This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There won't be any day games played across baseball Friday, which means we have a bevy of options to choose from for the main Yahoo evening slate. Let's get right to it and highlight some pitchers and hitters who could exploit favorable matchups.
Pitchers
Spencer Strider ($28) is lined up to face the Giants for the second time in as many starts. When he took the mound against them last week, he recorded 10 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings. He has a 38.2 percent strikeout rate and the Giants have struck out the fifth-most times in baseball, setting up Strider for more success in their rematch.
Dylan Cease ($38) couldn't escape Coors Field unscathed. He only lasted 4.2 innings in his last start there, giving up five runs to the Rockies. He hasn't been great down the stretch, posting a 6.66 ERA and 1.89 WHIP over his last five starts. Still, this is a nice bounce-back spot for him against the Athletics, who have scored the fewest runs in baseball.
Bryce Miller ($38) doesn't have the strikeout upside that Strider and Cease do. However, he has been successful by keep hitters off base to the tune of a 1.01 WHIP. After a couple of blowups against the Twins and Red Sox, Miller has given up two or fewer runs in each of his last three starts. He's worth considering for a matchup against the Royals, who rank inside the bottom-five in baseball in both OPS and runs scored.
Top Targets
Kutter Crawford ($33) will have his work cut out for him against the duo of Mookie Betts ($27) and Freddie Freeman ($23). It doesn't help that he will face them in Fenway Park, where he has a 5.20 FIP and 1.37 WHIP this season. Betts has a 171 wRC+ and Freeman is right there with him with his wRC+ checking in at 165.
Bargain Bats
Corbin Carroll ($13) is showing signs of coming out of his slump. He has at least two hits in four of his last five games and hit a home run Thursday, which was his first since July 23. He will try to continue his turnaround when he faces Hunter Greene ($34), who was recently activated off the IL from a hip injury. His return was about as bad as it gets when he allowed nine runs (eight earned) and five home runs over three innings versus the Blue Jays.
Alex Verdugo ($8) loves hitting at Fenway Park. Despite being limited to a .310 wOBA on the road, he has a .367 wOBA at home. His salary is cheap enough to make him worth taking a chance on against Lance Lynn ($35). While Lynn has been much better since joining the Dodgers, he has faced some weak lineups, including the Athletics and the Rockies in Los Angeles.
Stacks to Consider
Orioles vs. Kyle Freeland ($26), Rockies: Adley Rutschman ($18), Ryan Mountcastle ($21), Anthony Santander ($13)
Freeland has struggled both at Coors Field and on the road this season. He has a 1.49 WHIP at home, while recording a 1.46 WHIP on the road. His inability to keep hitters off base has contributed to him giving up at least four runs in eight of his last 10 starts. This could be a particularly good matchup for Rutschman, who has a .405 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
White Sox vs. Zach Neal ($25), Athletics: Luis Robert Jr. ($23), Eloy Jimenez ($13), Andrew Benintendi ($14)
The Athletics are running out of healthy starting pitchers. That will force them to turn to Neal, who has made all seven of his appearances this season out of the bullpen. They didn't go well, leaving him with a 1.92 WHIP. He likely won't give the Athletics much length and behind him is a group of relievers that has left them with the highest bullpen ERA in baseball. This is a great spot for the White Sox to score in bunches, with Robert possibly leading the charge. He has shown a great combination of power and speed, slugging 34 home runs to go along with 16 stolen bases.
Reds vs. Brandon Pfaadt ($30), Diamondbacks: Elly De La Cruz ($21), TJ Friedl ($19), Spencer Steer ($17)
Pfaadt couldn't have looked much better in his last start, holding the Padres scoreless over seven innings. However, it should be noted that the game was played in San Diego. Pfaadt has a 0.97 WHIP on the road, but a 1.83 WHIP at home. He has also a FIP over 5.00 both on the road and at home, so his strong performance might have just been an outlier. One key target for a Reds stack is De La Cruz, who has a .242 ISO and a .347 wOBA against right-handed pitchers.
