This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Thursday brings a light schedule across baseball that consists of just seven games. Of those seven, only four of them will be included in the main evening slate on Yahoo. Let's dig into the limited options and highlight some pitchers and hitters to consider for your lineups.
Pitchers
Jordan Montgomery ($41) couldn't have looked much better in his last start. He blanked the Brewers across seven innings, allowing just five total baserunners to go along with nine strikeouts. He is coming off the best season of his career, posting a 3.48 ERA that was supported by a 3.61 FIP. Another excellent stat line could be coming against a Pirates lineup that already wasn't very deep, and is in even worse shape now with Oneil Cruz (lower leg) out.
Chris Bassitt ($39) was torched in his first start, allowing nine runs over 3.1 innings to the Cardinals. He bounced back in his second outing, giving up three runs (two earned) over six innings against the Angels. The good news for the Blues Jays was that he only allowed two hits in that outing, but he also issued five walks. Even with his inconsistency out of the gate, he's a great option against a Tigers team that has only scored 33 runs over 11 games.
With injuries hitting the Yankees' starting rotation, they have turned to Jhony Brito ($27) to help fill one of the voids. He has not disappointed, allowing one run over 10 innings. He showed an ability to keep hitters off base in the minors, posting a 1.12 WHIP at Double-A in 2021 and a 1.18 WHIP at Triple-A last year. His next opponent will be the Twins, who are dealing with a few injuries to their lineup. For this limited slate, Brito could is worth considering for those looking to save some of their budget at pitcher.
Top Targets
Manny Machado ($15) is off to a slow start, posting a .594 OPS and failing to hit a home run. Still, he's a great option for a matchup against left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer ($31). For his career, Machado has a .212 ISO and a .359 wOBA versus southpaws.
Aaron Judge ($23) is at again. Not only has he hit four home runs already, but he has a .429 wOBA. If there is a negative to his start, it's that his strikeout rate sits at 32.7 percent. He won't be facing the easiest of pitchers in Joe Ryan ($43), but with only four games to pick from, Judge is still one of the top hitters to target.
Bargain Bats
After mostly pitching out of the bullpen last season, Nick Martinez ($30) has moved into the starting rotation for the Padres. It hasn't exactly gone well with him allowing eight runs and two home runs over 11.2 innings. He has a 1.42 WHIP and has allowed 1.4 HR/9 for his career, making him a pitcher to attack on this limited slate. Rowdy Tellez ($13), who has plenty of power and has gone deep twice already this season, could exploit Martinez's propensity for giving up home runs.
Oswaldo Cabrera ($9) is one of the more versatile defenders in the league, which often helps him find his way into the lineup. He's no slouch with the bat, either, logging three multi-games out of the 10 that he has played so far. At his cheap salary, he's at least worth considering in tournament play.
Stacks to Consider
Cardinals vs. Vince Velasquez ($25), Pirates: Paul Goldschmidt ($21), Nolan Arenado ($19), Nolan Gorman ($19)
Velasquez is coming off another pedestrian campaign, posting a 4.78 ERA and a 4.25 FIP for the White Sox. The Pirates signed him to try and eat some innings at the back of their starting rotation, but he has allowed eight runs over 7.1 innings in his first two starts. Facing a loaded Cardinals' lineup likely won't help his cause. One of their hottest hitters has been Gorman, who has started out the season with four home runs and a .484 wOBA.
Blue Jays vs. Spencer Turnbull ($25), Tigers: Bo Bichette ($23), Matt Chapman ($27), Daulton Varsho ($18)
Turnbull did not pitch at all last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He has not looked good in his return, allowing 12 runs and 13 hits over eight innings. He also walked five batters, while hitting two others. It might take him some time to get comfortable on the mound again, but in the meantime, he's someone to stack against in DFS. A hitter that stands out for a Blue Jays stack is Chapman, who has at least two hits in eight of his 12 games.
