This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
As far as Thursdays go, we have a fairly busy evening slate on Yahoo consisting of seven games. The night certainly won't be short or top-tier pitchers, which includes Chris Sale ($61) taking on the Yankees. Let's dive into the matchups and discuss some players to target, as well as some possible ownership percentages.
Pitching Overview
He might not get the headlines that he deserves, but the fantastic start that Hyun-Jin Ryu ($56) has put together should not be ignored. Through his impeccable control and ability to limit home runs, he's recorded a 2.81 xFIP and a 0.83 WHIP through his first 10 starts. His strikeout rate is down a bit at 25.6 percent, but you can't complain about his production. He'll be facing a Mets lineup that is dealing with some key injuries, making him one of the top pitching targets.
The Rangers don't have much to speak of in the way of quality arms outside of Mike Minor ($48), who has been the leader of their staff with his 2.55 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. His 4.07 xFIP is a bit concerning, but he's increased his strikeout rate to 25.5 percent, which is almost five percentage points higher than last season. The Royals have a few big hitters, but their lineup is largely unimposing, leaving Minor with the potential to continue his strong start.
Another pleasant surprise has been Martin Perez ($44), who was awful last year with a 6.22 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP. His ERA is all the way down to 2.95 this season, although his 4.36 xFIP suggests he hasn't exactly been that dominant. The good news for his prognosis moving forward is that he's cut way back on allowing home runs and his increased his strikeout rate to 22.9 percent. He received extra rest heading into this contest against a Rays team that only has a .307 wOBA versus lefties, so make sure he's on your radar.
Key Values/Chalk
The Rangers could end up being the chalk stack of the night. They will be playing in their hitter-friendly home park and facing Jakob Junis, who has a 4.56 xFIP and a 1.48 WHIP. He has plenty of troubles against left-handed hitters, which could end up being his downfall against the Rangers lefty-heavy lineup.
Another matchup that will likely be popular to exploit is the Dodgers against Jason Vargas. He's having another rough campaign with a 5.79 xFIP and a 1.57 WHIP. He doesn't miss many bats with his career 16.1 percent strikeout rate and he allows way too many home runs. The Dodgers have hit the seventh-most homers (88) in baseball, so look for them to thrive here.
The Pirates will be starting Joe Musgrove against the Brewers and he's been a tough pitcher to gauge. His season couldn't have started out much better with him allowing 10 runs (six earned) and recording a 0.94 WHIP through his first five starts. However, the wheels have come off since with him allowing 25 runs (22 earned) and a 1.54 WHIP in his last five outings. With stats like that, expect the Brewers' players to be among the ownership leaderboard.
Stacks
Rangers vs. Junis (Royals)
Shin-Soo Choo (OF - $21), Nomar Mazara (OF - $16), Ronald Guzman (1B - $14)
With Joey Gallo battling a sore wrist, it might be best to take a different route for a Rangers stack. Choo has a career .384 wOBA against righties, making him a great option. Mazara has started to turn things around lately, hitting 22-for-60 (.367) over his last 15 games. Guzman doesn't hit for average and strikeouts out a ton, but he brings some thump to this stack with his .294 ISO.
Dodgers vs. Vargas (Mets)
Cody Bellinger (OF - $26), Justin Turner (3B - $21), Enrique Hernandez (2B - $12)
Despite not having the platoon advantage, Bellinger is still one of the top bats for this slate. His hot start has included a 192 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. Turner crushes lefties and Hernandez is right up there with him based on his career .362 wOBA against southpaws. Chris Taylor ($15) also has some appeal, but this trio stands out as the best options to pursue on the Dodgers.
Brewers vs. Musgrove (Pirates)
Christian Yelich (OF - $27), Mike Moustakas (3B - $18), Orlando Arcia (SS - $13)
Yelich and Moustakas provide quite the one-two punch here with their combined 34 home runs. Moustakas' .267 ISO is the highest mark of his career, which included a 38-homer campaign in 2017. They are pricey, so adding Arcia could go a long way towards helping your budget. He's starting to heat up, hitting 11-for-32 (.344) with two home runs and two doubles across his last 10 games.
Indians vs. Manny Banuelos (White Sox)
Francisco Lindor (SS - $22), Jose Ramirez (3B - $17), Oscar Mercado (OF - $23)
Banuelos is probably sick of seeing the Indians. He's faced them in two of his last three starts, allowing 10 runs and five home runs across 8.1 innings. They haven't been his only issue, though, since he's given up 24 runs across 15 innings in his last four starts. Lindor is the top target here while Ramirez is starting to show some signs of life by hitting 10-for-32 (.313) over his last nine games. Mercado has provided a boost to a lineup that desperately needed one, recording a .381 wOBA since being recalled from the minors.
