This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
With plenty of day games on the docket Wednesday, we are left with eight games to choose from for the main evening slate on Yahoo. There are still some great pitching options and stacks to take advantage of, so let's highlight some of them and discuss how ownership percentages might play out.
Pitching Overview
The chalk starting pitcher is likely going to be Justin Verlander ($60). He'll be facing his former team in the Tigers, who have scored the second-fewest runs (139) in the league. They've also struck out the ninth-most times (387), which certainly bodes well for Verlander considering he already has a 30.6 percent strikeout rate. He's had issues limiting home runs despite his strong start, but that might not be a problem here since the Tigers have only gone deep 32 times as a team.
Another high-strikeout pitcher who should be popular is Patrick Corbin ($54) for his start against the Mets. He's already faced them twice this season, allowing five runs and recording 13 strikeouts across 12 innings. Many of the Mets best hitters are left-handed, so it's not a big surprise that Corbin has fared well against them. Lefties only have a career .288 wOBA against Corbin, so look for him to be successful once again.
One of the more pleasant pitching surprises this year has been Mike Minor ($47). The Rangers don't have much talent to speak of in their starting rotation, but Minor has been their leader with a 2.68 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. His 4.17 xFIP indicates that he hasn't exactly been dominant, although it is encouraging to see him record a career-high 25.2 percent strikeout rate. The Royals only have a 73 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers compared to a 106 wRC+ versus righties, so this is a matchup to exploit.
Key Values/Chalk
The Astros have scored 19 runs across their first two games versus the Tigers. Given their .868 OPS as a team and the Tigers lack of quality pitching options, it's certainly no surprise. Now they will face Gregory Soto, who was lit up for seven runs across four innings in his only other start this season. Before that outing, he had never appeared above Double-A. Expect to see plenty of hitters from the Astros among the ownership leaderboard.
The Rangers are another team from Texas that is set up to shine in their matchup against Jorge Lopez. After recording a 4.72 xFIP and a 1.47 WHIP last year, he's continued to struggle this season with a 4.59 xFIP and a 1.49 WHIP. Even more troublesome is that he's allowed 10 home runs over 43 innings. The Rangers have plenty of power, so this game could get out of hand in a hurry.
Michael Wacha might be 3-0 for the Cardinals, but don't let his record fool you. He's not pitching well, posting a 4.91 xFIP and a 1.65 WHIP across seven starts. Not one to normally have problems with home runs, he's already allowed seven long balls across 37 innings. This isn't a good matchup for him to get back on track against the Braves, who are in the top third in the league in OPS.
Stacks
Astros vs. Soto (Tigers)
Alex Bregman (3B - $24), Carlos Correa (SS - $19), Aledmys Diaz (1B - $14)
With how hot the Astros are and how poorly the Tigers' pitching staff is, it's not that hard to make a case for a lot of the players in their lineup. This trio could be interesting at a total price of $57. Bregman has eight home runs across his last 12 games while Correa is 30-for-96 (.313) with eight home runs and seven doubles across his last 24 games. Diaz has cashed in on his opportunity for adding playing time with Jose Altuve (hamstring) out and is now 9-for-25 (.360) with three home runs over his last seven games.
Rangers vs. Lopez (Royals)
Joey Gallo (OF - $27), Shin-Soo Choo (OF - $19), Nomar Mazara (OF - $14)
Lopez has allowed a .365 wOBA to lefties in his career, so he could be in plenty of trouble against the Rangers left-handed heavy lineup. With his propensity for giving up home runs, Gallo is someone to build around. After recording a .385 wOBA against righties last year, Choo is also a great option. Mazara is mired in a slump right now, but he also hits righties well, so this might be just the matchup that he needs to get going.
Braves vs. Wacha (Cardinals)
Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF - $17), Freddie Freeman (1B - $18), Brian McCann (C - $15)
Although Wacha is a righty, his career wOBA against lefties is 41 points lower than it is against righties. Don't shy away from Acuna based on that number, especially since he finished with a .377 wOBA against righties last year. Freeman is an on base machine who is a safe option more often than not and McCann could be a hot bat to ride at catcher since he is 14-for-44 (.318) with two home runs across his last 12 games.
Rays vs. Jose Urena (Marlins)
Austin Meadows (OF - $22), Brandon Lowe (2B - $18), Ji-Man Choi (1B - $15)
Whenever Urena pitches, he's someone to consider stacking against. He's not an overpowering pitcher with his career 15.8 percent strikeout rate and he's allowed at least four runs in half of his starts this season. Meadows hasn't skipped a beat since being activated from the IL, hitting 5-for-12 with two home runs and a double. Lowe has also performed well by hitting 17-for-58 (.293) with two home runs and four doubles across his last 15 games. Choi is a cost-effective option to complete this trio who carries plenty of upside after posting a 146 wRC+ against righties last year.
