This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
All 30 teams are set to take the diamond Tuesday, leaving us with a bevy of options to sift through on Yahoo. Let's try to help narrow down the field by highlighting some pitchers and hitters who could exploit favorable matchups.
Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw ($56) has made three home starts this season. He logged a combined 20 innings during those outings, allowing just one total run. For his career, he has a 2.65 FIP and a 0.97 WHIP at home. He will pitch there against a Twins team that has struck out the most times in baseball, making him one of the top pitchers to target.
Jordan Montgomery ($39) is looking to rebound from a bad outing against the Cubs in which he gave up six runs over five innings. A couple of bad blowups have left him with a 4.11 ERA, but he has allowed three or fewer runs in six of his eight starts. That included an out against the Brewers in which he pitched seven shutout innings. The Brewers have the worst OPS in baseball against left-handed pitchers, setting up Montgomery to also thrive in their rematch.
The transition from being a reliever for the Mets last year to starting for the Padres this season has been a smooth one for Seth Lugo ($36). He has a 3.18 ERA and a 3.95 FIP, posting a 1.29 WHIP along the way. He has pitched at least six innings in five of his seven starts, so he certainly hasn't had any problems giving the Padres length. More success could be coming in a matchup against the Royals, who rank inside the bottom-10 of baseball in both runs scored and OPS.
Top Targets
Ronald Acuna Jr. ($25) is in the midst of a six-game hitting streak that has seen him go 9-for-24 with three home runs and a double. For the season, he now has a 1.024 OPS. Look for him to stay hot against Dane Dunning ($29), who has recorded a WHIP of at least 1.43 in both of the last two seasons. He also doesn't miss many bats, recording a 21.1 percent strikeout rate for his career.
With injuries hitting their starting rotation, the Braves will turn to Jared Shuster ($25) to start against the Rangers. He made two starts with the team previously this season and he allowed four runs in both of them. This is a good matchup to roll with Marcus Semien ($24), who has started off the season with a .373 wOBA.
Bargain Bats
Remember when Nolan Arenado ($13) was struggling? Well, he's not anymore. He has hit a home run in four straight games and is 16-for-47 (.340) over his last 12 games, overall. He has a career .407 wOBA against left-handed pitchers, leaving him with an opportunity to remain locked in when he faces Wade Miley ($34).
Going back to the Braves' matchup against Dunning, Michael Harris II ($11) is also a viable option. He is off to a slow start with a .293 wOBA and a .109 ISO. However, he has actually lowered his strikeout rate to 19.2 percent, while increasing his walk rate to 11.0 percent. His hard-hit rate is also 50.0 percent. A turnaround could be coming shortly, with this matchup possibly being a catalyst.
Stacks to Consider
Rockies vs. Brandon Williamson ($25), Reds: Kris Bryant ($18), Randal Grichuk ($18), Elias Diaz ($15)
With injuries hitting the Reds' rotation, Williamson is expected to be called up to start this game. It will be his first start in the majors, so having to do it at Coors Field is not ideal. He had a 1.88 WHIP across eight starts at Triple-A after posting a 1.63 WHIP over 13 starts at the same level last season. This could be a great matchup for the Rockies, with Grichuk standing out for a stack. After missing the start of the season because of injury, he is 17-for-46 (.370) with a home run and five doubles since rejoining the team.
Reds vs. Chase Anderson ($25), Rockies: Jonathan India ($23), Spencer Steer ($16), Jake Fraley ($21)
The Rockies are also missing multiple starting pitchers because of injuries, so they claimed Anderson off waivers from the Rays. He only made two relief appearances for the Rays after posting a 1.50 WHIP over the last three seasons. Since he has only worked in relief this year, the Rockies may also be forced to get a lot of outs from their bullpen. One of the best hitters on the Reds has been India, who has used his 10.7 percent walk rate to record a .364 wOBA.
Diamondbacks vs. Kyle Muller ($25), Athletics: Christian Walker ($), Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ($23), Gabriel Moreno ($15)
Muller has given up at least five runs in four of his last six starts. He has a 1.95 WHIP for the season, while striking out just 27 batters over 38 innings. His inability to miss bats has left him to allow 53 hits. The Diamondbacks have the seventh-highest OPS in baseball, so this matchup makes them even more appealing to stack. They received excellent production from Gurriel, who has a .228 ISO and a .389 wOBA.
