This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Baseball heads into the final weekend before the All-Star break with a packed slate of games Friday. Let's get right down to business and highlight some pitchers and hitters to consider for your Yahoo lineups.
Pitchers
Zac Gallen ($53) has dramatic home and road splits. He has a 3.78 FIP and a 1.31 WHIP on the road, but a 2.02 FIP and a 0.88 WHIP in Arizona. The last time he faced the Pirates, they scored eight runs off of him over 3.2 innings in Pittsburgh. With the Pirates having scoring the sixth-fewest runs in baseball and Gallen having pitched so well at home, look for him to provide a much better stat line this time around.
Andrew Abbott ($48) has been mowing down the competition, recording at least eight strikeouts in each of his last three starts. He has a 0.88 WHIP since being called up from the minors, helping the Reds become one of the more pleasant surprises in baseball. This is a great matchup for him to remain hot, given that the Brewers have the worst OPS in baseball against left-handed pitchers. The last time he faced them, Abbott posted six strikeouts over six scoreless innings.
Unlike Gallen and Abbott, Aaron Civale ($38) doesn't miss a ton of bats. He only has a 21.2 percent strikeout rate for his career, but that mark is even worse this season at 18.4 percent. Still, opponents have just a 4.4 percent barrel rate against him, which has helped him allow two or fewer runs in six of his eight starts. That trend could continue against the Royals, who have scored the second-fewest runs in baseball.
Top Targets
Jameson Taillon ($28) was hit hard again in his last start, giving up six runs (four earned) over five innings against the Guardians. He has now allowed at least four runs in eight of his last 10 starts. He normally does a good job of limiting baserunners, but that hasn't been the case this season with his 1.52 WHIP. A matchup against the Yankees makes both Anthony Volpe ($18) and Harrison Bader ($16) worth targeting. Volpe has been one of their hottest hitters, going 23-for-69 (.333) with three home runs and five doubles over 21 games since making a change to his batting stance. Bader is also heating up, hitting 11-for-34 (.324) with a home run and five doubles over his last nine games.
Bargain Bats
Griffin Canning ($39) has home run issues. He has given up 1.5 HR/9 this season, which comes on the heels of him allowing 2.0 HR/9 last season. With his problems in that department, his matchup against the Dodgers could lead to Max Muncy ($12) providing value. While Muncy is only batting .195, he has a .274 ISO.
Going back to the Yankees facing Taillon, Giancarlo Stanton ($12) is also a viable option. It has been a disappointing season for the slugger, who has battled injuries and recorded a .661 OPS. However, he has at least one hit in seven of his last 10 games and is always dangerous at Yankee Stadium. It only takes one swing for him to provide significant value at his salary.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox vs. Luis Medina ($25), Athletics: Rafael Devers ($21), Justin Turner ($22), Alex Verdugo ($19)
Although the Red Sox only have a .692 OPS on the road this season, they have a .815 OPS at home. Expect them to remain productive there against Medina, who has a 6.37 ERA and a 5.92 FIP. Medina has also given up 1.8 HR/9. Verdugo is a prime option for a Red Sox stack, given his 145 wRC+ at Fenway Park this season.
Rangers vs. Trevor Williams ($26), Nationals: Corey Seager ($25), Nathaniel Lowe ($17), Jonah Heim ($16)
The Nationals are in a tough spot. This is already a bad matchup for them with the Rangers having scored the most runs in baseball. They also had to rely heavily on their bullpen Thursday because of an early rain delay in their matchup with the Reds. They would probably love to get some length from Williams, but his 1.42 WHIP has contributed to him logging five or fewer innings in 10 of his 17 starts. Their bullpen has the third-worst ERA in baseball, so look for the Rangers to score in bunches in this matchup. Seager comes with a hefty salary, but the combination of this matchup and his 184 wRC+ might make him too good to resist.
Giants vs. Austin Gomber ($26), Rockies: J.D. Davis ($), Wilmer Flores ($), Patrick Bailey ($15)
Gomber enters this matchup with a 6.64 ERA and a 5.91 FIP. He has shown an inability to keep hitters inside the ballpark, allowing 2.0 HR/9. While the Giants do have a lot of left-handed hitters, this trio could take advantage of the struggling lefty on the mound. Flores should be in the lineup with Gomber starting, given that he has recorded a wOBA of at least .345 against left-handed pitchers in three of the last four seasons.
