This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
While there are five games with early start times Thursday, we still have six games that make up the main evening slate on Yahoo. There are some interesting series among them, including the Cubs hosting the Reds. Let's dig into the matchups and highlight some pitchers and hitters to target for your lineups.
Pitchers
Cristian Javier ($35) is starting to show signs that he is emerging from his recent rough patch. In his last outing, he allowed three runs and had nine strikeouts over six innings against the Rays. That marked his third straight outing in which he allowed three or fewer runs. Another quality stat line could be coming against the Yankees, who have the second-fewest hits in baseball and didn't make any moves at the trade deadline to bolster their floundering lineup.
Julio Urias ($38) had his previous start pushed back because of a split fingernail. However, he emerged fine from his bullpen session Tuesday, setting him up to start against the Athletics. It's a great matchup, given that the Athletics have scored the fewest runs in baseball. Urias has also been much better at home, posting a 3.48 FIP and a 0.85 WHIP in Los Angeles. On the road, he has a 6.30 FIP and a 1.62 WHIP.
Adrian Houser ($31) was tasked with pitching against the Braves in both of his last two starts. He limited them to three runs over six innings the first game, but was roughed up for six runs over four innings in their rematch. That rough performance actually broke a string of five straight starts in which he allowed three or fewer runs. He could start another one of those streaks against the Pirates, who have scored the fourth-fewest runs in baseball.
Top Targets
With the Dodgers blowing out the Athletics on Wednesday, Mookie Betts ($27) was pulled in the fourth inning to get some extra rest. Still, he finished 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and two runs scored. He has a 1.079 OPS at home this season and a 1.126 OPS versus left-handed pitchers. That makes him a top option for his matchup against JP Sears ($30).
Yordan Alvarez ($26) has at least one hit in all six games since coming off the IL. During that span, he went 9-for-22 with two home runs, two doubles and a .480 OBP. Expect him to be a difficult out for Clarke Schmidt ($38), who has allowed a .376 wOBA to left-handed hitters.
Bargain Bats
Will Smith ($14) also had a productive night during the Dodgers' scoring outburst Wednesday, going 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI, a walk and two runs scored. Like Betts, splits favor Smith in his matchup against Sears. He has a .893 OPS at home and a .929 OPS versus left-handed pitchers. For comparison, he has a .812 OPS on the road and a .828 OPS versus righties.
One final member of the Dodgers to consider for their matchup with Sears is Chris Taylor ($13), who should be in the lineup with the lefty on the mound. Right-handed pitchers have limited him to a .653 OPS, but he has a .835 OPS versus southpaws.
Stacks to Consider
Brewers vs. Mitch Keller ($36), Pirates: Christian Yelich ($21), William Contreras ($16), Carlos Santana ($13)
After two horrible outings in which he gave up a combined 14 runs over 11 innings, Keller rebounded to limit the Phillies to two runs over 5.2 innings in his last start. However, he once again showed poor control, issuing three walks. He has walked 23 hitters over his last 59 innings after walking just 17 batters over his first 74.2 innings of the season. The last time he faced the Brewers in Milwaukee, he was tagged for four runs over five innings. Any Brewers stack should include Yelich, who has a .394 wOBA against right-handed pitchers this season.
Cubs vs. Luke Weaver ($25), Reds: Dansby Swanson ($26), Cody Bellinger ($27), Ian Happ ($18)
Don't get too excited about Weaver holding the Dodgers to three runs (one earned) over six innings in his last start. He only recorded two strikeouts in the outing, and he still has a 1.60 WHIP for the season. That could spell doom against the red-hot Cubs lineup that has averaged 7.9 runs over their last 12 games. The leader of their offensive surge has been Bellinger, who has a 141 wRC+ that is on pace to be the second-highest mark of his career.
Reds vs. Jameson Taillon ($34), Cubs: Joey Votto ($17), Will Benson ($18), Jake Fraley ($17)
Taillon has limited right-handed hitters to a .279 wOBA this season, but lefties have a .388 wOBA against him. That makes this trio intriguing for a Reds stack. Taillon has given up 14 home runs this season, 11 of which have been hit by lefties. That could be an issue when he faces Fraley, who has already set a new career high with 15 home runs. All 15 of his home runs have come off right-handed pitchers, as well.
