This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Wednesday brings a loaded slate that includes some early start times. Among the day games will be an NL West battle between the Padres and Giants in which Joe Musgrove will start versus Alex Wood. As far as the evening slate goes, both New York teams will have their aces on the mound in their respective games. Gerrit Cole will start against the Angels, while Jacob deGrom will take the mound against the Dodgers. Kyle Wright, who already has 16 wins, will continue his quest for 20 victories in a home start against the Rockies. As you start to build your Yahoo lineups for the main evening slate, consider the following pitchers and hitters who could exploit their favorable matchups.
Pitchers
Cole ($53) is coming off of a dominant start against the Athletics in which he allowed one run and recorded 11 strikeouts over 7.1 innings. He's had some ups and downs following the All-Star break, but he's allowed one or no runs in three of his last four starts. Another dominant stat line could be coming against the Angels, who have struck out the most times in baseball.
The Tigers' lineup is usually one to attack in DFS. They have been downright embarrassing, hitting only 76 home runs as a team on their way to scoring the fewest runs in baseball. Starting against them Wednesday will be Marco Gonzales ($34), who has allowed three or fewer runs in four of his last six starts.
James Kaprielian ($34) was hammered by the Yankees in his last start, allowing eight runs over 2.2 innings. Prior to that, though, he had allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his previous nine starts. This is a great opportunity for him to bounce back against the Nationals, who have scored the fifth-fewest runs in baseball.
Top Targets
It seems like the lone bright spot in the Yankees' lineup right now is Aaron Judge ($27). With his teammates slumping, Judge has been walked a lot, including 10 times over his last 13 games. However, he still slugged five home runs during that stretch, giving him 51 for the season. Expect him to be a difficult out for Patrick Sandoval ($37), given his career .411 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
It's been a struggle for Tyler Alexander ($29), who has a 4.83 ERA and a 4.85 FIP while splitting time as a starter and a reliever for the Tigers. He doesn't have sing-and-miss stuff, which is evident by his 12.3 percent strikeout rate. This could be an excellent matchup to roll with Julio Rodriguez ($15), who has a 135 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers.
Bargain Bats
Staying with the Mariners matchup against Alexander, Carlos Santana ($7) could also be a viable choice. Right-handed pitchers have limited him to a .285 wOBA this season, but he has a .362 wOBA versus lefties.
For those who decide not to take a chance on Kaprielian, Lane Thomas ($12) is a hitter to consider. He's been swinging a hot bat, hitting 16-for-52 (.308) with four home runs and three doubles over his last 13 games.
Stacks to Consider
Braves vs. Ryan Feltner ($26), Rockies: Austin Riley ($17), Matt Olson ($23), Michael Harris ($22)
Feltner has remained a member of the Rockies starting rotation despite his 5.87 ERA and 4.92 FIP through 61.1 innings. One of the big reasons for his problems has been him allowing 1.6 HR/9. That could be a recipe for disaster against the Braves, who have hit the second-most home runs in baseball. They have been led by Riley, who is on pace to set a new career high with his .266 ISO.
White Sox vs. Kris Bubic ($26), Royals: Jose Abreu ($19), Andrew Vaughn ($19), AJ Pollock ($15)
With how poorly the White Sox have been playing, it's difficult to have a ton of faith in them right now. However, this matchup might be too good to pass up stacking them. Bubic has allowed at least four runs in three straight starts, and he has a 1.68 WHIP for the season. A prime option to build any White Sox stack around is Abreu, who has a career .391 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
Phillies vs. Tommy Henry ($28), Diamondbacks: Bryce Harper ($21), Rhys Hoskins ($19), Jean Segura ($12)
While Henry has a 3.25 ERA through five starts, his 4.68 FIP indicates that he hasn't performed nearly as well as one might believe. He's certainly shown a lack of control, posting a 10.3 percent walk rate. He had a 9.6 percent walk rate at Triple-A, so his deficiencies in that area should come as no surprise. He'll have his work cut out for him against the Phillies, who have a .779 OPS versus left-handed pitchers.
