This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There will be 10 games played across baseball Monday, eight of which will make up the main slate on Yahoo. Let's dig into the options and discuss some pitchers and hitters who could thrive.
Pitchers
This will be a rematch for Luis Castillo ($46), who also faced the Twins in his last outing. He logged a quality start, giving up three runs over six innings. However, his most noteworthy stat was the 11 strikeouts that he generated. Given that the Twins have struck out the most time in baseball, Castillo should carry significant upside in that department in this rematch.
Kenta Maeda ($39) was the pitcher who opposed Castillo in the aforementioned game. He also performed well, striking out nine batters and allowing two runs over 6.1 innings. Maeda has a 28.6 percent strikeout rate this season, which is nearly two percentage points higher than his career mark. Expect him to miss plenty of bats again in this matchup, considering that the Mariners have struck out the second-most times in baseball.
Attacking the Royals' lineup is usually a sound strategy. They have been awful, scoring the second-fewest runs and posting the third-worst OPS in baseball. Logan Allen ($36) has faced them once already this season, striking out five batters over 3.2 scoreless innings in their first meeting. For those not looking to spend a significant portion of their budget at pitcher, Allen's salary leaves him with significant upside.
Top Targets
Christian Yelich ($22) compiled two more hits Sunday, raising his wOBA to .368 for the season. After a slow start, he is 34-for-97 (.351) with five home runs and nine doubles over his last 24 games. He stands out as an excellent option against Graham Ashcraft ($27), who has a 5.77 ERA and a 5.30 FIP for the Reds.
Quinn Priester ($25) did not pitch well in his debut last week, getting roughed up for seven runs over 5.1 innings against the Guardians. He had a 1.36 WHIP at Triple-A before being called up, so he wasn't exactly dominating at that level. This could be a great matchup to roll with Juan Soto ($24), who is having another excellent season with his 152 wRC+.
Bargain Bats
Colin Rea ($31) has helped eat up innings with the Brewers dealing with injuries to their starting rotation, but he hasn't exactly stood out. Over his 17 appearances, he has a 4.64 ERA that is backed by a 4.80 FIP. He has given up 1.5 HR/9, while recording a meager 19.5 percent strikeout rate. When he takes the mound against the Reds, Jonathan India ($12) is worth targeting at his cheap salary. After being marred in a slump, he is 9-for-27 (.333) with a home run and two doubles over his last seven games.
The Rockies are expected to roll with Jake Bird as their opener Monday with Karl Kauffmann possibly set to pitch behind him and log multiple innings. Kauffmann has a 2.04 WHIP over 17.2 innings this season, but even if he doesn't take the mound at some point, this is going to be a bullpen game for the Rockies. That makes it an opportune time to take a chance on Joey Meneses ($12), who is 13-for-48 (.271) with four home runs and three doubles over his last 12 games.
Stacks to Consider
Diamondbacks vs. Adam Wainwright ($25), Cardinals: Corbin Carroll ($21), Ketel Marte ($24), Geraldo Perdomo ($14)
Wainwright is expected to come off the IL and throw around 65 pitches in this matchup. He was struggling mightily before his shoulder issue, having given up at least six runs in each of his previous three starts. For the season, he has a bloated 1.99 WHIP. Him starting could lead to a huge night for the Diamondbacks, who have scored the eighth-most runs in baseball. They continue to be led by Carroll, who has a .266 ISO and a .387 wOBA.
Rangers vs. Brandon Bielak ($26), Astros: Marcus Semien ($17), Nathaniel Lowe ($18), Ezequiel Duran ($15)
Bielak pitched well in his last outing, logging 5.2 scoreless innings against the Rockies at Coors Field. He lowered his ERA to 3.46 in the process, but his 5.14 FIP is a major red flag. He will be catching a break against the Rangers with Corey Seager (thumb) on the IL, but this trio is still plenty dangerous. Duran has been a pleasant surprise for them this season, entering Monday with a .216 ISO and a .362 wOBA. One of the keys to his success has been his 11.6 percent barrel rate.
Blue Jays vs. Michael Grove ($26), Dodgers: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($20), George Springer ($19), Bo Bichette ($15)
Grove has a 6.40 ERA coming into this matchup, and while his FIP is better, it's still not great at 4.83. He has an underwhelming 20.4 percent strikeout rate, while giving up 1.6 HR/9. His inability to keep hitters inside the ballpark could be a problem against Guerrero, who has gone deep in three of his last four games.
