This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
While there is a heavy dose of day games across baseball Wednesday, there are still eight games that make up the main evening slate on Yahoo. Here are some pitchers and hitters to consider when building your lineups.
Pitchers
Finding viable top-tier pitchers for this slate isn't easy. The few that are in action have difficult matchups. That includes Nestor Cortes Jr. ($43), who will start against the Orioles. He has taken a step back this season with a 5.21 ERA, but most of the damage done against him came in two starts against the Rangers and Rays. Overall, he has allowed three or fewer earned runs in seven of his nine starts. He could still be worth taking a chance on.
The best strategy for this slate might be to roll with pitchers who have cheaper salaries and better matchups. One of them is Bryce Miller ($39), who will take the mound against the Athletics. They have been awful, posting the third-worst OPS in baseball. Miller faced them in his debut this season, recording 10 strikeouts and allowing one run over six innings.
Zack Greinke ($29) is a completely different pitcher at home, which is where he will take on the Tigers. Since rejoining the Royals last season, he has a 2.94 FIP and a 1.15 WHIP at home. On the road, he has a 5.42 FIP and a 1.46 WHIP. Combine those splits with the Tigers having the second-worst OPS in baseball and Greinke could be primed for a valuable performance.
Top Targets
The good news for Tyler Wells ($41) is that he has a 2.94 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP. However, his FIP is far less impressive at 4.65. Also, he has allowed 10 home runs over 52 innings. That could end up being his downfall against Aaron Judge ($27), who has 14 home runs over 39 games. Another member of the Yankees to target is Anthony Rizzo ($18). Not only is he hitting for power with his .223 ISO, but his .397 wOBA is on pace to be one of the best marks of his career.
Bargain Bats
Xander Bogaerts ($11) had a big game Tuesday, going 2-for-5 with a home run. That snapped his streak of 18 straight games without a home run. As much as he has struggled, his salary makes him a viable target against Trevor Williams ($29). Williams only has a 16.9 percent strikeout rate to go along with his 4.71 FIP.
Going back to the Yankees matchup against Wells, DJ LeMahieu ($9) stands out at his cheap salary. His strikeout rate of 27.0 percent is by far the highest mark of his career, and is the main reason for his .323 wOBA. However, Wells is not an overpowering force, recording a 22.2 percent strikeout rate for his career.
Stacks to Consider
Mariners vs. Ken Waldichuk ($26), Athletics: Jarred Kelenic ($20), Julio Rodriguez ($17), Eugenio Suarez ($15)
Waldichuk is one of the many struggling pitchers on the Athletics' staff. As if his 6.85 ERA wasn't bad enough, his FIP is even worse at 7.29. He has allowed a whopping 13 home runs over 46 innings, posting a 1.85 WHIP along the way. After scoring a combined 14 runs in the first two games of this series, the Mariners are primed for another scoring outburst. After a slow start to the season, Rodriguez has four doubles and a home run to go along with a .360 OBP over his last 11 games.
Red Sox vs. Tyler Anderson ($29), Angels: Rafael Devers ($14), Masataka Yoshida ($21), Enrique Hernandez ($9)
Anderson hasn't been able to build on his breakout campaign with the Dodgers last year. In fact, he has taken a major step backward. Last year, he was successful because of his 1.00 WHIP that was by far the best mark of his career. This season, that number has ballooned to 1.62. Command has been an issue, with his walk rate increasing from 4.8 percent to 10.7 percent. His strikeout rate has also plummeted to 13.7 percent. This is a rough matchup for him to try and get back on track, given that the Red Sox have scored the fourth-most runs in baseball.
Marlins vs. Karl Kauffmann ($25), Rockies: Bryan De La Cruz ($18), Luis Arraez ($18), Jorge Soler ($20)
Despite having a 1.79 WHIP over 101 career innings at Triple-A, injuries have forced the Rockies to turn to Kauffmann. He made his debut last week against the Rangers, and was promptly torched for five runs (four earned) over 4.1 innings. He gave up seven hits along the way, as well as issuing two walks. This might be one of the few instances in which stacking the Marlins is a viable option. A top player for a Marlins stack has to be Arraez, who has a .381 wOBA to go along with his meager 4.9 percent strikeout rate.
