This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Wednesday brings plenty of early start times across baseball. One of the more appealing day games features the Giants hosting the Mets. Also, the Brewers will take on the Padres. As far as the evening slate goes, the Braves and Phillies will face off again, with Charlie Morton on the mound for the defending champions. The Yankees, who have suddenly been hit hard by injuries, will continue their series against the Orioles. Let's get to the task at hand and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups.
Pitchers
After a rough start against the Nationals, Cristian Javier ($44) bounced back to hold the Rangers to one run over six innings in his last outing. He was extremely impressive, striking out nine batters while allowing only four baserunners. His ability to keep men off base is nothing new given his career 1.10 WHIP. The Guardians aren't the easiest of matchups, but with only five games making up the evening slate, Javier stands out as one of the more appealing pitchers.
Staying in that same game, Cal Quantrill ($33) might be a viable option if you're looking to save some of your budget at the pitcher's spot. He hasn't missed many bats given his 15.1 percent strikeout rate, but he has a 1.19 WHIP and has allowed only 0.7 HR/9. One of the reasons why he's done such a good job of limiting home runs is his career 33.6 percent hard-hit rate allowed.
The Yankees need a spot starter after playing a doubleheader Sunday, so with Luis Gil (elbow) down, they will turn to JP Sears ($25). Across 21.2 innings at Triple-A, Sears has a 0.83 ERA and a 1.11 FIP. Across 10 starts at that level last year, he had a 2.76 FIP and a 31.9 percent strikeout rate. The Orioles have struck out the fourth-most times in the league, so Sears has an opportunity to provide value.
Top Targets
Aaron Judge ($28) finally had a quiet night at the plate, going 0-for-5 Tuesday. That snapped his five-game hitting streak. He's firmly in the MVP discussion with his 1.078 OPS, and he could stay hot in a matchup against Tyler Wells ($27), who only has a 17.0 percent strikeout rate to go along with his 4.35 FIP.
With injuries hitting their lineup, the Yankees are really going to need Anthony Rizzo ($18) to provide some support for Judge. While he hasn't been red-hot, Rizzo does have at least one hit in seven of his last nine games. During that stretch, he also slugged two home runs and three doubles.
Bargain Bats
It's not often that Ozzie Albies ($11) has such a cheap salary. Part of the reason we've reach this point has been his lack of power. He only has a .153 ISO, which comes on the heels of a .229 ISO last season. On the bright side, he is 11-for-29 (.379) during his current seven-game hitting streak. Combine that with his salary and he's at least worth considering in a matchup against the inconsistent Ranger Suarez ($35).
With all of the injuries that the Yankees are dealing with, Gleyber Torres ($12) shouldn't have a hard time getting at bats. He was one of the main reasons why they won Tuesday, hitting two home runs and scoring three total runs. He's lowered his strikeout rate to 17.2 percent this season, and his power has returned to the tune of a .211 ISO, so he's yet another Yankee to possibly add to your entry.
Stacks to Consider
Phillies vs. Charlie Morton ($39), Braves: Bryce Harper ($25), Kyle Schwarber ($19), Jean Segura ($15)
This season has been a struggle for Morton, who has a 4.95 ERA and a 4.37 FIP. His WHIP has ballooned to 1.45, while his strikeout rate has been reduced to 20.7 percent. This is not a great matchup for him to try and get back on track given that the Phillies have scored the eighth-most runs in baseball. They have been led by Harper, who has a .410 wOBA to go along with his .617 slugging percentage.
Rangers vs. Reid Detmers ($34), Angels: Corey Seager ($17), Mitch Garver ($15), Marcus Semien ($10)
Detmers is probably not looking forward to another matchup against the Rangers. He's already faced them twice, allowing eight runs over seven innings. They took him deep twice in his last outing, and he allowed a season-high six hits the first time that he faced them. One Ranger hitter that could be important if you plan to stack them is Garver. Not only would he occupy the difficult-to-fill catchers spot, but he's homered in back-to-back games.
