This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There will be plenty of action across baseball Thursday with 11 games on the schedule. Among the intriguing pitching matchups will be Brandon Woodruff facing off against Adam Wainwright. Charlie Morton will also take the mound for the Braves when they go up against Joe Musgrove and the Padres. As far as games that could see plenty of scoring, the Cubs and Rockies could be in line for big nights at Coors Field with Justin Steele opposing Kyle Freeland. Let's get to the task at hand and highlight some players to consider for the main slate on Yahoo.
Pitchers
Charlie Morton ($49) picked right up where he left off last season, allowing two runs and recording five strikeouts over 5.1 innings against the Reds in his last start. He's become one of the more reliable starters in all of baseball, logging an ERA of 3.62 or lower in five of the last six seasons. Another valuable performance could be coming against the Padres, who are rolling out a compromised lineup right now because of the absence of Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist).
Walker Buehler ($47) had the unenviable task of making his season debut at Coors Field. He survived it, allowing two runs to go along with five strikeouts over five innings. The Dodgers' ace has thrived at keeping hitters off base, recording a 1.01 WHIP for his career. He's one of the top pitchers to pursue for this slate against a Reds team that has a far inferior lineup than they did last season. Not helping their cause is that Tommy Pham (hand) is currently sidelined and might not yet be ready to return.
The Royals had their matchup with the Cardinals on Wednesday postponed because of rain, which pushed Zack Greinke ($30) back a day. His first start in his second stint with the Royals went well last week with him allowing one run over 5.2 innings against the Guardians. The downside was that he recorded just one strikeout. Those might continue to be difficult for him to come by, but at this salary, he could be worth considering in tournament play against the Tigers.
Top Targets
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($23) torched the Yankees on Wednesday, hitting three home runs and a double. Two of his home runs came off of Gerrit Cole, while the third came off of Jonathan Loaisiga, so he didn't exactly beat up on bad pitching. He'll try to stay hot in a matchup against Luis Severino ($36), who has pitched a total of 21 innings since the start of the 2019 season. In his first outing against the Red Sox, he allowed a home run and two total runs over three innings.
Will this be the season that Mike Trout ($23) finally stays healthy again? He hasn't appeared in at least 140 games in a season since 2018, and he played just 36 games last season. He only has one home run out of the gate, but he does have a .368 OBP. His on-base skills make him very appealing for a matchup against Dane Dunning ($29), who had a 1.44 WHIP last season.
Bargain Bats
Staying with the Angels' matchup against Dunning, Brandon Marsh ($15) could also be worth targeting. The former second-round pick in the 2016 Draft has also been adept at getting on base, posting a .383 OBP across 96 games at Double-A in 2019, and a .364 OBP over 24 games at Triple-A last season. While his 70-game stint with the Angels last season wasn't great, he has four hits and three walks across 17 plate appearances this season, so he may be getting comfortable in the big leagues.
Whit Merrifield ($14) has already recorded two stolen bases, following up his 2021 campaign in which he swiped 40 bags. He only hit 10 home runs, though, and he has never hit more than 19 home runs in a season during his career. His limited power has likely suppressed his salary, but he's still a viable option in a matchup against Casey Mize ($31), who had a 4.71 FIP last season that indicates he didn't pitch as well as his 3.71 ERA would lead you to believe.
Stacks to Consider
Cubs vs. Kyle Freeland ($28), Rockies: Seiya Suzuki ($24), Willson Contreras ($20), Frank Schwindel ($16)
Freeland will start against at Coors Field, which is also where he took the mound in his season debut against the Dodgers. That outing didn't go well, with him allowing five runs over 3.2 innings. He has a bloated 1.41 WHIP for his career, which can be disastrous when pitching in his hitter-friendly home park. Suzuki, who already has three home runs on the young season, should be at the center of any Cubs stack.
Rockies vs. Justin Steele ($28), Cubs: Kris Bryant ($20), Randal Grichuk ($13), Connor Joe ($19)
Pitching at Coors Field will be a difficult task for Steele, who has only logged a career 89.1 innings above Double-A. Across his 57 innings in the majors last season, he allowed 1.9 HR/9, which doesn't bode well for chances of pitching well in this game. His salary will do a number on your budget, but it's difficult to argue against rolling with Bryant, who has a career .406 wOBA and a .270 ISO versus left-handed pitchers.
Dodgers vs. Luis Cessa ($25), Reds: Trea Turner ($21), Mookie Betts ($20), Justin Turner ($21)
Cessa is expected to serve as the opener for this game with Reiver Sanmartin ($25) to follow him and pitch the bulk of the innings. Sanmartin was lit up during his first start against the Braves, allowing five runs over 2.1 innings. While he didn't give up a home run, he allowed four hits and issued five walks. Things likely won't get any easier for him in a matchup against the Dodgers. Justin Turner might not be the biggest name among his trio, but he could be a great option given his .403 wOBA against left-handed pitchers since the start of the 2017 season.
