This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
With a bunch of early start times Wednesday, there will be just eight games making up the main evening slate on Yahoo. Let's sift through the matchups and highlight some pitchers and hitters to consider for your entries.
Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw ($51) missed more than a month with a left shoulder injury, but showed no ill-effects in his return last week against the Rockies. He threw 67 pitchers over five innings, limiting the Rockies to just one run. He should be allowed to throw more pitches in a favorable matchup against the Brewers, who rank inside the bottom-10 in baseball in runs scored. They also have the eighth-worth OPS against left-handed pitchers.
After a rare blowup in which he was tagged for seven runs by the Angels, Luis Castillo ($46) rebounded to limit the Orioles to one run over six innings in his last outing. That has been more the norm for him this season, given his 3.14 ERA and 3.92 FIP. Combine that with his 28.2 percent strikeout rate and he could dominate a Royals team that has scored the third-fewest runs in baseball.
James Paxton ($44) threw 5.1 shutout innings against the Royals in his last outing, recording six strikeouts along the way. He has been proficient in that department all season, posting a 27.4 percent strikeout rate. He has also used a 6.7 percent walk rate to record a 1.15 WHIP. Another valuable stat line could be coming in a matchup against the Nationals, who have hit the second-fewest home runs in baseball.
Top Targets
Wade Miley ($31) has a sparkling 2.90 ERA, but his 4.42 FIP is much more of a concern. He could be in trouble against a Dodgers team that has a .807 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Leading the charge in that regard has been Mookie Betts ($23), who has a .386 ISO and a .441 wOBA versus lefties.
In his first full season as a starter, MacKenzie Gore ($32) has been underwhelming with a 4.62 ERA and a 4.62 FIP. He has given up 1.6 HR/9, and his 10.0 percent walk rate has contributed to his 1.43 WHIP. This could be an ideal matchup for Justin Turner ($20), who has recorded a 144 wRC+ against lefties this season.
Bargain Bats
Dean Kremer ($34) has already logged a career high 132 innings, but none of his numbers really stand out. His WHIP isn't great at 1.32 and he only has 120 strikeouts. His biggest area of concern is that he has given up 1.7 HR/9. Despite his overall disappointing production, Fernando Tatis Jr. ($13) has still hit 19 home runs, so he could be worth the risk in this matchup at this salary.
Going back to the Dodgers facing Miley, Enrique Hernandez ($9) is also a viable target. He has been rejuvenated since landing back with the team, hitting 18-for-56 (.321) with a .500 slugging percentage over 16 games. During that span, he has just an 8.2 percent strikeout rate.
Stacks to Consider
Braves vs. Randy Vasquez ($28), Yankees: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($26), Matt Olson ($27), Austin Riley ($26)
The Braves have dominated the Yankees in this series. They scored 11 runs Monday, then followed it up with five more runs Tuesday. Even with Ozzie Albies (hamstring) on the IL, they have one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. While Vasquez has a 1.89 ERA over 19 innings with the Yankees, his 5.11 FIP is a major red flag. He also has just a 15.0 percent strikeout rate. Wreaking havoc atop the Braves' lineup has been Acuna, who has a .239 ISO and a .425 wOBA.
Rangers vs. Reid Detmers ($29), Angels: Corey Seager ($26), Marcus Semien ($23), Ezequiel Duran ($11)
This start was originally supposed to go to Shohei Ohtani, but he is being skipped because of fatigue. Instead, the Angels will turn to Detmers, who has allowed 14 runs over 6.1 innings in his last two starts. He gave up a total of five home runs during that span, which is noteworthy because the Rangers have hit the fifth-most home runs in baseball. Despite not having the platoon advantage, don't shy away from Seager. He still has a .985 OPS versus southpaws.
Mariners vs. James McArthur ($25), Royals: Julio Rodriguez ($24), Ty France ($14), Dominic Canzone ($11)
McArthur will serve as an opener for this game with Alec Marsh likely to follow and log multiple innings. Whether he has started or come out of the bullpen, it has been a struggle for Marsh. He has a bloated 1.67 WHIP and has been taken deep 10 times over 33 innings. Despite their disappointing .716 team OPS this season, the Mariners still have some dangerous hitters who could exploit this matchup. One that stands out is Rodriguez, who has a .952 OPS over his last 19 games.
