This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There are a few day games across baseball on Wednesday, but there are still plenty of games for the main evening slate on Yahoo. Let's get to the task at hand and highlight some pitchers and hitters that could take advantage of favorable matchups.
Pitchers
The Yankees were able to get Harrison Bader off the IL on Tuesday, but they are still missing Aaron Judge (hip) and Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring). Their injuries have contributed to them recording the eighth-worst OPS in baseball. Things won't get easier for them against Shane Bieber ($46), who has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his six starts. That included an outing against the Yankees in which he gave up two runs over seven innings
Marcus Stroman ($44) was a great addition to the Cubs last season, finishing with a 3.50 ERA and a 3.76 FIP. Through his first six starts this year, he has a 2.29 ERA and a 3.81 FIP. He'll never be confused with being a strikeout pitcher, but he has allowed just 0.9 HR/9 for his career. He is also on pace for his third straight season with a 1.15 WHIP or lower. More success could be coming against the Nationals, who have the fourth-worst OPS in baseball.
Given that the Athletics have scored the sixth-fewest runs in baseball, rolling with starting pitchers against them has usually been a good idea. Logan Gilbert ($40) will start against them for the Mariners, making him one of the top pitchers to pursue for this slate. His 4.23 ERA through five starts isn't great, but he has a 3.33 FIP to go along with a 1.12 WHIP.
Top Targets
A game at Coors Field means that the Brewers' hitters could be primed for productive evenings. One of their top hitters to target is Willy Adames ($20), who has taken his career to another level since being acquired from the Rays. He hit a career-high 31 home runs last year and has already hit five this year. He will be facing lefty Kyle Freeland ($29), who has given up at least one home run in three of his four starts at home.
It has been a resurgent season at the plate for Cody Bellinger ($23), who has a .293 ISO and a .411 wOBA. After posting strikeout rates of at least 26.9 percent in both of the last two seasons, he has lowered that mark to 15.8 percent this year. When he won the NL MVP award in 2019, he had a 16.4 percent strikeout rate. Jake Irvin, who has a 5.64 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP over five starts at Triple-A, will be called up to start for the Nationals. That leaves Bellinger with significant upside.
Bargain Bats
Staying with the Cubs' matchup against the inexperienced Irvin, Trey Mancini ($11) also has some upside. His overall .302 wOBA for the season isn't great, and some of his struggles can be attributed to his 28.2 percent strikeout rate. However, he is starting to heat up, hitting 8-for-24 (.333) with a double and a home run over his last eight games. His strikeout rate was 25.0 percent during that stretch, and he posted a .429 OBP.
A matchup against the uninspiring Kyle Gibson ($38) means that the Royals, who scored seven runs in the series opener Tuesday, could have another productive evening at the plate. Gibson has recorded a WHIP of at least 1.34 in three of the last four seasons, and he has a 1.31 WHIP through six starts this year. A player with a cheap salary on the Royals to consider is MJ Melendez ($11), who has shown power with two home runs, a double and a triple over his last eight games. While his 34.9 percent strikeout rate would be a concern in most matchups, it might not be for this one, given that Gibson has just an 18.6 percent strikeout rate for his career.
Stacks to Consider
Guardians vs. Clarke Schmidt ($30), Yankees: Jose Ramirez ($22), Steven Kwan ($18), Andres Gimenez ($15)
If the Yankees had other options, Schmidt probably wouldn't be starting right now. He was touched up for five runs over five innings by the Rangers in his last start, leaving him with a 6.84 ERA for the season. His FIP is almost as bad at 5.55, and he has a 1.68 WHIP. With him allowing a career .420 wOBA to left-handed hitters, this trio makes for a great stacking option.
Blue Jays vs. Nick Pivetta ($31), Red Sox: Bo Bichette ($20), Matt Chapman ($23), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($19)
Since the start of the 2021 season, Pivetta has a 1.48 WHIP at Fenway Park, compared to a 1.22 WHIP on the road. He has also allowed 1.8 HR/9 at home, while giving up just 1.0 HR/9 on the road. This will be a tall order for him against the Blue Jays, who have scored the 11th-most runs in baseball. They have received stellar contributions from Chapman, who has a .471 wOBA.
Rockies vs. Eric Lauer ($34), Brewers: C.J. Cron ($13), Kris Bryant ($17), Randal Grichuk ($16)
Lauer has struggled to keep hitters inside the ballpark. Last season, he gave up 1.5 HR/9. He has allowed at least one home run in each of his five starts this year, which is even more troublesome when combined with a 1.50 WHIP. A start at Coors Field likely won't help matters. Since joining the Rockies in 2021, Cron has hit 43 of his 63 home runs at home.
