This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
A heavy dose of day games comes with Wednesday's schedule. The main slate on Yahoo will consist of nine games, leaving us with a bevy of options to choose from. Here are some pitchers and hitters who could exploit favorable matchups.
Pitchers
Despite there being nine games in the main slate, the starting pitching options leave a lot to be desired. One that stands out as someone to consider deploying is Joe Ryan ($46), who will take the mound for the Twins. He has recorded 10 strikeouts in both of his last two starts, which is even more impressive when you consider that he faced the Astros and Yankees. Going up against the Red Sox at Fenway Park isn't ideal, but that doesn't mean that Ryan can't produce another valuable stat line.
The Athletics continue to struggle to score, producing the fifth-fewest runs in baseball. They are a team to target against in DFS, making Justin Steele ($42) a top pitching option for this slate. Steele is off to a great start to the season, allowing three runs and posting a 0.84 WHIP over his first 19 innings.
The Orioles are set to receive a reinforcement for their starting rotation with Kyle Bradish ($31) expected to be activated from the IL to start against the Nationals. He logged 83 pitches in his last rehab start and he was on the IL with a foot injury, so his arm should be built up enough for him to mostly be deployed as normal. The Nationals have scored the fourth-fewest runs in baseball and hit just eight home runs as a team, which makes Bradish an intriguing option.
Top Targets
The Yankees will send Jhony Brito ($27) to the mound against the Angels. After two great starts to begin his career, the wheels came off when he allowed seven runs to the Twins without even making it out of the first inning in his last outing. He only had 53 strikeouts across 70.2 innings at Triple-A last year, and he has eight strikeouts through 10.2 innings with the Yankees. His inability to miss bats could be a problem against the dynamic duo of Shohei Ohtani ($18) and Mike Trout ($23).
Bargain Bats
Ryan McMahon ($13) doesn't have bargain-basement salary, but it's still too cheap with his game against the Pirates being played at Coors Field. He has a career .228 ISO and .358 wOBA at home, compared to a .137 ISO and a .324 wOBA on the road. Starting for the Pirates will be Johan Oviedo ($33), who has career 1.40 WHIP.
It's been a slow start for Jose Miranda ($7), who has just a .233 wOBA. The good news is, his strikeout rate has actually declined to 16.7 percent, while his walk rate has increased to 6.9 percent. His 41.8 percent hard-hit rate is also in line with his mark from last season. The culprit for his struggles might be his .255 BABIP. This is a nice bounce-back spot for him against Corey Kluber ($31), who has allowed four home runs and has a 1.46 WHIP across 13 innings.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Luis Garcia ($37), Astros: Bo Bichette ($19), Matt Chapman ($21), Daulton Varsho ($12)
What is going on with Garcia? After recording a 3.72 ERA and a 3.93 FIP last season, he has a 7.71 ERA and a 5.68 FIP through his first three starts. Part of the problem has been a lack of control leading to a 10.3 percent walk rate that is three percentage points higher than last season. His hard-hit rate allowed has also increased to 42.2 percent, which is nearly six percentage points higher than last season. There is still plenty of time for him to turn things around, but a matchup against the potent Blue Jays' lineup might not help his cause. Chapman has been scorching hot to start things off, posting a .369 ISO and a .530 wOBA.
Yankees vs. Griffin Canning ($29), Angels: Aaron Judge ($22), DJ LeMahieu ($14), Anthony Rizzo ($19)
Canning missed all of last season with a back injury. Prior to that, he posted a 5.60 ERA and a 5.48 FIP in 2021. He has allowed 1.5 HR/9 for his career, which makes Judge a top option for any Yankees stack. Another great choice is LeMahieu, who is healthy again and has started out the season with a staggering 62.5 percent hard-hit rate.
Pirates vs. Austin Gomber ($27), Rockies: Bryan Reynolds ($23), Andrew McCutchen ($20), Ke'Bryan Hayes ($15)
The Pirates have feasted at the plate in this series, scoring 19 runs over the first two games. Up next is a matchup against Gomber, who has allowed 10 runs over his last two starts. He has allowed at least one home run in each of his three starts, which comes in the heels of him giving up 20 home runs over 124.2 innings last season. This is a great spot to roll with Hayes, who has a career .343 wOBA against left-handed pitchers. Versus righties, he has just a .296 wOBA.
