This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
The opening weekend of the MLB season is here. Since there are a lot of afternoon games on the docket, the evening slate consists of five games. To try and help make this first Saturday of the season a happy one, I have some DFS recommendations to dish out.
Pitching
Joe Musgrove, SD at ARI ($43): The Padres blanked the Diamondbacks on Friday, a result that wasn't terribly surprising considering Arizona ranked 25th in runs scored last season. Musgrove's move to San Diego paid off for him last year as he posted a 3.18 ERA, by far the lowest of his career.
Chris Bassitt, NYM at WAS ($42): Bassitt is making his first start as a Met. Over the previous two years with the A's, he managed a 2.90 ERA. The Nationals have Juan Soto, but their offense looks a little limited beyond him.
Noah Syndergaard, LOS vs. HOU ($30): If you want to roll the dice, Syndergaard could give you some real bang for your buck. The upside is here, but how will Thor look? Does he have his old stuff when he was one of baseball's burgeoning aces? Sometimes you want to take a gamble, and who better to do that than with Syndergaard?
Top Targets
Last year was a massive breakout campaign for Austin Riley ($21), who slashed .303/.367/.531 with 33 home runs. What was encouraging about it was how he worked to adjust his swing and approach at the plate. It paid off big time, and I believe in the change. Cincinnati's Vladimir Gutierrez could use some changes of his own, as he struggled to a 5.22 FIP in 2021.
Starling Marte ($20) made stealing bases hip again last year by swiping 47. He also hit .310, and he's a career .289 hitter. Marte is now with the Mets and bats early in the lineup. We don't know much about Washington's Joan Adon yet. He pitched 5.1 innings in the majors during 2021 and started the campaign at high-A.
Bargain Bats
One thing is for sure: C.J. Cron ($16) loved his move to Colorado. In the friendly confines of Coors Field, he posted a 1.073 OPS in his first season there. Cron is back in purple and black, and also gets to play DH. Tony Gonsolin is a solid pitcher with a 3.62 FIP, but that's not imposing at Coors.
If a lefty is on the mound, Tyler Naquin ($11) is in trouble. However, the Braves are starting the righty Kyle Wright on Saturday. Wright isn't just a righty, but one with a career 6.43 FIP. Naquin has produced an .822 OPS against righties since 2020.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. German Marquez ($37): Trea Turner ($24), Freddie Freeman ($21), Max Muncy ($17)
Marquez isn't a bad pitcher with a career FIP of 3.80. However, his career ERA is 4.28, likely in part due to him spending his entire career pitching home games at Coors. The Dodgers boast the NL's best lineup, and I've included two lefties for this stack because southpaws have hit .264 against Marquez since 2020.
Turner isn't a lefty, but who cares? He registered a .911 OPS with 28 home runs and 32 stolen bases last season, his fifth over 30 swipes. Freeman is new to the Dodgers, but his bat requires no introduction having posted a 1.026 OPS versus righties since 2020. Muncy has been able to move to DH, and improved in 2021 with an .895 OPS supplemented by 36 home runs after a rough 2020.
Padres vs. Zach Davies ($25): Trent Grisham ($17), Jake Cronenworth ($17), Luke Voit ($16)
Davies will be facing some former teammates Saturday. He likely misses his time with the Padres, as it was the only season he managed an ERA under 3.55. Davies recorded a 5.78 last year with the Cubs and now he's pitching with the Diamondbacks, a team with an offense-friendly ballpark.
Last year was the first time Grisham logged over 60 games in a season and he hit 15 home runs and stole 13 bases. He's also San Diego's centerfielder and is leading off for a formidable lineup. Cronenworth was an All-Star in 2021 with a .266/.340/.460 slash line and 21 home runs. Last year wasn't great for Voit, but he boasts a career .266/.357/.508 mark and hit 22 homers in 56 games during 2020.
