This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There will be no day games Tuesday, leaving us with a loaded night on Yahoo. With so many pitchers and hitters to consider, let's try to help narrow down the field by highlighting some players who could exploit favorable matchups.
Pitchers
After giving up eight runs (five earned) to the Pirates in his previous outing, Zac Gallen ($50) bounced back to limit the Phillies to two runs over 5.2 innings in his last start. Even with that blowup against the Pirates, he has a 2.97 ERA and 2.10 FIP for the season. That makes him a great option for a home start against the Rockies, who have just a .659 OPS away from Coors Field.
Tony Gonsolin ($44) has been somewhat lucky to record a 1.82 ERA over six starts. His FIP sits at 4.70 and opponents have just a .154 BABIP against him. Still, this is a pitcher with a career 0.98 WHIP, so he's someone to consider taking a chance on when he has a favorable matchup. He certainly does against the Nationals, who have scored the eighth-fewest runs in baseball.
Speaking of bad lineups, it doesn't get much worse than what the Athletics have been rolling out. They have scored the third-fewest runs and have the second-worst OPS. At home, their OPS is an atrocious .638. Looking to continue their struggles will be Bryce Elder ($46), who has a 2.01 ERA and a 3.46 FIP over his first 10 starts. One of the keys to his success has been his 1.17 WHIP.
Top Targets
JP Sears ($28) has been one of the Athletics' best starters, thanks to his 1.10 WHIP. However, his ERA comes in at 4.70 because he has allowed 12 home runs over 53.2 innings. When he takes on the Braves, the powerful duo of Ronald Acuna Jr. ($24) and Austin Riley ($16) could thrive. Riley has stormed back from a slow start to hit 24-for-72 (.333) with a .583 slugging percentage over his last 18 games.
Bargain Bats
As if Tyler Anderson's ($32) 4.81 ERA wasn't bad enough, his FIP is even worse at 5.53. His walk rate has ballooned to 10.5 percent, which has resulted in his 1.56 WHIP. His strikeout rate is all the way down to 13.6 percent, too. This could be a prime matchup to take advantage of Andrew Vaughn ($12) and Tim Anderson ($9) having cheap salaries. They have a .354 wOBA and a .368 wOBA against left-handed pitchers in their careers, respectively.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Jake Irvin ($25), Nationals: Freddie Freeman ($27), Mookie Betts ($21), Will Smith ($18)
Irvin reached Triple-A for the first time this year, recording a 1.54 WHIP over five starts. He has had similar issues in the majors, posting a 1.59 WHIP over five outings. That could end up being his downfall against the Dodgers, who have the fourth-best OPS in baseball. Smith continues to be one of the best offensive catchers in baseball, posting a .214 ISO and a .398 wOBA. He has lowered his strikeout rate all the way down to 8.6 percent, while his walk rate is 15.3 percent.
Rays vs. Kyle Hendricks ($25), Cubs: Randy Arozarena ($18), Luke Raley ($15), Josh Lowe ($19)
Hendricks was shaky in his return from a shoulder injury, allowing five runs (three earned) over 4.1 innings against the Mets. When we did see him on the mound last season, he gave up 15 home runs over 84.1 innings. That is concerning for his matchup with the Rays, who have hit the most home runs in baseball. That has included 10 home runs for Raley, who also has a .383 wOBA.
Cardinals vs. Zack Greinke ($28), Royals: Paul Goldschmidt ($20), Nolan Arenado ($16), Nolan Gorman ($19)
Since the beginning of last season, Greinke has a 3.02 FIP and a 1.14 WHIP at home. However, he has a 5.42 FIP and a 1.46 WHIP on the road. This start in St. Louis against a Cardinals team that is tied for the sixth-most runs scored might not help him improve those splits. Arenado has bounced back from a slow start to record a .914 OPS over his last 25 games.
