This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
The holiday weekend is upon us and there's plenty of baseball to look forward to. There are another 15 games on tap for Saturday and we are finally seeing some pitchers get stretched out a bit more with higher pitch counts. Let's take a look at who we should consider in the DFS world.
PITCHERS
Julio Urias ($47) is a solid favorite at home and should bounce back from an ugly first outing in Colorado. He averaged over a strikeout per inning last season and his 2.96 ERA matched his 1.02 WHIP. Urias boasts one of the better lineups behind him and the Reds are far away from home with a lineup no one should be worried about.
If we're looking for a more economical pitcher, check out Adrian Houser ($28). He'll be an unpopular pick after a rough first outing against the Orioles and faces a tough Cardinals lineup at home. However, the "at home" part is significant. Houser's numbers in Milwaukee were significantly better across the board last season with a 2.81 ERA along with a 7.3 K/9IP mark. He's also been stretched out to the point that if he pitches well he should easily get to five innings and be eligible for the win.
TOP TARGETS
Since joining the Rockies, it's hard to ignore the prowess C.J. Cron ($25) has enjoyed since joining the team. He produced a 1.073 OPS at home last season and plays for a club favored in a game with an over/under of 12 runs. His opponent, Mark Leiter Jr., is making his first start of the season and shouldn't last long in a game where Colorado should score a lot.
While it didn't work out last night, it'll be tough to see both Giancarlo Stanton ($22) and Aaron Judge ($23) having off nights in Baltimore against Tyler Wells. He didn't last two innings in his first outing and isn't considered a top prospect at 27. I like using both in a lineup that should easily score on the road.
BARGAIN BATS
It's tough to overlook how hot Owen Miller ($14) has been for the Guardians going 12-for-23 in his last five games with two home runs and six doubles. He's playing at home today with a nice matchup against Anthony DeSclafani, a pitcher no one should be selecting.
I'm going to keep writing about Bobby Witt Jr. ($14) in DFS until he's no longer a good value. He offers the solid "power/speed" combination that DFS owners love and his home matchup against Matt Manning is favorable. I also like using Gavin Lux ($14) given he's averaging 10.3 fantasy points in the Yahoo format and is home facing Hunter Greene.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Yankees vs. Tyler Wells ($25): Aaron Judge ($23), Giancarlo Stanton ($22), Josh Donaldson ($19)
The case for using Judge and Stanton has already been made and quite frankly, an obvious one. Donaldson is more interesting, but you may want to use DJ LeMahieu ($16). For me, Donaldson is more interesting given he'll be more unpopular given his slow start at the plate and higher hit against the salary cap. As a result, he's the one I'd use in GPPs.
Blue Jays vs. Paul Blackburn ($28): Vladimir Guerrero ($24), George Springer ($22), Lourdes Gurriel ($13), Alejandro Kirk ($8)
There's no reason to ignore the Colorado/Chicago game and that's the obvious game to stack today given the high over/under. There are other games to consider and I love using the team that called Buffalo home for most of last season. There's no reason to waste space talking about Vlad or Springer given their hot starts, but Gurriel and Kirk are also interesting. Kirk got the night off Friday (had one pinch-hit AB), so he should be fresh and ready to rake. Gurriel has been hitting in the cleanup spot. And while he hasn't homered, he's coming off a 2-3 night with a single, double and a walk. Gurriel bats fourth for one of baseball's most potent lineups and should receive plenty of good pitches behind Guerrero.
