This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Thursday is loaded with day games across baseball. In fact, only two games have evening start times. With so many teams set to play day games following a night game, we'll need to keep a close eye on lineups to see who gets a day off. There really aren't any noteworthy pitching matchups, although Justin Verlander, Alek Manoah and Zack Wheeler will all be taking the mound for their respective teams. With so few big-name pitchers expected to start, some teams could be in line for big scoring performances. Based on their respective matchups, here are some players to consider for your Yahoo entries.
Pitchers
The Pirates' lineup is usually one to attack in DFS. They don't have many dangerous hitters, which has contributed to them ranking inside the bottom-10 in the league in runs scored, while striking out the ninth-most times. Looking to exploit that favorable matchup will be Freddy Peralta ($46), who has followed up his 33.6 percent strikeout last season with 16 strikeouts through his first 12 innings.
Another team that has had offensive issues is the Tigers, who have scored the fourth-fewest runs in baseball. A lack of power has been an issue for them, given their .317 slugging percentage as a team. This could be a great matchup to deploy Bailey Ober ($40), who has followed up his 1.20 WHIP last season with a 1.00 WHIP through his first three starts.
The Cubs have surprisingly been a potent scoring team. They have the second-highest OPS and have scored the third-most runs in baseball. Their numbers are somewhat skewed, though, given that they had one game against the Prates in which they scored 21 runs. If you're looking for a pitcher with a cheaper salary to take a chance on in tournament play, don't shy away from Kyle Wright ($31) just because of this matchup. He has shown encouraging improvement with a 39.4 percent strikeout rate through three starts.
Top Targets
Jose Ramirez ($25) is off to an insane start. While he's still looking for his first stolen base, he has a .493 wOBA and a 234 wRC+. He continues to be one of the most difficult hitters in the league to strikeout, posting a 9.1 percent strikeout rate that is even better than his 12.1 percent mark for his career. Expect him to be a difficult out for Reid Detmers ($28), who has a 1.61 WHIP through his first 33 innings in the majors.
Whenever he is opposing a left-handed pitcher, Alex Bregman ($17) has to at least be considered in DFS. For his career, he has a .253 ISO and a .404 wOBA against them. He'll face an underwhelming one in Martin Perez ($25), who has finished with a FIP of at least 4.65 in five straight seasons.
Bargain Bats
Bregman isn't the only player on the Astros to consider with Perez on the mound for the Rangers. Yuli Gurriel ($12) is off to a slow start, but this might be just the matchup that he needs to get back on track given his career 122 wRC+ versus lefties.
Is the end near for Nelson Cruz ($10)? The seemingly ageless slugger has been dreadful for his new team, recording a 50 wRC+ across 19 games. His hard-hit rate is down to 43.9 percent, which would be his lowest mark sine Statcast started to record the data. With that being said, his salary is low enough to consider rolling with him in a matchup against Trevor Rogers ($39). For his career, Cruz has a 150 wRC+ versus southpaws.
Stacks to Consider
Cardinals vs. Humberto Castellanos ($25), Diamondbacks: Nolan Arenado ($21), Tyler O'Neill ($17), Corey Dickerson ($7)
Castellanos did not have good numbers at Triple-A last season, posting a 6.03 FIP over 12 starts. He didn't fair much better in the majors, finishing with a 4.93 ERA and a 5.01 FIP over 45.2 innings. He could be in trouble against the Cardinals, who have plenty of dangerous hitters in their lineup. Their most dangerous might be Arenado. Following a lackluster first season with the Cardinals in which he recorded a 113 wRC+, he has a 233 wRC+ through 17 games.
Brewers vs. Jose Quintana ($26), Pirates: Willy Adames ($20), Hunter Renfroe ($15), Andrew McCutchen ($15)
It's difficult to get excited about Quintana's 3.68 ERA through three starts when you look at the underlying numbers. He has a 4.58 FIP, a 1.50 WHIP and he has as many walks (eight) as he does strikeouts. McCutchen should be included in any Brewers stack given his career .404 wOBA versus lefties.
Marlins vs. Patrick Corbin ($25), Nationals: Jesus Sanchez ($21), Jazz Chisholm ($24), Jorge Soler ($17)
Through four starts, Corbin has already allowed at least six runs in a game twice. He's issued 11 walks over 13.2 innings, which comes on the heels of him recording a WHIP of at least 1.47 in back-to-back seasons. The Marlins wouldn't be a team to consider stacking most nights, but this matchup makes them intriguing. Their most exciting young hitter might be Chisholm, who has a 15.8 percent barrel rate for the young season.
