This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There will be plenty of baseball to enjoy Thursday with 22 teams in action. One of the highlights will be the beginning of a series between the Yankees and Rays at Tropicana Field. Another exciting series set to get underway will be the Angels playing host to the Blue Jays. In that game, Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to start for the Angels, while Hyun Jin Ryu is expected to start for the Blue Jays. The Phillies will also continue their series against the Braves when Aaron Nola takes the field against Kyle Wright. Let's discuss which players to consider for the main nine-game evening slate on Yahoo.
Pitchers
Eric Lauer ($47) is making a case to be one of the better starting pitchers on not only the Brewers, but in the National League. He has a 2.16 ERA that is supported by a 3.36 FIP, and he's increased his strikeout rate to 32.9 percent. Not only is he missing more bats, but his 4.9 percent walk rate has helped him record a 0.94 WHIP. Despite a less-than-ideal matchup against the Cardinals, Lauer might be worth pursuing for your entry.
One of the more pleasant pitching surprises in baseball has been Martin Perez ($39), who has a 1.64 ERA and a 2.44 FIP for the Rangers. He's still not striking out many hitters, but he has a 55.8 percent groundball rate, which is on pace to be the second-highest mark of his career. Continued success could be coming his way against the Athletics, who have the second-worst OPS in baseball.
The Twins placed Joe Ryan on the COVID-19 IL on Wednesday, which has forced Devin Smeltzer ($25) to make a spot start against the Royals. The downside with Smeltzer is that he only has a career 17.6 percent strikeout rate. However, since the Royals rank inside the bottom-10 in baseball in OPS, he could still be worth deploying in tournament play.
Top Targets
It feels like Bryce Harper ($27) can't be stopped right now. He accumulated four more hits Wednesday, giving him nine multi-hits performances over his last 14 games. During that stretch, he is 27-for-59 (.458) with six home runs and 10 doubles. As good as Wright ($41) has been for the Braves, Harper is still a top target for this slate.
Freddie Freeman ($20) continues to be a tough out, posting a 12.4 percent strikeout rate on his way to a .370 wOBA. His power numbers have been lacking, but that doesn't mean he's not a great option for a matchup against Humberto Castellanos ($25), who has a pedestrian 4.29 ERA and 4.49 FIP.
Bargain Bats
The matchup against Nola ($47) has left several of the Braves' hitters with cheap salaries. While Nola can be dominant, he's also allowed 1.6 HR/9 this season. It might be worth taking a chance on Austin Riley ($13), who has launched nine home runs on his way to a .220 ISO.
Ozzie Albies ($11) may have finally turned the corner. He logged another hit Wednesday, making him 12-for-34 (.353) with two doubles during his eight-game hitting streak. His power numbers are still lacking, but with how hot he is right now, taking a chance on him in tournament play is a viable strategy.
Stacks to Consider
Angels vs. Hyun Jin Ryu ($30), Blue Jays: Mike Trout ($26), Anthony Rendon ($16), Jared Walsh ($16)
Since coming off the IL, Ryu has allowed one run over 10.2 innings. He only recorded six strikeouts, though, and he didn't exactly face two offensive juggernauts in the Reds and Rays. The Angels, who have scored the fourth-most runs, will be a much more difficult opponent. Rendon could be a great option for an Angels stack given his career .380 wOBA versus left-handed pitchers.
Red Sox vs. Dallas Keuchel ($25), White Sox: J.D. Martinez ($27), Trevor Story ($27), Enrique Hernandez ($17)
Keuchel was rocked by the Yankees in his last start, allowing six runs over four innings. He has a bloated 2.00 WHIP for the season, issuing more walks (18) than he has strikeouts (16). That should make the Red Sox one of the more popular teams to stack for this slate. At the center of any Red Sox stack should be Story, who has caught fire with seven home runs over his last nine games.
Rockies vs. Patrick Corbin ($29), Nationals: C.J. Cron ($22), Brendan Rodgers ($18), Randal Grichuk ($17)
The Rockies usually aren't an appealing team to stack on the road. However, they get a great matchup against Corbin, who has a 6.60 ERA and a 4.72 FIP. Opponents have a whopping 47.6 percent hard-hit rate against him, and his WHIP has ballooned to 1.69. A particularly appealing option for a Rockies stack is Cron, who has a 159 wRC+ versus left-handed pitchers after recording a 144 wRC+ against them last season.
