This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There's no shortage of action across the majors Monday with 12 games on the schedule. Included in the slate will be the first game of a series between the Yankees and Rays, two teams battling it out for the lead in the AL East. We also have another opportunity to win some cash on Yahoo, so let's break down which matchups stand out as ones to target.
Pitching Overview
Mike Soroka ($48) threw a rare dud in his last outing, allowing five runs across five innings against the Pirates. He also allowed a home run in that game, which was only the second that he's given up all season. Even with that outing, he still has a 1.92 ERA and a 2.90 FIP. Add his 0.97 WHIP with his ability to limit home runs and he could rebound quickly in this start against the Mets.
Kenta Maeda ($49) is coming off of a bad start of his own when he allowed five runs over 4.1 innings against the Angels. However, he had allowed a total of six earned runs over his previous five starts, so don't read too much into one bad outing. He's done an excellent job of keeping runners off base with his 1.09 WHIP and has an ideal matchup against the Giants, who have scored the third-fewest runs (266) in baseball. While he's expensive, this opportunity might be too good to pass up.
Working our way down to the cheaper options brings us to Wade Miley ($36) for his start against the Reds. Sometimes lost behind the stellar duo of Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, Miley's first season with the Astros has been a success up to this point based on his 3.14 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. His FIP isn't great at 4.31, but his 20 percent strikeout rate is an improvement of over five percentage points compared to last season. The Reds are in the bottom third of the league in runs scored and OPS, so Miley might be worth taking a chance on in tournament play.
Key Values/Chalk
The Yankees will look to get off to a good start in their series against the Rays with Masahiro Tanaka on the mound. As good as he's been in his career, he does sometimes have problems limiting home runs. Although he's held right-handed hitters to a .258 wOBA this year, lefties have had significantly more success against him with a .353 wOBA. Austin Meadows ($17), Brandon Lowe ($19) and Ji-Man Choi ($18) all warrant consideration.
After a record-setting offensive series against the Rockies at Coors Field, the Padres will return home to Petco Park. They don't have the easiest of opponents, though, in the Brewers. Joey Lucchesi will start and with how tough he's been on lefties, some of the Brewers' best hitters could be in line for a battle. However, Yasmani Grandal ($24) has a robust 160 wRC+ against lefties, making him one of the better options at catcher.
The Orioles lackluster starting rotation will head West to face the A's, who certainly have some dangerous power hitters in their lineup. That could spell trouble for Andrew Cashner, who has allowed 11 home runs across 70.1 innings. Although he's a righty, he's held left-handed hitters to a .252 wOBA this season. Righties have a .374 wOBA against him, so Khris Davis ($19) and Matt Chapman ($17) could do plenty of damage in this contest.
Stacks
Angels vs. Edwin Jackson (Blue Jays)
Mike Trout (OF - $28), Shohei Ohtani (OF - $21), David Fletcher (SS - $17)
Whether he starts or follows an opener, Jackson is expected to pitch the bulk of the innings for the Blue Jays in this game. He actually pitched well following an opener in his last outing, allowing two runs across five innings. It should be noted that game came against the Orioles, so he'll be facing a much more imposing lineup here in the Angels. Trout and Ohtani both carry tremendous power upside while Fletcher is a tough out based on his 6.7 percent strikeout rate.
Dodgers vs. Tyler Beede (Giants)
Cody Bellinger (OF - $27), Max Muncy (1B - $27), Alex Verdugo (OF - $13)
Both Los Angeles teams are primed for big offensive performances. Beede has been awful for the Giants, recording a 6.18 FIP and a staggering 2.06 WHIP. Bellinger is the obvious anchor to build a Dodgers stack around while Muncy also carries plenty of upside with his .258 ISO. In order to help somewhat offset their lofty price tags, Verdugo is a cheaper option worth considering. He's played very well during his first stint as a regular in the lineup, posting a 118 wRC+.
Twins vs. Rick Porcello (Red Sox)
Max Kepler (OF - $27), Jorge Polanco (SS - $19), Jonathan Schoop (2B - $13)
Porcello has been mediocre for the Red Sox with his 4.45 FIP and 1.35 WHIP through 14 starts. He's allowed at least one home run in six of his last eight starts, which could be his downfall against a Twins team that leads all of baseball in homers (137). Kepler is 14-for-33 (.424) with five home runs over his last 10 games, making him arguably the best Twin to target. Polanco has been hot in his own right, hitting 23-for-69 (.333) over his last 16 contests. As far as cheaper options on the team go, Schoop is a viable threat with his .226 ISO.
