This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There will be no day games Friday, leaving us with a packed night of baseball. The biggest storyline will be Aaron Judge's continued pursuit of history. Not only is he looking to set a new home run record for the American League, but he also is trying to win the Triple Crown. A key series features the Phillies hosting the Braves. The Phillies are trying to lock down a Wild Card spot in the National League, while the Braves are trying to overtake the Mets for the NL East title. There are plenty of players available on Yahoo, so let's get to it and highlight some pitchers and hitters that stand out.
Pitchers
Shohei Ohtani ($52) certainly isn't wearing down as the season comes to a close. Over his last nine starts, he has a 1.81 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and has struck out 62 batters over 54.2 innings. His overall WHIP for the season is actually even better at 1.04. The Twins aren't the easiest of matchups, but with the way Ohtani has been pitching, he's still someone to target.
Chris Bassitt ($48) will be pitching in familiar surroundings when the Mets play on the road against the Athletics. Bassitt thrived their last season as a member of the A's, recording a 2.44 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. Add the A's underwhelming lineup to their pitcher-friendly park and Bassitt stands out as a top option for this slate.
At this stage of his career, Marco Gonzales ($30) is better served as an innings eater at the back end of a starting rotation. He's done just that for the Mariners, logging 166 innings over 29 outings. For fantasy purposes, though, his 5.09 FIP is a major red flag. With that being said, if you don't want to spend a significant portion of your budget at pitcher, he's at least worth considering. He'll face the Royals, who have the sixth-worst OPS in baseball.
Top Targets
The Rays don't exactly have a star-studded lineup, but Randy Arozarena ($16) can do plenty of damage. He already has a career-high 32 stolen bases, and he's one home run away from hitting 20 of them in back-to-back seasons. Expect him to be a difficult out for Mitch White, who has a combined 1.41 WHIP during his time with the Dodgers and Blue Jays this season.
The good news for the Guardians is that Cody Morris ($33) has a 2.30 ERA over his first four starts. However, his 1.53 WHIP is worrisome for his prognosis moving forward. He also allowed a home run in three of his four outings. This could be an opportune matchup to deploy the powerful Corey Seager ($15), who has already hit a career high 32 home runs.
Bargain Bats
Staying with the Rangers, Josh Jung ($10) is also a viable option. He was slugging .525 at Triple-A this season, and he has three home runs and three doubles over his first 13 games in the majors.
While his salary isn't exactly bottom of the barrel, how often is Bryce Harper ($14) available for such a low salary? He's as dangerous as it gets, despite having just a .650 OPS since coming off of the IL. He won't be facing an overwhelming pitcher in Jake Odorizzi ($29), who has a 4.54 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP since joining the Braves.
Stacks to Consider
Rockies vs. Sean Manaea ($34), Padres: Michael Toglia ($14), Randal Grichuk ($11), Yonathan Daza ($16)
Manaea has been a significant disappointment in his first season with the Padres, posting a 5.18 ERA and a 4.62 FIP. Never one to allow too many home runs, he's been taken deep a career high 28 times over 144.1 innings. That could be a recipe for disaster pitching at Coors Field. One player that stands out for a Rockies stack is Grichuk, who has a .369 wOBA at home.
Padres vs. Ryan Feltner ($26), Rockies: Manny Machado ($23), Juan Soto ($19), Jake Cronenworth ($16)
Talk about home run issues. Feltner has allowed 14 long balls across 80.1 innings. That's a disturbing trend for a pitcher who also has a 1.44 WHIP. Both teams are appealing to stack for this game, with Machado standing out on the Padres' side of things. He's reached the 30-home run plateau again, and his .382 wOBA is the second-highest mark of his career.
Yankees vs. Rich Hill ($34), Red Sox: Aaron Judge ($30), Gleyber Torres ($19), Harrison Bader ($13)
The Yankees are starting to get healthy again, making their lineup more dangerous. Judge will be hunting for his 61st home run of the season in this game, while also trying to improve his chances of winning the Triple Crown. Bader has started off his Yankee career on a high note, hitting 4-for-11 with six RBI across three games. This could be a tough matchup for Hill, who has allowed at least four runs in five of his last eight starts.
