This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Wednesday's busy slate includes a lot of day games. One of them is a marquee matchup between the Mets and Astros in which Justin Verlander will take the hill for Houston. The Yankees will also have an early start time when they deploy Jameson Taillon against the Athletics. As far as the evening games go, there are several key series, one of which is the Guardians hosting the Twins. The Blue Jays will start Alek Manoah against the Red Sox in what is a battle between two teams in the Wild Card mix. Let's dig into the main evening Yahoo slate and highlight some players to consider for your entries.
Pitchers
Shohei Ohtani ($45) is coming off of a three-start stretch in which he allowed one run and recorded 25 strikeouts over 21 innings. For the season, he now has a 2.90 ERA that is supported by an even better 2.76 FIP. He'll try to keep rolling in a matchup against the White Sox, who only have a .647 OPS versus right-handed pitchers.
Staying in that same game, Michael Kopech ($47) could also be in line for a valuable stat line. He only had two strikeouts over six innings against the Orioles in his last start, and his strikeout rate has dropped all the way down to 22.9 percent as a full-time starter this season. However, the Angels have struck out the most times in baseball, so he might be able to contribute more in that department.
The Cubs aren't great at making contact, either. In fact, they have struck out the ninth-most times in baseball. Now they will face Hunter Greene ($33), who has a 28.9 percent strikeout rate. His propensity for allowing home runs makes him a risky option, but his strikeout upside might still make him worth adding to your entry.
Top Targets
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($22) came through with a walk-off single to give the Blue Jays a win over the Red Sox on Tuesday. He extended his current hitting streak to seven games and he now has a .373 wOBA for the season. For a slate that only consists of seven games, the red-hot Guerrero is a great option, despite a less-than-stellar matchup against Nick Pivetta ($41), who has pitched well with his 3.25 ERA and 3.56 FIP.
The Reds have to be thrilled with the production that they have received from Brandon Drury ($18), who is on his third team in the last three seasons. He enters with a .372 wOBA and 15 home runs, which is home shy of his previous career best. Even more impressive is that he has a .444 wOBA against left-handed pitchers. That makes him difficult to resist against Justin Steele ($30), who has a 1.45 WHIP for the Cubs.
Bargain Bats
The last time the Reds faced Steele, they scored seven runs off of him over two innings. If you're looking to gain some exposure to this matchup, while also not destroying your budget, then Jonathan India ($10) and Nick Senzel ($10) should both be on your radar. India had a .361 wOBA versus lefties last year, and Senzel is 9-for-16 over his last five games.
Stacks to Consider
Twins vs. Cal Quantrill ($33), Guardians: Byron Buxton ($21), Luis Arraez ($16), Max Kepler ($12)
Quantrill's 15.1 percent strikeout rate doesn't leave him with much margin for error. It might be one of the reasons why he's allowed seven home runs over his last eight starts. The Twins don't not have a ton of big names in their lineup, but they have the sixth-highest OPS in baseball. One of their most productive hitters has been Arraez, who has a .384 wOBA.
Braves vs. Ranger Suarez ($30), Phillies: Austin Riley ($19), Dansby Swanson ($22), Marcell Ozuna ($16)
The biggest reason for Suarez's disappointing season is his 1.48 WHIP. His 17.9 percent strikeout rate, which is nearly eight percentage points lower than last season, isn't helping matters, either. The last time he faced the Braves, he allowed 10 base runners and five runs across 4.1 innings. They could be a great team to stack in this rematch, with Swanson being someone to considering building one around. He's used a 46.7 percent hard-hit rate to generate a 137 wRC+.
Guardians vs. Dylan Bundy ($32), Twins: Jose Ramirez ($23), Andres Gimenez ($17), Oscar Gonzalez ($8)
Bundy is very much a hit-or-miss starting pitcher. Over his last nine starts, he's allowed one or no runs four times. However, he allowed at least four runs in each of the other five outings. With a limited slate of options, taking a chance that he has one of his off nights and stacking against him is a viable option. This trio is especially dangerous, with the emerging Gimenez entering with a .368 wOBA.
