This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
A heavy dose of early start times leaves us with just five games for the main evening slate on Yahoo. With that in mind, here are some pitchers and hitters who could thrive based on their respective matchups.
Pitchers
Max Scherzer ($47) had a couple of rough outings in a row, but has bounced back to pitch well in his last two starts. Over 14 combined innings against the Astros and Phillies, he allowed three runs and recorded 16 strikeouts. With at least eight strikeouts in five of his last six starts, he stands out for a matchup against a Brewers team that has struck out the fourth-most times in baseball.
Taijuan Walker ($44) doesn't have great overall numbers with his 4.10 ERA and 4.49 FIP for the season. However, most of his struggles came early on. He enters this matchup against the Cubs having allowed one or no runs in each of his last four starts. When he faced them earlier in the season, he logged 5.1 scoreless innings. Don't be surprised if he has similar success in their rematch.
Kyle Hendricks ($37) doesn't miss a lot of bats, but he has been successful during his career because he does a good job of limiting baserunners. After recording uncharacteristically high WHIPs the last two seasons, he has a 0.98 WHIP over six starts this year. While he doesn't come with much strikeout upside, he could still be worth considering for this limited slate.
Top Targets
Adam Wainwright ($25) was roughed up by the Cubs in his last start, allowing seven runs and 11 hits over three innings. He has had difficulties keeping hitters off base for much of the season, given his 1.82 WHIP. His matchup against the Astros could be a great opportunity to roll with the duo of Kyle Tucker ($19) and Jose Altuve ($17). Over his last 17 games, Tucker is 20-for-65 (.308) with two home runs, five doubles and a .395 OBP. Altuve has battled injuries this year, but he has been productive when healthy, posting a 138 wRC+.
Bargain Bats
It's usually not easy to find hitters with cheap salaries for games that are played at Coors Field. With the inflated offensive production there, salaries are usually increased. However, both Jurickson Profar ($12) and Randal Grichuk ($10) could be bargains for this slate in a matchup against Emmet Sheehan ($25). Profar only has a .264 wOBA on the road this season, but he has a .343 wOBA at home. Grichuk has a .370 wOBA at Coors Field this year.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Chase Anderson ($25), Rockies: Freddie Freeman ($26), Mookie Betts ($26), David Peralta ($17)
Anderson initially pitched well after coming over from the Rays. However, given his 6.81 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over the last three seasons, it seemed like a matter of time before he hit a rough patch. That rough patch has arrived with him allowing 16 runs over his last two starts. Facing the Dodgers at Coors Field likely isn't going to help him get back on track. One of the top options for any Dodgers stack should be Freeman, who has a 152 wRC+.
Blue Jays vs. TBD, Giants: Bo Bichette ($16), George Springer ($18), Matt Chapman ($12)
As of early Thursday morning, the Giants had yet to officially announce their starter for this game. They could use an opener, with Sean Manaea potentially to follow and log multiple innings. A bullpen game could lead to plenty of runs for a Blue Jays team that has the eighth-highest OPS in baseball. One of their more productive hitters of late has been Springer, who is 24-for-66 (.364) with two home runs, six doubles and a .403 OBP over his last 17 games.
