesn't leave him much margin for error. Up next is a start against the Giants, making LaMonte Wade Jr. ($13) a viable option in DFS. He has a .538 OBP through six games and he has a career .349 wOBA against right-handed pitchers.
Elvis Andrus ($10) is locked into an everyday role for the White Sox after a surprising 2022 campaign in which he had 17 home runs and 18 steals. He has yet to go deep this season, but he has already swiped two bases. After his .358 wOBA against lefties last season, he could provide value against journeyman Rich Hill ($34).
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Madison Bumgarner ($25), Diamondbacks: Mookie Betts ($19), Will Smith ($23), J.D. Martinez ($19)
Bumgarner struggled mightily last season, recording a 4.88 ERA that was supported by a 4.85 FIP. His WHIP was a bloated 1.44, and his strikeout rate came in at just 16.0 percent. He was touched up for five runs over four innings in his first start of the season by the Dodgers, and went for tests on his arm after because of his lack of velocity. He checked out fine structurally, so he'll remain in the rotation. However, he could get shelled by the Dodgers again.
Nationals vs. Jose Urena ($25), Rockies: Lane Thomas ($19), Keibert Ruiz ($17), Dominic Smith ($11)
Urena doesn't miss many bats, generating a 15.5 percent strikeout rate for his career. He also has a 1.41 career WHIP, so he could be in big trouble pitching in Coors Field. He faced the Padres on the road in his season debut, allowing four runs and nine base runners over 2.1 innings. Smith is an interesting option for a Nationals stack because he is looking at more playing time with his new team. Urena has allowed a .356 wOBA to left-handed hitters for his career.
Braves vs. Nick Martinez ($28), Padres: Austin Riley ($21), Matt Olson ($21), Orlando Arcia ($14)
Martinez is a member of the Padres' starting rotation to begin the season after making 37 of his 47 appearances last season out of the bullpen. He doesn't exactly instill much confidence, recording a 5.16 FIP and a 1.41 WHIP for his career. This will be an uphill battle against the Braves, who had the fourth-highest home OPS in baseball last season. One of their hottest hitters out of the gate has been Olson, who already has three home runs and four doubles.
