This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Monday's nine-game slate brings plenty of big-name starting pitchers. Clayton Kershaw will be on the mound for the Dodgers, hosting Merrill Kelly and the Diamondbacks. Kyle Wright will be looking for his 19th win of the season when the Braves battle the Nationals. The best pitching matchup, though, consists of Corbin Burnes and the Brewers taking on Max Scherzer and the Mets. Let's dive into the main five-game Yahoo slate and highlight some hitters and pitchers to consider for your lineups.
Pitchers
Kershaw ($44) will be facing the Diamondbacks for the second time in as many starts. In their last meeting, he threw seven shutout innings. He only allowed three baserunners along the way, lowering his WHIP to 0.93 for the season. With this limited slate, Kershaw has to be considered among the top pitchers to target, if not the top pitcher.
After a surprisingly bad outing against the Athletics, Wright ($44) bounced back by holding the Giants to one run across 5.1 innings in his last start. That resulted in yet another victory, continuing his quest to win 20 games. He's made two starts against the Nationals this season, holding them to five runs over 14 innings. They rank inside the bottom-10 in baseball in runs scored, potentially setting up Wright for another valuable stat line.
Tyler Wells ($32) missed the entire month of August with an injury, so the Orioles have been easing him back onto the mound. He threw 34 pitches in his first start back, then increased to 50 pitches in his last outing. Although him not being able to throw 100 pitches yet caps his upside, his salary is still cheap enough to at least consider him against the Tigers. Their lineup has been awful, posting the worst OPS in baseball.
Top Targets
Freddie Freeman ($22) is closing out the regular season strong, hitting 18-for-41 (.439) with four home runs and two doubles over his last 11 games. He's now sporting a 159 wRC+, which is on pace to be the second-highest mark of his career. While Kelly ($38) isn't the easiest of foes, Freeman is so locked in right now that he's still one of the top targets for this slate.
Whenever a left-handed pitcher is on the mound, Anthony Santander ($19) stands out as a target. Righties have limited him to a .318 wOBA, but he has a .384 wOBA against lefties. He'll face Tyler Alexander ($26), who enters with a 5.35 ERA and a 5.10 FIP.
Bargain Bats
Matt Olson ($12) has gone cold, hitting 1-for-29 (.034) across his last eight games. He hasn't been able to replicate his stellar production as a member of the Athletics, generating a modest 112 wRC+ during his first season with the Braves. Still, he brings plenty of power to the plate, making him a viable option versus Cory Abbott ($25). Abbott has only logged 35 innings with the Nationals, but he's already been taken deep eight times.
With how poorly Alexander has pitched, Santander isn't the only member of the Orioles to target. One with a cheaper salary is Austin Hays ($12), who has had a bit of an up-and-down season. After a recent funk, he's started to show signs of life by hitting 6-for-17 (.353) with two doubles over his last five games. For his career, he has a 113 wRC+ versus left-handed pitchers.
Stacks to Consider
Rockies vs. Jakob Junis ($31), Giants: C.J. Cron ($15), Ryan McMahon ($18), Elias Diaz ($13)
When there are only five games on a slate, the one at Coors Field especially stands out as one to stack. First, let's check in on the Rockies' side of things. Junis has been serviceable for the Giants, but he generally pitches to contact. For his career, he only has a 21.0 percent strikeout rate. Add in him allowing 1.5 HR/9 for his career and the Rockies could once again score in bunches. Diaz, who has a .218 ISO and a .344 wOBA at home, is a top option for the catcher's position.
Giants vs. Chad Kuhl ($26), Rockies: Joc Pederson ($21), Luis Gonzalez ($11), Thairo Estrada ($19)
Kuhl has been awful on the road this season, posting a 5.84 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. While he has been better at home, his 4.67 ERA and 1.35 WHIP there still make him someone to stack against. The player that stands out for a Giants' stack is Pederson, who brings plenty of power to the plate with his .246 ISO.
