This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There are a few aces set to take the mound Wednesday, but many of the starting pitching options for the nine-game main slate on Yahoo are underwhelming. That could leave us with plenty of runs in several contest. Let's discuss some players who could take advantage of their respective matchups.
Pitchers
After shutting out the Reds on Tuesday, the Cubs will send their ace Yu Darvish ($60) to the mound Wednesday. He's been as good as it gets, recording a 2.02 FIP, 0.88 WHIP and a 33 percent strikeout rate. His control has been excellent this season and he's also only allowed 0.5 HR/9. That's a significant improvement over the 1.7 HR/9 that he allowed last season. The Reds have the ninth-lowest OPS (.717) in baseball, so look for Darvish to be dominant once again.
If you're looking to take a chance on a pitcher with a low salary, then Luis Garcia ($25) could be an option against the Athletics. He threw 66 pitches out of the bullpen in his last outing, so he may not be on much of a pitch count, if at all. He's mostly been a starter in the minors and has shown impressive strikeout upside, including a 39.4 percent strikeout rate at High-A last season. The concern is that he had never pitched above High-A prior to his last outing. Still, the A's are missing Matt Chapman (hip) and only have a .724 OPS at home, so Garcia could provide value.
Top Targets
Jose Abreu ($24) is in the midst of a stellar campaign. He's always been a consistent source for production, but his .403 wOBA and 159 wRC+ are on pace to be his highest marks since his rookie season in 2014. He's currently on a 21-game hitting streak in which he has recorded a 1.230 OPS. Getting him out will be a tall order for JT Brubaker ($25), who has a 1.44 WHIP during his first stint in the majors.
Brandon Belt ($21) began the season hitting poorly, but has completely turned things around lately. Across his last 15 games, he's 22-for-46 (.478) with four home runs and seven doubles. His wRC+ is now up to 207 for the year against right-handed pitchers and he'll be facing one here in Nick Margevicius ($29) who has allowed a .424 wOBA to left-handed hitters over his brief Major League career.
Bargain Bats
Although he doesn't have the type of power that Abreu and Belt do, Isiah Kiner-Falefa ($13) has also been hot lately. Over his last 16 games, he's 22-for-59 (.373) and only has a 7.9 percent strikeout rate. Don't be surprised if he keeps things rolling against Julio Teheran ($28), who has struggled to the tune of a 7.49 FIP and a 1.59 WHIP.
The Braves starting rotation is a mess. Injuries have depleted them to the point where they needed to add Tommy Milone ($29) at the trade deadline to improve their depth. He might be able to give them innings, but the quality of those innings might not be great given his 1.43 WHIP. This could be a great spot to deploy Brian Anderson ($11) since Milone has allowed a wOBA of at least .391 to right-handed hitters in three of the last four seasons.
Stacks to Consider
Angels vs. Kyle Cody ($25), Rangers: Mike Trout ($27), Anthony Rendon ($22), Shohei Ohtani ($15)
Cody has yet to allow an earned run across his four appearances this season, but he's been somewhat lucky given that he's issued five walks in 7.1 innings. He likely won't last long in this start considering he hasn't pitched more than three innings in a game this season, which should give the Angels opportunities against the underbelly of the Rangers' bullpen. Rendon hasn't been as productive as he was with the Nationals last year, but he's homered in two of the last three games and his .957 OPS would be the second-highest mark of his career.
Mets vs. Jorge Lopez ($25), Orioles: Michael Conforto ($24), Dominic Smith ($22), Robinson Cano ($18)
The Mets might not have trouble scoring runs in this game with Lopez on the mound. He generally struggles to keep men off base, allowing a 1.49 WHIP for his career. Left-handed hitters have recorded a .373 wOBA against him in his career, so this trio is particularly appealing. Conforto is in the midst of the best season of his career with a .418 wOBA and Smith has been just a productive with his .422 wOBA and .314 ISO.
Dodgers vs. Taylor Clarke ($30), Diamondbacks: Mookie Betts ($27), Cody Bellinger ($20), Gavin Lux ($9)
Clarke's 2.96 ERA looks nice, but a deeper dive indicates that he hasn't pitched nearly that well. He's been somewhat lucky with opponents recording a .194 BABIP against him and his FIP checks in at 4.74. He's also had control issues, leaving him with a 13.3 percent walk rate. This could be a rough start for him against the Dodgers, who have the third-highest OPS (.809) in baseball. Lux's salary helps balance out the two big names in this stack while also providing some upside. He hit two home runs in Tuesday's game and is one of the more highly-regarded prospects in baseball after recording a .490 wOBA at Triple-A last season.
