This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
As far as Monday's go, we have a busy one with 12 games on the schedule. After dropping two of three games to the Yankees, the Orioles will face another AL East foe in the Rays. The Red Sox have been reeling because of injuries, but they'll march on for a matchup against the Guardians. There aren't a ton of top-tier pitchers set to take the mound, although one that does stand out is Tony Gonsolin, who is scheduled to start versus the Nationals. As you sift through all of the options on Yahoo, here are some pitchers and hitters to consider for your entries.
Pitchers
Max Fried ($48) normally does a good job of limiting base runners, putting him on pace to have a WHIP of 1.09 or lower for the third straight season. The result has been him allowing two or fewer runs in five of his last six starts. The Phillies' lineup isn't nearly as fearsome with Bryce Harper (thumb) out, potentially setting up Fried for another valuable outing.
Deploying pitchers against the Tigers is usually a sound decision. They have the second-worst OPS and have scored the fewest runs in baseball. Shockingly, they have only hit 54 home runs as a team. To put that into perspective, 12 teams have hit at least twice as many home runs as they have. Looking to exploit their deficiencies will be Sean Manaea ($40), who has a 3.89 ERA and a 3.98 FIP for his career.
The Athletics have slugged significantly more home runs than the Tigers have, but they have still scored the second-fewest runs in baseball. A series against the Astros likely isn't going to help matters. Up first for Houston will be Jake Odorizzi ($43), who has limited the Athletics to three runs over 12.1 innings in two previous matchups.
Top Targets
Zack Greinke ($38) hasn't been terrible in his return to the Royals, but his 4.64 ERA and 4.57 FIP certainly aren't impressive. He's barely missing any bats, generating just a 12.7 percent strikeout rate. He could be in trouble against Shohei Ohtani ($18), who has a respectable 23.8 percent strikeout rate to go along with his .232 ISO.
Corey Seager ($19) has picked up his production after a slow start. Over his last 16 games, he is 22-for-60 (.367) with eight home runs and just a 8.3 percent strikeout rate. He could stay hot against Chris Flexen ($31), who is not an overpowering forced based on his 1.39 WHIP and 16.3 percent strikeout rate.
Bargain Bats
When a left-handed pitcher is on the mound for the opponent, Darin Ruf ($11) is usually in the lineup for the Giants. He's sporting a .270 ISO and a .385 wOBA against them this season. This could be a prime opportunity to add him to your lineup in a matchup against Tyler Gilbert ($33), who has allowed 18 home runs over a combined 74.1 innings at Triple-A and with the Diamondbacks this year.
With the struggling lefty on the mound for the Diamondbacks, don't forget about Austin Slater ($11), either. He hasn't hit for as much power as Ruf, but he does have a .177 ISO and a .396 wOBA versus lefties this year.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Adam Oller ($25), Athletics: Jose Altuve ($22), Kyle Tucker ($19), Jeremy Pena ($15)
Oller has a 1.47 WHIP across seven starts at Triple-A this year, which doesn't exactly inspire much confidence for his production in the majors. Across 27.1 innings with the A's, he's sporting an even worse 1.98 WHIP. This could be a great spot for an Astros start, with Altuve possibly leading the charge. He's once again been one of the most productive second baseman in baseball, posting a .239 ISO and a .381 wOBA.
Dodgers vs. Paolo Espino ($25), Nationals: Freddie Freeman ($27), Mookie Betts ($20), Gavin Lux ($15)
The transition from being a reliever to becoming a starter has not been easy for Espino. Over his last four outings, he has a 6.75 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP. What's even more alarming is that he gave up six home runs across 17.1 innings during that stretch. That's a recipe for disaster against the Dodgers, who have hit the sixth-most home runs in baseball. Their hottest hitter has been Freeman, who is 58-for-150 (.387) with 11 home runs and 12 doubles over their last 38 games.
Braves vs. Ranger Suarez ($32), Phillies: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($14), Austin Riley ($25), William Contreras ($17)
Suarez took advantage of a favorable matchup against the Marlins in his last start, pitching five shutout innings. This will be much more difficult against the Braves, who he has faced twice already this season. In those two outings, he allowed nine runs over 11 innings. While Acuna's overall numbers are down this season, he still has a .407 wOBA versus left-handed pitchers.
