This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
If you like offense, Wednesday night has the potential to be right up your alley. There are a lot of struggling pitchers set to take the mound, which could make for an explosive night in DFS. Let's breakdown some of the best hitters to target while compiling your Yahoo entry.
Pitching Overview
The top pitcher available, by a wide margin, is Gerrit Cole ($64). He's certainly locked in right now, recording at least 10 strikeouts in each of his last six starts. That brought his strikeout rate up to a staggering 39.4 percent for the season. Now he will face a Rangers team that has struck out the second-most times in baseball. Need I say more?
Aaron Civale ($38) has turned out to be a significant contributor for the Indians, recording a 2.98 FIP and a 1.05 WHIP across his eight starts. While he did face a few bad lineups, it should be noted that four of his outings came against the Yankees, Mets and Twins (twice). Now he will look to keep things rolling against the lackluster Tigers, who he has held to two runs over 13 innings this season.
The Padres have the makings of what could be a productive young starting rotation. Dinelson Lamet ($37) has only made 12 starts in his return from Tommy John surgery, but his impact has been felt with his 3.69 FIP and 1.26 WHIP. He certainly misses a lot of bats, leaving him with a 30.5 percent strikeout rate. Facing the Brewers isn't nearly as imposing now with Christian Yelich (knee) out, so this could be a spot to take a chance on him in tournament play.
Key Values/Chalk
The Cubs are reeling right now with Javier Baez (thumb) and Anthony Rizzo (ankle) out, dealing two huge blows to their lineup. They still could be a team to target, though, against the Reds and Tyler Mahle. He's been roughed up for 35 runs (30 earned) over 38.2 innings in his last eight starts and has allowed a .374 wOBA against left-handed hitters. That makes Kyle Schwarber ($19) and Jason Heyward ($15) two names to consider.
As we march towards the playoffs, the Braves continue to be one of the most potent offensive teams in the league. They will look to keep things rolling against Zach Eflin, who just gave up three runs over 3.2 innings against them in his last outing. His 4.72 FIP and 1.34 WHIP aren't terrible, but he has allowed 1.5 HR/9. That leaves the trio of Ronald Acuna Jr. ($16), Freddie Freeman ($18) and Josh Donaldson ($22) with significant upside.
When you think of potent offenses, the Orioles don't usually come to mind. However, they have two dangerous hitters in Trey Mancini ($17) and Jonathan Villar ($20) who are great options in the right situations. It's difficult not to be excited about their potential against Clay Buchholz, who has a 4.88 FIP through nine starts. Mancini has gone deep in four of his last five games and already has a career-high 33 home runs this season.
Stacks
Indians vs. Spencer Turnbull (Tigers)
Francisco Lindor (SS - $24), Carlos Santana (1B - $20), Mike Freeman (2B - $11)
Turnbull has had his share of problems against the Indians, who have scored 18 runs off of him over 25 innings. While he doesn't allow a lot of home runs, his 1.48 WHIP isn't helping his cause. Left-handed hitters also have a .361 wOBA against him, leaving these three as viable targets. Lindor has been especially productive of late, launching six home runs and five doubles across his last 15 games.
Twins vs. Ivan Nova (White Sox)
Eddie Rosario (OF - $17), Jorge Polanco (SS - $23), Luis Arraez (2B - $17)
Dylan Covey was originally scheduled to make this start, but he was scratched due to shoulder soreness. Nova just started Sunday, so he is scheduled to only pitch one inning before turning things over to the bullpen. This could be a great game for the Twins' lineup with Rosario and Polanco carrying plenty of upside. Arraez is scorching hot having hit 26-for-59 (.441) over his last 16 games.
Blue Jays vs. Dylan Bundy (Orioles)
Bo Bichette (SS - $19), Lourdes Gurriel (OF - $15), Reese McGuire (C - $16)
These two teams have two of the worst starting rotations in baseball, making them both lineups to pursue in DFS. Bundy has continued his struggles down the stretch, allowing at least four runs in each of his last three outings. Bichette is the Blue Jay to build around with his 143 wRC+ since being called up. McGuire is also worth considering if he's in the lineup since he has a 131 wRC+ and a .250 ISO over his first 24 games.
