Baseball takes a bit of a step back Thursday with just seven games on the schedule. The main evening slate on Yahoo will consist of five of them, leaving us with even fewer options to pick from. With that in mind, here are some pitchers and hitters to target for your entries.
Pitchers
The schedule has certainly worked in Kodai Senga's ($40) favor. His first two outings were against the Marlins, who he limited to two runs over 11.1 innings. Then he faced took the mound against the Athletics in Oakland, although he didn't perform as well by allowing four runs over 4.2 innings. Up next is the Giants, who are tied for the ninth-fewest runs scored in baseball while striking out the most times.
Roansy Contreras ($31) has a 6.00 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP that doesn't tell the entire story of how he has performed in the early going. Most of the damage was done when he gave up seven runs over 3.1 innings in a start against the Astros. In the other two outings, he allowed a combined three runs over 11.2 innings to the Red Sox and Cardinals. He has the potential for another strong performance in a matchup against the Reds, who rank inside the bottom-10 in baseball in OPS.
Matt Strahm ($33) lasted just 2.2 innings in his last start because of a cut on his thumb. He won't miss a start, though, setting himself up to face the Rockies at home. While the Rockies are always dangerous at Coors Field, they had the worst road OPS in baseball last season. This season, they have a .617 OPS over nine road games.
Top Targets
Bryan Reynolds ($20) has put up impressive numbers through his first 19 games. His strikeout rate is all the way down to 15.9 percent, while his ISO sits at .263 and he has a .369 wOBA. A favorable matchup awaits him against Luke Weaver ($25), who will be making his first start of the season. He pitched mostly in relief last season and he has a 1.40 WHIP for his career.
Not much of an argument needs to be made to roll with Freddie Freeman ($19) in DFS whenever the Dodgers are in action. He's off to another terrific start, posting a .387 wOBA. With his contact skills, expect him to be a difficult out for Jameson Taillon ($32), who has a limited 21.7 percent strikeout rate for his career.
Bargain Bats
It's not often that you see Manny Machado ($12) have a salary this cheap. His .263 wOBA and .076 ISO are likely the culprits. His main issue has been his 31.1 percent hard-hit rate that is nearly 15 percentage points lower than his career mark. He won't stay in this slump forever, so taking a chance on him in a matchup against the inexperienced Ryne Nelson ($32) might be worthwhile.
Jake McCarthy ($7) was impressive over his 99 games with the Diamondbacks last season, stealing 23 bases to go along with his .283 batting average. While his .337 wOBA wasn't anything to write home about, his strikeout rate was just 21.5 percent. The start of this season has been a struggle with him posting a .216 wOBA. His strikeout rate has actually come down to 15.5 percent, but he's been a bit unlucky with his .186 BABIP. His salary is so low that his speed makes him a viable option in a matchup with Michael Wacha ($31), who has a 1.47 WHIP and has allowed at least four runs in two of his three starts.
Stacks to Consider
Phillies vs. Ryan Feltner ($25), Rockies: Trea Turner ($20), Kyle Schwarber ($24), Bryson Stott ($16)
Feltner has followed up his 1.41 WHIP from last season with a 1.95 WHIP across his first three starts. Last year, he issued 35 walks and allowed a whopping 16 home runs over 97.1 innings. Those areas have both plagued him this season with him issuing 11 free passes and being taken deep twice over 13.1 innings. Schwarber has an excellent eye at the plate and hits a ton of home runs, making him a must for any Phillies stack.
Mets vs. Sean Manaea ($31), Giants: Pete Alonso ($23), Francisco Lindor ($19), Tommy Pham ($13)
With Ross Stripling having been demoted to the bullpen, Manaea has secured a spot in the starting rotation for the Giants. Stripling could find his way back into the rotation soon, though, with Alex Wood (hamstring) having hit the IL. Regardless, Manaea is lined up to face a Mets lineup that has some holes at the bottom of it, but is as dangerous as any at the top. Alonso is locked in at the plate, posting a .342 ISO and a .416 wOBA. Lindor has been almost as hot, recording a .275 ISO and a .375 wOBA.
