This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
We've reached the final week of the regular season. Monday will still be busy, with 15 games on the schedule. Since there are so many games, it's no surprise that there are several top-tier pitchers expected to start. One of them is Brandon Woodruff, who will try to keep the Brewers' Wild Card hopes alive in a matchup against the Diamondbacks. Trying to hold them off is the Phillies, who will start Aaron Nola against the Astros. Another pitcher to keep an eye on is Tyler Glasnow, who is working on building up his pitch count as the postseason approaches for the Rays. Let's dive into the options on Yahoo, and highlight some players to consider for your entries.
Pitchers
Woodruff ($56) has been as good as it gets during the Brewers' push for a playoff spot. He hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his last five starts, and he's recorded at least 10 strikeouts in four straight outings. He has a 1.98 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP at home this season, which is where he will take on the Diamondbacks. Woodruff is someone to consider building your entire entry around.
Patrick Sandoval ($43) will take on the Athletics for the second time in as many starts. He wasn't overly sharp last time, allowing three runs and recording four strikeouts across 5.1 innings. Still, he's had a great season with a 3.03 ERA and a 3.16 FIP, and the Athletics have scored the second-fewest runs in baseball. He's still one of the more appealing pitchers for this slate.
To say that George Kirby ($42) has had a successful rookie season would be an understatement. He's made 24 starts for a Mariners team that made the playoffs, posting a 3.21 ERA and a 2.89 FIP along the way. Things are lining up for him to close out the regular season on a high note, given that he'll face a Tigers team that has scored the fewest runs in baseball.
Top Targets
Shohei Ohtani ($22) enters Monday on a 17-game hitting streak in which he has a .354 batting average. He hasn't homered during the streak, but he does have six doubles. He'll have a favorable chance to extend his hitting streak against Adrian Martinez ($26), who has a 5.61 FIP and a 1.48 WHIP.
Hunter Renfroe ($17) loves hitting at home, where he has a .354 wOBA. He also hits well against left-handed pitchers, posting a .356 wOBA. Add those together and he's a great option for a home game against Tommy Henry ($28), who has a 6.16 FIP and has allowed nine home runs across 40.2 innings.
Bargain Bats
Bryan Garcia ($25) has split his time in the minors as both a starter and a reliever. He recorded a combined 3.80 ERA, but his 4.83 IP was worrisome. He also had just a 19.4 percent strikeout rate. The Tigers will call on him to start against the Mariners, making Jesse Winker ($9) and Adam Frazier ($7) two players with cheap salaries to consider. Winker and Frazier both have at least one hit in four of their last five games.
Stacks to Consider
Mets vs. Cory Abbott ($25), Nationals: Pete Alonso ($21), Brandon Nimmo ($19), Jeff McNeil ($15)
Abbott has struggled with the Nationals, posting a 5.11 ERA and an even worse 6.30 FIP across 44 innings. Not only does he have a 10.8 percent walk rate, but he's given up 11 home runs. The Mets should roll out their top hitters with the NL East still technically up for grabs, leaving them with the potential to score plenty or runs in this matchup.
Twins vs. Johnny Cueto ($33), White Sox: Jose Miranda ($11), Carlos Correa ($19), Gio Urshela ($14)
Cueto also made his last start against the Twins, and they tagged him for six runs over 5.2 innings. Over his last three starts, Cueto has given up 17 runs (14 earned) across 16.1 innings. Cueto's 15.7 percent strikeout rate doesn't leave him with much margin for error. A top player for a Twins stack is Correa, who enters with a 139 wRC+.
Padres vs. John Brebbia ($25), Giants: Manny Machado ($19), Juan Soto ($18), Brandon Drury ($17)
The Giants are running out of healthy starting pitchers, so this will be a bullpen game for them with Brebbia to serve as the opener. One of the more likely options to follow him and pitch multiple innings is Sean Hjelle, who had a 1.55 WHIP over 22 starts at Triple-A this year. Looking to exploit their lack of pitching depth will be Soto, who is 17-for-49 (.347) with three home runs and four doubles over his last 13 games.
