There aren't many better days than this! This is the opening night for MLB, and it's the start of what's looking like a special season. This Wednesday card is an appetizer for what's to come, though, because we only have one game to kickstart the season. That's a bit frustrating from a DFS standpoint, but we can't wait to see these teams in action. With that in mind, let's take a deep dive into this Giants-Yankees matchup.
Pitching
Max Fried, NYY at SF ($11,000)
With Fried and Logan Webb ($11,200) as the only two pitchers on the board, we have to go with Fried. With the salaries being nearly identical, Fried is the much safer option against a much weaker offense. The Yankees were a top-5 offense in every metric last season, while the Giants were 20th in OBP and 21st in wOBA. That's no surprise since San Fran has one of the most spacious parks in baseball, and Fried should thrive there behind his 2.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 19-5 record from last season. The oddsmakers also agree, making the Yankees a -125 favorite in this favorable matchup.
Top Targets
Aaron Judge, NYY ($10,000)
Judge is always one of the best options on every slate, but he's tough to fade on a single-game card. He's arguably the best pure hitter in baseball, posting a .457 OBP and 1.152 OPS over the last two seasons. It's hard to believe this guy is getting on base nearly half the time, and he's a good option no matter who he's matching up with. In three games against San Fran last season, Judge generated a .615 OBP and 1.115 OPS and also has a 1.985 OPS in seven at-bats against Webb.
Matt Chapman, SF ($7,400)
Chapman has always been an underrated asset from a DFS standpoint, and he becomes even more attractive against left-handers. The third baseman has a .338 career OBP, .461 SLG and .799 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. An .800 OPS is outstanding for a $7,400 player, especially since he's 10th in salary on this single-game slate. We're also excited with the way Chapman looked in Spring Training, sporting a .405 AVG and 1.259 OPS.
Heliot Ramos, SF ($7,000)
While we prefer Fried to Webb from a pitching perspective, a Chapman-Ramos stack could be profitable. These guys are expected to be in the heart of San Fran's lineup, and both guys have slaughtered southpaws throughout their careers. Ramos has registered a .352 OBP, .522 SLG and .874 OPS in nearly 400 career plate appearances against left-handers. He's also clobbering the ball just like Chapman, compiling a .462 OBP and 1.234 OPS throughout Spring Training.
Bargain Bats
Trent Grisham, NYY ($6,400)
Grisham was the Yankees' primary leadoff hitter against righties last season, and if he does that again, he should see a bump in salary. Seeing the 13th-priced player as the potential leadoff hitter for the highest-projected team is puzzling, particularly with how great Grisham looked last season. He hit a career-high 34 homers last year while collecting a .364 OBP and .869 OPS against right-handers. That's absurd for such an affordable player, especially since he has a .286 AVG in 21 at-bats against Webb.
Austin Wells, NYY ($5,200)
Wells will likely be near the bottom of NY's lineup, but he's way too cheap at just $5,200. The catcher had a solid 2024-25 season and carried that over with a .783 OPS during Spring Training. The splits are what have us most excited because Wells has a .443 career SLG and .743 OPS against right-handers. That's nothing special, but that sort of pop for a $5,200 player is the perfect way to squeeze in expensive players like Fried and Judge.
