This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
It's Friday, and the weekend kicks off with a heaping helping of baseball. There are 12 games making up Yahoo's main DFS slate. The action begins at 7:05 p.m. ET, and here are recommendations to take you into the weekend on a high note.
Pitching
Tarik Skubal, DET at CLE ($44): Skubal is living up to that prospect status he had when he debuted, and perhaps even looking a bit better than that. He has a 2.09 FIP and has struck out 10.21 batters per nine innings. Cleveland is surprisingly 12th in runs scored, but Jose Ramirez left Thursday's game with an injury and may not be able to play.
Chase Silseth, LAA vs. OAK ($28): If Silseth gets to keep pitching all his games against the Athletics, he should be just fine. In his first MLB start, the rookie went six innings of shutout ball. His second start is also against Oakland, and it has a staggering .588 OPS as a team.
Devin Smeltzer, MIN at KC ($28): Smeltzer's first start didn't go as well as Silseth's, but he only allowed one run in five innings. The Royals' offense also isn't quite as bad as the Athletics', but they are 26th in runs scored.
Top Targets
Home runs have been easy to come by for the Yankees, and Giancarlo Stanton ($23) has played a big part in that. He's hit 11 homers in 35 games, and his .296 average is a nice bonus as well. Stanton will get to tee off on Dallas Keuchel, who has a 5.54 ERA after having a 5.28 ERA last season.
When you see a catcher hitting .325, it's going to draw your attention. That's what Tyler Stephenson ($17) is doing, and in his career he's slashed .293/.370/.459. Hyun-Jin Ryu has only made three starts this season, but he has a 9.00 ERA.
Bargain Bats
While Bo Bichette ($14) hasn't been up to his usual standards, he already has four home runs and four stolen bases. Plus, he's already getting into the swing of things as home, where he has a .783 OPS. Luis Castillo has only pitched in two games, posting a 5.59 ERA, and he had a 3.98 ERA last season.
I'm not considering Javier Baez's ($12) numbers for this season, which are admittedly bad. However, I see upside at this salary given his track record. In every full season he's played Baez has put up double-digit home runs and stolen bases. Maybe a matchup with Aaron Civale will help, as Civale has a 9.85 ERA.
Stacks to Consider
Mets vs. German Marquez ($30): Pete Alonso ($22), Jeff McNeil ($18), Francisco Lindor ($17)
The Mets are at Coors Field, and that's a nice play to be for any hitter. Even better for New York's lineup is a matchup with Marquez, who has a 6.16 ERA. Power bats play well at Coors, but you don't need to be a slugger in a situation like this.
Alonso is a slugger, of course. He's hit 10 home runs this season, and in his career he's slugged .540. McNeil isn't as much of a power hitter, though he did hit 23 homers in 2019. What the second baseman does is hit for average, as he's hit .313 this season. Coors is actually favorable to doubles hitters as well. Lindor has multiple seasons with 30 home runs and 20 stolen bases. To start this season he has six homers to go with five swiped bags.
Brewers vs. Erick Fedde ($25): Christian Yelich ($18), Luis Urias ($16), Rowdy Tellez ($16)
Fedde's 4.24 ERA is actually better than usual for him. In his career he's posted a 5.16 ERA through 82 games pitched. Since 2020, Fedde has allowed lefties to hit .267 against him, and I have two left-handed hitters in this stack.
Yelich has five home runs and five stolen bases. He also has an .811 OPS against righties and an .820 OPS at home. Last season, Urias hit 23 home runs, and this season he's slashed .294/.403/.431. Tellez has hit eight home runs, and he's been crushing it at home in 2022.The lefty has an 1.090 OPS is Milwaukee's ballpark.
Twins vs. Daniel Lynch ($32): Byron Buxton ($24), Carlos Correa ($16), Jorge Polanco ($14)
Lynch has a 3.30 ERA, but a 4.39 FIP. That comes after he had a 4.81 FIP as a rookie last season. Lynch has also allowed 1.19 home runs per nine innings in his career. Since he is a lefty, I have two righties and a switch hitter here. A guy like Max Kepler struggles in matchups with southpaws.
Buxton has as much power as any hitter in baseball. This season he's hit 11 homers, and over the last three seasons he's slugged .627. Correa was starting to turn it around before his injury. Over his last nine games he has an 1.069 OPS. Plus, he has a career .276/.355/.478 slash line. Polanco is a career .274 hitter. Last season he had 33 home runs and 11 stolen bases, and this year he has four homers and two stolen bases.
