This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There will be no shortage of action across baseball Tuesday. There are 16 games on the schedule, including a doubleheader between the Mets and Braves. With so many teams set to take the field, there are also a lot of top-tier pitchers that are expected to start. The most notable of such pitchers are Brandon Woodruff, Carlos Rodon and Julio Urias. We'll also see the continuation of the series between two AL East powerhouses when the Blue Jays host the Yankees. Let's get into all of the matchups, and highlight some pitchers and hitters to target for your entries.
Pitchers
It's been an ugly beginning of the season for the Reds, who are 3-19. Their stripped-down lineup has the worst OPS in baseball, so this could be a great series for the Brewers' starting rotation. Getting the first crack at them will be Woodruff ($46), who has a 2.66 FIP that indicates he has pitched much better than his 5.30 ERA would leave you to believe.
Joe Ryan ($55) allowed two runs over four innings in his first start of the season. Since then, he has allowed one run over 19 innings. He was excellent at keeping runners off base throughout his stops in the minors, and he's carried that into the big leagues with a career 0.74 WHIP. Up next for him is a great matchup against the Orioles, who have scored the fifth-fewest runs in baseball, while striking out the most times.
Whenever the Pirates are in action, they are a team to attack in DFS. Their lineup as been dreadful, scoring the seventh-fewest runs in baseball. For the first game of their series against the Tigers, Michael Pineda ($37) will start for Detroit. Although Pineda likely won't provide many strikeouts, he does have a 1.19 WHIP for his career.
Top Targets
Yordan Alvarez ($20) went deep again Monday, giving him three home runs over his last four games. He's dropped his strikeout rate to 16.0 percent, which is more than eight percentage points lower than last season. Amazingly, his hard-hit rate checks in at 64.2 percent. He could continue his success in a matchup against Chris Flexen ($32), who had a 4.52 FIP and a 1.34 WHIP on the road last season.
It's difficult to be overly excited about Michael Wacha's ($35) 1.77 ERA when you consider his 4.01 FIP. He's been aided by an unusually low .154 BABIP allowed, which is nearly half his career .300 BABIP allowed. This could still be a great spot to roll with Mike Trout ($27), who is healthy and has hit 14-for-38 (.368) with four home runs and four doubles over his last 11 games.
Bargain Bats
Is Jonathan Schoop ($11) finally starting to come out of his slump? He's batting .150 for the season, but he has at least one hit in six of his last nine games. He hasn't batted below .256 since the 2018 season, so don't expect him to remain below the Mendoza Line for much longer. It wouldn't be a surprise for him to record a couple of hits in a matchup against Bryse Wilson ($26), who has a career 5.42 FIP and a 1.55 WHIP.
Bobby Witt Jr. ($10) is starting to look more comfortable at the plate. The talented third baseman is 12-for-38 (.316) with three doubles and three steals over his last 10 starts. Continued success could be coming in a matchup against Dakota Hudson ($40), who is not an overpowering pitcher based on his career 18.1 percent strikeout rate.
Stacks to Consider
Rockies vs. Erick Fedde ($25), Nationals: C.J. Cron ($24), Randal Grichuk ($18), Charlie Blackmon ($20)
Fedde has a 1.49 WHIP for his career, which isn't exactly encouraging with this game being played at Coors Field. The Rockies are usually a popular team to stack when they are at home, and this matchup will only make them even more appealing. Grichuk has been a great addition to the team, posting a 151 wRC+.
White Sox vs. Drew Smyly, ($34), Cubs: Tim Anderson ($19), Jose Abreu ($14), AJ Pollock ($14)
Smyly's 2.79 ERA isn't as encouraging when you consider that two of his four starts have come against the Pirates. He only has 13 strikeouts over 19.1 innings, and his 4.90 FIP doesn't look nearly as impressive. This could be a night to stack the White Sox, with Anderson being one of their top hitters to consider. While he only has a 95 wRC+ versus right-handed pitchers for his career, he has a 136 wRC+ versus lefties.
Nationals vs. German Marquez ($29), Rockies: Juan Soto ($23), Josh Bell ($22), Maikel Franco ($13)
After a great start in which he limited the Dodgers to one run over seven innings in his season debut, it's been all downhill for Marquez. He's allowed at least four runs in three straight starts, and his WHIP now stands at 1.52. The Nationals don't have a deep lineup, but facing the struggling Marquez at home still makes them an intriguing team to stack. Bell has been one of the Nationals' best hitters, cutting his strikeout rate down to 10.6 percent on his way to a .428 wOBA.
