This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
A lot of teams will be off Monday, leaving just eight games on the schedule. We have a few early start times, including a day game between the Angels and White Sox. The evening portion of the slate includes some noteworthy series, including when the Blue Jays host the Yankees. The Mets will also host the defending champion Braves when Chris Bassitt takes the mound against Max Fried. As far as the main evening Yahoo slate goes, here are some hitters and pitchers to target based on their respective matchups.
Pitchers
Bassitt ($45) hasn't had a WHIP above 1.19 since the 2018 season, so his 0.92 WHIP through four starts shouldn't come as a huge surprise. He's logged at least six innings in all four of his starts, and allowed one or no runs three times. As dangerous as the Braves' lineup can be, Bassitt is still a very appealing option for this limited slate.
Drew Rasmussen ($38) is coming off of his best start of the young season. He dominated the Mariners, recording nine strikeouts and allowing a total of three baserunners over six scoreless innings. After posting a 1.08 WHIP last season, he has a 1.00 WHIP this season. It will be difficult to resist deploying him a favorable matchup against a rebuilding Athletics team, especially since it will be played as the A's pitcher-friendly park.
Last season, Chris Paddack ($36) may not have performed as badly as his 5.07 ERA would lead you to believe based on his 3.78 FIP. Through three starts with the Twins, he has a 3.68 ERA and a sparkling 1.69 FIP. He's shown better control, and he has yet to give up a home run. He has an excellent opportunity to stay hot against the Orioles, who have scored the fifth-fewest runs in baseball.
Top Targets
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($18) has surprisingly recorded a 20.9 percent strikeout rate that is more than percentage points higher than his career mark. Still, he has a .250 ISO and a 143 wRC+, so he's definitely not struggling. Yankees' starter Jordan Montgomery ($33) is no pushover, but for this limited slate, it's hard to argue against adding Guerrero to your entry.
Marco Gonzales ($34) is expected to start for the Mariners after leaving his last outing early because he was hit by a comebacker. With the lefty on the mound, Alex Bregman ($16) stands out as a top option to consider. For his career, he has a 161 wRC+ versus lefties.
Bargain Bats
The Yankees brought in Isiah Kiner-Falefa ($11) to help improve their defense at shortstop. He's also been a valuable addition at the plate, scoring 14 runs and batting .303. While not remarkable in the grand scheme of things, his 37.5 percent hard-hit rate would be the highest mark of his career. His salary is cheap enough to make him at least worth considering against Ross Stripling ($31), who only has a career 22.7 percent strikeout rate.
It's been a rough start to the season for Yuli Gurriel ($13), who has a 67 wRC+. His walk rate has plummeted to 2.7 percent, and his 32.2 percent hard-hit rate is on pace to be the lowest mark of his career. Still, with his career 123 wRC+ versus lefties, he should at least be on your radar against Gonzales.
Stacks to Consider
Twins vs. Tyler Wells ($27), Orioles: Byron Buxton ($28), Max Kepler ($18), Jorge Polanco ($16)
Wells logged a season-high five innings, while throwing 72 pitchers, in his last outing against the Yankees. Reports after the game, though, indicated that the Orioles don't have plans on him throwing more pitches than that moving forward since he worked in a relief role last season. That could leave the Twins to feast against a lackluster Orioles bullpen. They may have no hotter hitter right now than Kepler, who is 9-for-23 with four home runs over his last seven games.
Mariners vs. Jake Odorizzi ($29), Astros: Ty France ($22), Julio Rodriguez ($14), Jesse Winker ($15)
Odorizzi has already faced the Mariners this season, and it didn't go well with him allowing four runs and 12 base runners over 4.1 innings. He has a bloated 1.67 WHIP through four starts, and he failed to log more than 4.1 innings in three of them. This could be a great opportunity to stack the Mariners, with France being one of their most dangerous hitters. He's cut his strikeout rate all the way down to 7.9 percent, which has helped him record a 184 wRC+.
