This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There are a lot of early start times across baseball Thursday, which leaves just eight games making up the main slate on Yahoo. With that being said, the starting pitching options are off the charts. Let's discuss them, as well as some hitters to target, while you work your way through the options.
Pitchers
It's going to be difficult to resist Shane Bieber ($61), who has been dominant this season and has a cushy matchup against the Pirates. However, his salary will do a number on your budget. If you want another top-tier option at a slightly lesser salary, then Dinelson Lamet ($55) should be on your radar. He's been as impressive as Bieber, recording a 0.81 WHIP to go along with a 32.1 percent strikeout rate. The Rangers' lineup has been almost as futile as the Pirates, posting a .650 OPS that ranks third-worst in baseball.
In terms of a more budget-friendly pitcher to consider, Kevin Gausman ($32) is somewhat appealing. His 4.21 ERA doesn't stand out, but his 3.10 FIP and 1.17 WHIP indicate that he has pitched pretty well. He's also missing plenty of bats, leaving him with a 31.8 percent strikeout rate that is almost 10 percentage points higher than his overall mark for his career. He'll face an Angels team that clearly has some dangerous hitters, but their overall lineup has underperformed, leaving them to average 4.6 runs a game for the season.
Top Targets
After getting on base at an impressive rate in recent seasons, Jose Ramirez ($22), saw a decline in that area last year, leaving him with a .327 OBP. His walk rate is back up this season to 14 percent, which has helped boost him to a .364 OBP. He's still hitting for power with a .244 ISO and his speed remains a big part of his game with five steals through 24 games. Factoring in his career .359 wOBA against right-handed pitchers, he could be a tough out for Trevor Williams ($33), who has followed up his 5.12 FIP from 2019 with a 4.62 FIP across his first four starts of 2020.
The Orioles might have found themselves a player that they can build around in Anthony Santander ($26), who hit for power last year with 20 home runs and 20 doubles across 93 games. He's been even better this season, mashing nine home runs and 10 doubles through 24 contests. What's also impressive is that he has just an 11.5 percent strikeout rate. He'll look to keep things rolling against Nathan Eovaldi ($30), who has a 5.93 ERA and a 4.79 FIP across his first five outings.
Bargain Bats
The Giants took advantage of the Angels' suspect pitching staff Wednesday, scoring seven runs in their victory. They could be in line for another productive even against Jose Suarez, who is expected to make his season debut by starting this contest. He was crushed during his first taste of the majors last year, posting a 6.72 FIP and a 1.64 WHIP across 81 innings. With the underwhelming lefty on the mound, Austin Slater ($13) is someone to consider since he had a .355 wOBA versus southpaws last season.
Slater isn't the only member of the Giants who could provide value in this matchup. Evan Longoria ($10) had two hits and an RBI on Wednesday, giving him at least one hit in each of the first three games of this season. Like Slater, he's had success against left-handed pitchers, finishing with a .359 wOBA against them last season.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Yusei Kikuchi ($25), Mariners: Mookie Betts ($27), Justin Turner ($19), A.J. Pollock ($16)
Kikuchi produced a strong start against the Athletics earlier this season, but it was sandwiched by two outings against the Astros and Rockies in which he allowed a total of nine runs across 9.1 innings. He'll face another tough foe in the Dodgers, who have the fifth-highest OPS (.782) in the league. With a lefty on the mound, Turner and Pollock stand out as two players with reasonable salaries who could thrive. Turner has finished with a wOBA of at least .385 against left-handed pitchers in each of the last three seasons and Pollock has a career .354 wOBA against them.
Diamondbacks vs. Sean Manaea ($28), Athletics: Starling Marte ($21), Ketel Marte ($18), Eduardo Escobar ($13)
It's been a disastrous start to the season for Manaea, who has a 7.65 ERA across his first five starts. His FIP is a lot better at 4.04, but his 1.60 WHIP isn't helping his cause. Both Marte's are batting at least .337 out of the gate, so they could prove to be problematic outs for Manaea. Escobar has struggled mightily, but this could be a matchup in which he thrives given that he had a .362 wOBA against southpaws last season.
Padres vs. Kyle Gibson ($27), Rangers: Fernando Tatis Jr. ($27), Manny Machado ($15), Josh Naylor ($8)
Gibson doesn't have an overwhelming arsenal by any means, which is the main reason why he has a 1.41 WHIP for his career. Tatis and Machado obviously carry tremendous power upside into this matchup and Tatis is making a case to be the NL MVP with his hot start. Also, don't sleep on Naylor at his cheap salary. He'll be needed to play more with Tommy Pham (hand) out and he produced a .392 wOBA at Triple-A last year before being called up to the majors. He struggled in his 94 games with the Padres, but the former first-round pick has loads of talent and could take advantage of this matchup.
