This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Thursday brings 10 games across baseball, two of which have early start times. One of the early games will be a battle between AL East foes in the Rays and Orioles. While only eight games make up the evening slate, there is no shortage of impressive starting pitchers. Shohei Ohtani will be on the mound for the Angels, taking on the Rangers at home. Zack Wheeler will get the call for the Phillies in what is a very favorable matchup against the Pirates. Logan Gilbert will take his 10 wins to the mound for the Seattle, but he could have a tough time building on that total in a matchup against the Astros. Let's dig into the main slate on Yahoo and highlight some pitchers and hitters to consider for your lineups.
Pitchers
Adding Wheeler ($52) to your entry will do a number on your budget, but he's arguably the most appealing pitching option on the board. He's having another special season, compiling a 2.78 ERA and a 2.77 FIP. Although his strikeout rate is down compared to last season, it's still plenty high enough at 26.7 percent. The Pirates have an atrocious lineup that has resulted in them scoring the third-fewest runs in baseball.
Alex Wood ($35) doesn't have a great ERA at 4.21, but his 3.32 FIP is encouraging for his results over the second half of the season. He's already started to see his numbers improve, recording a 2.05 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP over his last five outings. Up next is a matchup against the Cubs, who are rumored to be shopping some of their better hitters as the trade deadline approaches.
The good news is that Jameson Taillon ($38) only allowed two runs in his last start against the Orioles. The bad news is he only lasted 2.2 innings and allowed seven baserunners. He's cooled off considerably after a strong beginning to the season, posting a 6.09 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP over his last nine starts. With that being said, he could still be worth the risk in a matchup against the Royals, who have scored the fourth-fewest runs in baseball and just traded away Andrew Benintendi to the Yankees.
Top Targets
The Tigers find themselves in the unenviable position of facing the loaded Blue Jays' lineup in Toronto, where they have a .801 OPS as a team. Starting for Detroit will be Tyler Alexander ($25), who hasn't logged more than 3.1 innings in a game since April. The Blue Jays might be in for a big night in what could amount to mostly a bullpen game, so Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($18) and Teoscar Hernandez ($22) should be two popular options in DFS. Guerrero has a career .378 wOBA at home, while Hernandez has a .395 wOBA there this season.
Bargain Bats
It's been a down year for Jared Walsh ($12), who only has a 97 wRC+. His strikeout rate has increased to 29.1 percent and his 9.4 percent barrel rate is on pace to be the lowest mark of his career. Still, he has home run upside, and he has a great matchup upcoming against Spencer Howard ($25). Howard has a 7.11 ERA and an even worse 8.01 FIP, while allowing 10 home runs across 25.1 innings. With this matchup in mind, Brandon Marsh ($12) could also be a viable target. Marsh's problem has been his 36.7 percent strikeout rate, but that might not be an issue in this game given Howard's career 20.8 percent strikeout rate.
Stacks to Consider
Phillies vs. Zach Thompson ($31), Pirates: Kyle Schwarber ($15), Alec Bohm ($17), Bryson Stott ($14)
Thompson had a favorable matchup in his previous start, taking on the Marlins at home. He couldn't take advantage, giving up seven runs over 5.1 innings. He allowed nine hits and two walks, leaving him with a 1.44 WHIP for the season. With just 51 strikeouts over 75.2 innings, he doesn't leave himself much margin for error. Also, he's given up 13 home runs. His inability to keep hitters could be especially troublesome against Schwarber, who has already slugged 31 home runs.
Dodgers vs. Jose Urena ($25), Rockies: Mookie Betts ($23), Freddie Freeman ($27), Cody Bellinger ($14)
Urena struggled in his last start, allowing six runs (five earned) to the Brewers over 5.1 innings. His 3.13 ERA looks nice, but his 4.70 FIP and 1.42 WHIP indicate that trouble could be on the horizon. A matchup against the Dodgers at Coors Field likely won't help matters. Their hottest hitter has been Freeman, who is 24-for-47 (.511) with five home runs and six doubles across his last 13 games.
Yankees vs. Brady Singer ($34), Royals: Aaron Judge ($27), Anthony Rizzo ($19), Aaron Hicks ($17)
Singer comes into this matchup with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP across his last six starts. It's been an extremely favorable stretch for him with his matchups coming against the Athletics (twice), Tigers (twice), Guardians and Rays. This will be a much tougher opponent given that the Yankees have the highest OPS in baseball. Judge and Rizzo are the big names here, but don't sleep on Hicks. He's caught fire in July, hitting 19-for-58 (.328) with three home runs and three doubles over 19 games.
