MLB DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Friday, Aug. 18
After a quiet Thursday, baseball bounces back with a loaded slate Friday. With so many options to consider on Yahoo, let's get right to the task at hand and highlight some pitchers and hitters to target.
Pitchers
After getting hammered by the Pirates in his previous outing, Spencer Strider ($57) rebounded to throw seven scoreless innings against the Mets. While he only had a modest six strikeouts in that game, the Mets have struck out the fourth-fewest times in baseball. With his swing-and-miss stuff, he has the potential to provide a monster stat line against a Giants team that has struck out the fourth-most times.
Pablo Lopez ($48) has provided the Twins with a stabilizing force within their starting rotation during his first season with the team. He has made 24 starts, posting a 3.66 ERA and an even better 3.20 FIP. His WHIP is just 1.09 and his 30.0 percent strikeout rate is more than five percentage points higher than his career mark. Another strong performance could be coming against the Pirates, who have the seventh-worst OPS in baseball.
Brayan Bello ($37) will take the mound against the Yankees for the third time this season. He logged seven innings in both of his first two outings against them, allowing a total of just three runs. With the Yankees having accumulated the second-fewest hits in baseball, Bello could thrive against them again, making him worth the risk at his cheaper salary.
Top Targets
Pete Alonso ($21) is locked in at the plate. He went deep again Thursday, which marked his sixth home run over of his last 11 games. This game being played in St. Louis is noteworthy because he has a .582 slugging percentage on the road, compared to a .467 slugging percentage at home. Expect him to be a difficult out for Zack Thompson, who has followed up his 2.38 WHIP over 34.1 innings at Triple-A with a 1.48 WHIP over 25 innings in the majors.
Luis Robert Jr. ($24) has continued to be one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise lackluster lineup for the White Sox. Over his last 13 games, he is 14-for-43 (.326) with three home runs and three doubles. Up next is a matchup with Peter Lambert at Coors Field. Not only has Lambert given up 1.8 HR/9, but he has a 5.49 FIP to go along with his 1.43 WHIP.
Bargain Bats
Injuries to their starting rotation has left the Yankees scrambling down the stretch. If Jhony Brito doesn't start against the Red Sox, he will likely follow an opener and log multiple innings. He has largely struggled, leaving him with a 4.76 ERA and an even worse 5.51 FIP. This could be an opportune matchup to deploy both Masataka Yoshida ($13) and Alex Verdugo ($9) at cheaper salaries. Yoshida has a .355 wOBA during his first campaign in the majors. Left-handed pitchers have limited Verdugo to a .281 wOBA, but he has a .354 wOBA against righties.
Stacks to Consider
Padres vs. Brandon Pfaadt ($28), Diamondbacks: Juan Soto ($23), Fernando Tatis Jr. ($17), Ha-Seong Kim ($23)
Pfaadt just faced the Padres in his last start, giving up three runs over 5.2 innings. However, he gave up nine hits and two walks, so his overall line could have been much worse. That game was in Arizona, which is noteworthy because the Padres have just a .725 OPS on the road. At home, they have a .747 OPS. The Padres could score more runs against him in this rematch, with Soto possibly leading the charge. He continues to shine, recording a .232 ISO and a .385 wOBA.
Braves vs. Alex Cobb ($31), Giants: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($26), Matt Olson ($27), Austin Riley ($25)
This could be a disaster for Cobb. He has a 4.29 FIP and a 1.56 WHIP on the road and will be facing a Braves lineup that has a .869 OPS in Atlanta. Behind Cobb is a bullpen that has been forced to log a lot of innings because of injuries to the Giants' starting rotation. It could lead to another scoring outburst for the Braves, with Acuna the top option for any Braves stack. He has done it all, hitting 27 home runs to go along with 55 stolen bases.
Rockies vs. Michael Kopech ($31), White Sox: Ryan McMahon ($19), Nolan Jones ($18), Ezequiel Tovar ($15)
Kopech has a 1.46 WHIP and has allowed 2.0 HR/9. Neither one of those stats should translate well to an outing at Coors Field. The Rockies don't exactly have a fearsome lineup, but they can still do damage in their hitter-friendly home park. One of their hottest hitters of late has been Tovar, who is 14-for-40 (.350) with a .650 slugging percentage over his last 10 games.
