This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There are 11 games scheduled across baseball on Thursday, about half of which have early start times. Two aces will take the hill in separate day games, with Shane McClanahan starting against the Cardinals, and Corbin Burnes starting against the Phillies. Later in the evening, Gerrit Cole will start for the Yankees, and Stephen Strasburg is expected to make his season debut for the Nationals against the Marlins. As we focus on the main evening slate on Yahoo, here are some pitchers and hitters to consider for your entries.
Pitchers
Cole ($56) continues to go about his business, churning out one gem after another within the Yankees' superb starting rotation. His 2.78 ERA is backed by a 2.58 FIP, and his 31.5 percent strikeout rate puts him on pace to have a strikeout rate of over 30 percent for the fifth straight season. With so few options for this limited slate, paying up for Cole's salary versus the Twins could still be worth it.
Max Fried ($48) has also been excellent with a 2.74 ERA and a 2.92 FIP, but he is successful in very different ways from Cole. He doesn't miss many bats, posting just a 22.1 percent strikeout rate. However, his stellar 4.3 percent walk rate has helped him build a 1.01 WHIP. Look for him to keep rolling against the Pirates, who have the fourth-worst OPS in baseball.
The Athletics have been even more futile than the Pirates, recording the worst OPS in all of baseball. With that in mind, taking a chance on Konnor Pilkington ($34) could be wise. He made the most of a favorable matchup versus the Royals in his last outing, recoding eight strikeouts over five scoreless innings.
Top Targets
The Athletics will start James Kaprielian ($31) against the Guardians, who has a 6.06 ERA and 5.96 FIP across seven starts. He hasn't recorded many strikeouts, and he's already allowed seven home runs over 32.2 innings. This could be a prime spot to deploy Jose Ramirez ($25), who is once again thriving with a 182 wRC+.
Austin Hays ($21) is emerging as one of the best hitters on the Orioles. He's shown a good eye at the plate, posting an 8.3 percent walk rate and a 16.6 percent strikeout rate. He's used that to generate a .363 wOBA. More success could be coming for him in a matchup against Kris Bubic ($27), who enters with a 2.07 WHIP.
Bargain Bats
Oscar Gonzalez ($12) was performing well at Triple-A, registering a .345 wOBA and a 14.2 percent strikeout rate. He's carried that over into his first 12 games with the Guardians, recording a .362 wOBA and a 12.2 percent strikeout rate. Given Kaprielian's struggles, Gonzalez is also someone to target.
If Carlos Santana ($7) is in the lineup for the Royals, he could provide value at such a cheap salary. His overall numbers for the season are not good, but he's performed better of late, hitting 12-for-40 (.300) with two doubles and a 14.9 percent walk rate across his last 11 games. He won't have a difficult matchup versus Jordan Lyles ($31), who has a 1.48 WHIP this season that is in line with his career 1.44 WHIP.
Stacks to Consider
Braves vs. JT Brubaker ($32), Pirates: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($25), Matt Olson ($19), William Contreras ($16)
Brubaker's numbers have improved compared to last season, but that's not saying much. He still hasn't been good, posting a 4.70 ERA and a 4.61 FIP. His walk rate has ballooned to 10.2 percent, leaving him with a 1.45 WHIP. The Braves figure to be a popular stack for this matchup, and rightfully so. Olson is starting to heat up at the plate, hitting 14-for-44 (.318) with two home runs and six doubles across his last 10 games.
Yankees vs. Dylan Bundy ($27), Twins: Aaron Judge ($28), Giancarlo Stanton ($23), Anthony Rizzo ($17)
Bundy came out of the gate hot this season, but has quickly reverted to his struggling ways. He's allowed 10 runs (nine earned) across his last two starts, and he's given up at least four runs in four of his last six outings. This could be a nightmare matchup for him against the Yankees, who have scored the sixth-most runs in baseball. This trio brings plenty of power to the plate, which is noteworthy given that Bundy has allowed 1.6 HR/9 for his career.
