This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Baseball starts off the week with 10 games on the schedule Monday, eight of which will be included in the main slate on Yahoo. Let's get right to it and highlight some pitchers and hitters to consider when building your lineups.
Pitchers
Luis Castillo ($50) couldn't take advantage of a favorable matchup against the Royals in his last outing, giving up four runs over seven innings. He had only three strikeouts, which was rare given his 27.3 percent strikeout rate. Look for him to provide a better stat line against the White Sox, who have the third-worst OPS in baseball.
Michael Wacha ($42) made his return from the IL last week to throw five scoreless innings against the Orioles. He has provided a significant boost to the Padres' starting rotation, recording a 2.68 ERA and a 3.65 FIP. One of the keys to his success has been allowing only 0.8 HR/9. That stat is noteworthy because he will be taking on a Marlins team that has already hit the third-fewest home runs in baseball.
With Matthew Liberatore dealing with a sore back, the Cardinals will promote Drew Rom ($26) to take the mound against the Pirates. That's the same Pirates team that only mustered up one hit over 6.1 innings against Dallas Keuchel on Sunday. With that poor showing, they now have the seventh-lowest OPS in baseball. Rom, who has 118 strikeouts over 97 innings at Triple-A, could be worth the risk in tournament play.
Top Targets
Corey Seager ($27) hit yet another home run Sunday, giving him 23 over just 81 games. His 1.071 OPS is the highest mark of his career and is a big reason why the Rangers have realistic hopes of winning the World Series. He has an even better 1.127 OPS against right-handed pitchers, making him an ideal option for a matchup with Slade Cecconi ($26).
Zack Gelof ($25) has caught fire at the plate, hitting 17-for-40 (.425) with three home runs and five doubles over his last 10 games. He earned his promotion by playing well at Triple-A, posting a .224 ISO and a .406 wOBA over 69 games. The Royals will be going with a bullpen game behind opener Tucker Davidson ($25), which is good news for Gelof because the Royals have the third-highest bullpen ERA in baseball.
Bargain Bats
After a dominant 2022 campaign, Cristian Javier ($35) has taken a step backward with a 4.49 ERA and a 4.63 FIP this year. One of the reasons for his struggles has been his strikeout rate dropping from 33.2 percent to 21.8 percent. Opponents also have a 10.2 percent barrel rate against him, which is three percentage points higher than last season. This could be an opportune matchup for Masataka Yoshida ($11), who has used his mere 12.7 percent strikeout rate to record a .353 wOBA.
Ezequiel Duran ($11) continues to perform well for the Rangers, hitting 11-for-26 (.423) with two doubles and a triple across his last eight games. He can play multiple positions and is currently seeing action at third base with Josh Jung (thumb) on the IL. Ceccone had a 5.96 FIP over 103 innings at Triple-A and has a 4.91 FIP over his first three appearances in the majors, leaving Duran with the potential to provide value.
Stacks to Consider
Mariners vs. Touki Toussaint ($25), White Sox: Julio Rodriguez ($27), Teoscar Hernandez ($15), Ty France ($15)
Toussaint has been about as wild as it gets. Across his last 31.2 innings, he has issued 23 walks on his way to a 1.48 WHIP. He has also given up four home runs over his last three starts, so this could be a great spot for the red-hot Mariners. Leading the charge for their playoff push has been Rodriguez, who has a 1.119 OPS over his last 24 games.
Braves vs. David Peterson ($28), Mets: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($26), Matt Olson ($27), Austin Riley ($25)
Peterson has both started and come out of the bullpen this season. With the Mets trading away a couple of starters at the deadline, he has been put back into the rotation. While he was able to throw 91 pitches in his last start, he only made it through 3.2 innings against the Pirates. He has a 1.65 WHIP for the season, so he could get torched by the loaded Braves lineup. This could be a particularly good matchup for Riley, who has a career .273 ISO and .379 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
Cardinals vs. Bailey Falter ($25), Pirates: Nolan Arenado ($15), Paul Goldschmidt ($14), Tyler O'Neill ($16)
Falter held the Mets to one run over 5.1 innings in his last start, but he's still someone to consider stacking against. He has a 1.49 WHIP for the season, and his 4.86 ERA is backed by an equally poor 4.94 FIP. Arenado and Goldschmidt are the big names for a Cardinals stack, but don't sleep on O'Neill. He only has a .660 OPS against right-handed pitchers this season, but he has a .976 OPS versus southpaws.
