This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There will be no early start times among the nine games in baseball Monday. One of the more compelling series features the Guardians hosting the Twins in a battle between two teams fighting for the top spot in the AL Central. While the Yankees seem to be running away with the AL East, we could still be looking at a pivotal series in terms of the Wild Card hunt when the Blue Jays host the Red Sox. As far as potentially high-scoring affairs could, we could see one at Coors Field when the Rockies take on the Dodgers. As you prepare to build your Yahoo lineups, here are some pitchers and hitters to target.
Pitchers
After a rare off performance versus the Mets, Pablo Lopez ($44) bounced back to limit the Rockies to an unearned run while pitching seven innings in his last start. His 1.06 WHIP is on pace to be the best mark of his career, and really the only potential concern with him at this point is that he's already logged 82.2 innings. Last season, he pitched a total of 102.2 innings. Up next is a matchup versus the Cardinals, who he shut out across seven innings earlier this season.
Martin Perez ($42) is one of the biggest surprises in baseball, posting a 1.96 ERA through 14 starts. His FIP is also impressive at 2.62, while his WHIP checks in at 1.13. His biggest area of improvement has been limiting home runs. He's only been taken deep two times across 87.1 innings, compared to 19 times over 114 innings last season. More success in that department could be coming against the Royals, who have hit the fourth-fewest home runs in baseball.
It's usually appealing to deploy starting pitchers against the Athletics. They have scored the second-fewest runs and they have the worst OPS in baseball. They will face the Yankees and Jordan Montgomery ($37), who is already pitching well with a 2.97 ERA and a 3.86 FIP.
Top Targets
Simply put, Josh Bell ($23) is on fire. Over his last 10 games, he is 15-for-35 (.429) with four home runs and two doubles. He only has a 16.7 percent strikeout rate during that stretch, to go along with a 1.410 OPS. The Nationals will face the Pirates, who had yet to name a starting pitcher as of early Monday morning. Regardless of who they send to the mound, Bell's current heater might make him too good to pass up.
Julio Rodriguez ($19) has become one of the most exciting young players in baseball. His .779 OPS doesn't tell the entire story. He struggled when he was first called up, but he has a .900 OPS over his last 40 games, a stretch in which he hit 10 home runs and stole nine bases. Expect him to be a tough out for Tyler Wells ($36), who doesn't have much margin for error given his paltry 15.3 percent strikeout rate.
Bargain Bats
After seeing his batting average briefly dip under .300, Taylor Ward ($12) is 11-for-29 (.379) with a home run and two doubles during his current seven-game hitting streak. His 14.6 percent barrel rate is one of the main reasons why he's in the midst of a breakout campaign. While a matchup against Lucas Giolito ($41) might have been imposing in seasons past, it's not this year with him allowing 2.1 HR/9 and sporting a 5.08 FIP.
The Nationals will start Erick Fedde ($27) against the Pirates, and he's been anything put special with his 4.46 ERA and 4.25 FIP. He's been wild, with his 10.7 percent walk rate contributing to his 1.47 WHIP. The Pirates don't have a ton of dangerous hitters, but this could be a favorable matchup for Daniel Vogelbach ($10). In addition to the power that he brings to the plate, he has a career 15.0 percent walk rate.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Connor Seabold, Red Sox: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($21), Bo Bichette ($19), Teoscar Hernandez ($19)
Injuries have taken a toll on the Red Sox's starting rotation. They've been forced to call up Seabold, who didn't even reach Triple-A until last season. He had a 2.99 FIP through 11 starts there this season, but this is a lot to ask from him to face the loaded Blue Jays' lineup. After a slow start, Hernandez has returned to his productive ways, hitting 30-for-98 (.306) with five home runs and 10 doubles over his last 24 games.
Dodgers vs. Chad Kuhl ($29), Rockies: Freddie Freeman ($26), Trea Turner ($27), Chris Taylor ($17)
The Dodgers are compromised right now with Mookie Betts (ribs) out. However, a game at Coors Field still could leave them with plenty of runs. Freeman has helped carry the lineup with Betts ailing, hitting 15-for-34 (.441) with three home runs and three doubles across the last eight games.
Rangers vs. Kris Bubic ($27), Royals: Marcus Semien ($22), Corey Seager ($20), Adolis Garcia ($24)
It's been a rough season for Bubic, who has a 7.41 ERA and a 5.36 FIP. His 1.79 WHIP has been the main culprit, and he's also allowed a 48.1 percent hard-hit rate. Despite ranking inside the bottom-10 in baseball in OPS, this might be an opportune time to roll with a Rangers stack. Semien only has a .635 OPS, but a lot of his struggles came early in the season. He's rebounded to record a .819 OPS and 10 stolen bases across his last 36 games.
