This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
The playoff push in on in Major League Baseball with several races still up in the air. To add to the excitement of a packed slate Friday, we also have money to be won on Yahoo. Here are some pitchers and hitters to consider when building your lineups.
Pitchers
Pablo Lopez ($50) gave up five runs to the White Sox over five innings in his last start. He did have eight strikeouts, which has continued a theme of increased production in that department for him this season. His strikeout rate enters the day at 29.2 percent, which is more than four percentage points higher than his career mark. Look for him to miss plenty of bats in his start against the Angels, who have struck out the third-most times in baseball.
Framber Valdez ($41) has rebounded from a brief rough patch to log at least seven innings and allow three runs or fewer in each of his last three starts. While he hasn't been able to replicate his production from last season, he has still performed well with his 3.20 ERA and 3.47 FIP. He continues to do a good job of limiting baserunners, leaving him with a 1.09 WHIP. Up next is a great matchup against the Royals, who have scored the fifth-fewest runs in baseball.
Chris Sale ($42) rebounded from a horrible start against the Orioles to limit the Blue Jays to run one over six innings in his last outing. He had 10 strikeouts in that matchup, giving him 116 over 92.2 innings this season. His inconsistency makes him a somewhat risky option, but his strikeout upside against a White Sox team that has scored the third-fewest runs in baseball makes him worth considering in tournament play.
Top Targets
Injuries have decimated the Yankees' starting rotation to the point where they are asking Luke Weaver ($25) to take the mound again. He is on his third team of the season and has struggled everywhere he has been, recording a 6.77 ERA and a 5.71 FIP. This is a great opportunity to roll with Corbin Carroll ($22), who has thrived in his first full season in the majors with a .226 ISO and a .373 wOBA.
J.D. Martinez ($23) has caught fire again with the playoffs on the horizon. Over his last 12 games, he is 17-for-44 (.386) with five home runs. He has a .318 ISO and a .385 wOBA against left-handed pitchers for the season, making him a great option for a matchup with Sean Manaea ($27).
Bargain Bats
With Weaver on the mound for the Yankees, Carroll isn't the only member of the Diamondbacks to consider. At a much cheaper salary is Christian Walker ($11), who has at least two hits in two of his last four games. He brings plenty of power to the plate, following up his 36 home runs last season with 30 this year.
The Athletics will send yet another struggling pitcher to the mound against the Tigers when Ken Waldichuk ($30) gets the start Friday. He has a 5.40 ERA that is backed by a 5.34 FIP, and has given up 1.5 HR/9. That makes Matt Vierling ($12) someone with the potential to provide value. Over his last 13 games, Vierling has a .386 OBP and a .511 slugging percentage.
Stacks to Consider
Braves vs. Patrick Corbin ($27), Nationals: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($30), Austin Riley ($20), Ozzie Albies ($20)
The Braves have hit the most home runs in baseball. Corbin is on pace to allow at least 1.6 HR/9 for the third straight season. Those two facts should lead to the Braves being one of the more popular teams to stack for the evening. The underwhelming lefty starting could be great news for Albies, who has a .430 wOBA versus southpaws this season.
Red Sox vs. Touki Toussaint ($29), White Sox: Rafael Devers ($21), Masataka Yoshida ($9), Alex Verdugo ($11)
Despite their poor record, the Red Sox can still hit at Fenway Park. They enter this matchup with the third-highest home OPS in baseball. That could spell disaster for Toussaint, who has a 1.47 WHIP and has given up 10 home runs over 76 2/3 innings. A key player for any Red Sox stack is Devers, who has hit 24 of his 33 home runs off right-handed pitchers.
Yankees vs. Brandon Pfaadt ($34), Diamondbacks: Aaron Judge ($20), Gleyber Torres ($20), Anthony Volpe ($11)
If Pfaadt is going to have success in the majors, he is going to need to do a better job of limiting home runs. He has already been taken deep 20 times over 86 innings. That's especially troublesome when you also factor in his 1.42 WHIP. Volpe has hit for a poor average during his first season in the majors, but he has shown power with 21 home runs. Of those home runs, 12 of them have come at Yankee Stadium.
