This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There are only a handful of early start times Wednesday, leaving us with 10 games to choose from for the main evening slate on Yahoo. Let's discuss potential ownership percentages and players to target while creating your lineup.
Pitching Overview
The big matchup of the night pits Max Scherzer ($61) and the Nationals against Jacob deGrom ($57) and the Mets. Neither of these two teams have great lineups, so both pitchers could be productive. If you're trying to decide between the two, Scherzer might be the better option. The Mets are missing one of their best hitters in Michael Conforto (concussion) while the Nationals finally have their star trio of Juan Soto, Anthony Rendon and Trea Turner all healthy.
Another ace set to take the mound is Gerrit Cole ($58) against the White Sox. He's showing no signs of last year's breakout campaign being a fluke by recording a 2.33 xFIP, 1.04 WHIP and a 38.3 percent strikeout rate across his first 10 starts. The White Sox are tied for the fifth-most strikeouts (451) in the league, so Cole's upside is once again extremely high.
The Braves young starting pitchers have made significant impacts this season, including Max Fried ($41). His 2.86 ERA is supported by his 3.28 xFIP and he's done an excellent job of limiting baserunners with his 1.13 WHIP. His 22.4 percent strikeout rate leaves a lot to be desired, but he's still someone to consider for his matchup with a Giants team that has scored the fourth-fewest runs (180).
Key Values/Chalk
As far as favorable matchups go, it's going to be hard to resist stacking the Astros against Ivan Nova. Despite not walking many batters, Nova has still managed to record a 1.80 WHIP. He's also on pace to allow at least 1.4 HR/9 for the third straight season. While a lot of their top options are expensive, the Astros are set up to potentially have one of the best offensive performances of the evening.
Another team in a great spot to thrive is the Yankees. They've hammered the Orioles so far, scoring 21 runs over the first two games of their series. They'll face another underwhelming starter in Dan Straily, who they lit up for five runs across 1.1 innings earlier this season. He hasn't just struggled against the Yankees, either, based on his bloated 7.23 xFIP.
The Twins have been one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball this season, checking into the day ranked first in runs scored (273) and second in home runs (90) and OPS (.838). They've also struck out the third-fewest times (359), which is extremely impressive. The Angels will have Matt Harvey on the mound to try and slow them down, which could turn out to be a disaster based on his 4.72 xFIP and 1.43 WHIP. He's also allowed at least one home run in six of his nine starts.
Stacks
Astros vs. Nova (White Sox)
Alex Bregman (3B - $27), Michael Brantley (OF - $24), Josh Reddick (OF - $20)
With Nova allowing a .348 wOBA against left-handed hitters during his career, Brantley and Reddick are a great place to start for an Astros stack. Brantley has really been swinging a hot bat, hitting 37-for-108 (.343) with seven home runs and nine doubles across his last 27 games. While he doesn't have the platoon advantage, Bregman also has the potential to be a cornerstone for an Astros stack considering Nova's propensity for allowing home runs.
Yankees vs. Straily (Orioles)
Gleyber Torres (SS - $20), Kendrys Morales (1B - $11), Gio Urshela (3B - $17)
The Orioles are going to be happy to see Torres leave town. He's absolutely destroyed them in 10 games this season, hitting 18-for-38 with eight home runs. With how hot he is right now, he's a lock for a Yankees stack. Morales and Urshela are a couple of cost-effective options with upside. Urshela is especially appealing considering he is 15-for-45 (.333) with a home run and three doubles across his last 13 games.
Twins vs. Harvey (Angels)
Jorge Polanco (SS - $22), Eddie Rosario (OF - $19), Max Kepler (OF - $19)
Harvey has allowed a .373 wOBA to left-handed hitters since the start of the 2016 season, which makes this trio stand out. Rosario has broken out of his slump to hit 23-for-70 (.329) across his last 17 games. Lefties have held Kepler to a .265 wOBA for his career, but he has a .334 wOBA versus righties. Polanco also has favorable numbers against righties during his career and has been one of the anchors of the Twins lineup this season with a 163 wRC+.
Red Sox vs. Aaron Sanchez (Blue Jays)
Mookie Betts (OF - $24), Andrew Benintendi (OF - $18), Mitch Moreland (1B - $17)
Sanchez is expected to start despite having to leave his last start due to a blister issue. His 3.88 ERA might look nice, but he has a 4.71 xFIP to go along with a 1.51 WHIP. Betts stands out as one of the top Red Sox to target after hitting 30-for-88 (.341) with three home runs and seven doubles over his last 22 games. He even has as many walks as strikeouts during that stretch. Sanchez's career wOBA allowed is 54 points higher to lefties than righties, making Benintendi and Moreland viable supporting options for Betts.
