With only two early start times Thursday, we are left with eight games to choose from for the main evening slate in DFS. There aren’t many high-end pitchers available, but there are a few second-tier options who could thrive.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/13/2019
After a night of terrible pitching options Monday, there is no shortage of aces Tuesday. Quality hitters are bountiful, as well, which makes things interesting.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/25/2019
Scoring might be hard to come by for Thursday’s five-game evening slate in DFS with so many top pitchers set to take the mound. There are still a couple of stacks to take advantage of, but they figure to have high ownership percentages based on the limited options.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/5/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
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After a packed holiday schedule Wednesday, there are only eight games in the majors Thursday. All of them are at least at night, leaving plenty of quality options to choose from in DFS. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Justin Verlander vs. Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Minute Maid Park
FanDuel = $12,200
DraftKings = $13,400
Verlander has shown that he is human in his last two starts, allowing nine runs in 11.2 innings. Even with that very brief rough patch, his numbers are outstanding this season with a 2.12 ERA, 2.65 FIP, and a 0.86 WHIP. He did strike out a total of 14 batters in those two poor outings and has a stellar 10.9 K/9 for the year overall. The White Sox have scored the seventh-fewest runs (345) in baseball, setting Verlander up to rebound with a big performance.
Jeremy Hellickson vs. Miami Marlins
Stadium – Nationals Park
FanDuel = $6,300
DraftKings = $7,700
Hellickson doesn’t get much publicity in a Nationals rotation that includes Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, but he hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his 10 starts this season. He hasn’t pitched as well as his 2.63 ERA indicates, but he still has a 3.51 FIP. He has allowed a .269 opponents BABIP, which is exactly the same as his career mark. One of the key reasons for his improved numbers is that he only has a 0.9 HR/9 compared to 1.9 HR/9 that he allowed last year. The Marlins have hit the second-fewest home runs (69) and scored the third-fewest runs (323) in baseball, making Hellickson an intriguing cheap tournament play.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Paul Goldschmidt vs. Eric Lauer, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $5,200
Goldschmidt has carried over his hot streak from June, hitting 7-for-14 with two home runs in four games since the calendar turned to July. He’s been crushing lefties with a .452 wOBA on the season overall, making him a great option against Lauer and his bloated 1.76 WHIP.
Eric Hosmer vs. Shelby Miller, Arizona Diamondbacks
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $3,800
The addition of Hosmer hasn’t done much to spark the Padres lineup as he is only batting .270 with nine home runs. His .325 BABIP is actually slightly higher than his career mark, but he’s hurt himself with a career-high 21.2% strikeout rate. That being said, Miller has looked awful in two starts since returning from Tommy John surgery and Hosmer does have a .351 wOBA against righties. He won’t cost much, so he could be worth the risk in tournament play.
Others to consider: Brandon Belt (first base) and John Hicks (catcher)
SECOND BASE
Jurickson Profar vs. Matthew Boyd, Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Comerica Park
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $3,900
The Rangers continue to find playing time for Profar, who is 8-for-21 with three doubles during his current five-game hitting streak. With the Rangers nowhere near a playoff spot, it would make sense for them to play Profar as much as possible to help further his development. He’ll likely be in the lineup Thursday against Boyd considering he has a .363 wOBA against lefties this season. Of note, Profar is only eligible at second base on FanDuel as he is listed at shortstop on DraftKings.
Joe Panik vs. Luke Weaver, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $3,500
After showing a lot of promise for the Cardinals last year, Weaver has struggled mightily with a 5.16 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP this season. He’s done a good job holding righties to a .293 wOBA, but he has a .373 wOBA against lefties. Panik has hit right-handed pitchers well again this year, leaving him as a viable option who might even have more upside than Profar does.
Others to consider: Jose Altuve and Dee Gordon
THIRD BASE
Alex Bregman vs. Carlos Rodon, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Minute Maid Park
FanDuel = $4,400
DraftKings = $5,500
Bregman is one of the hottest hitters in baseball of late, hitting 16-for-37 (.432) with five home runs during his nine-game hitting streak. With Carlos Correa (back) on the DL, it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Astros. Bregman has a .416 wOBA against left-handed pitching, so look for him to continue his hot streak against Rodon.
Kyle Seager vs. Jaime Barria, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Safeco Field
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $3,800
Speaking of third baseman playing well right now, Seager is 12-for-28 (.429) with three home runs in his last eight games. He still has a long ways to go to improve his .239 batting average, but his recent run of success has boosted him up to 16 homers this season. Barria has a 3.40 ERA, but his 4.81 FIP and 1.6 HR/9 could be troublesome against Seager.
Others to consider: Anthony Rendon and Eduardo Escobar
SHORTSTOP
Brandon Crawford vs. Luke Weaver, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,500
With how poorly Weaver has pitched against left-handed hitters this season, targeting Giants’ lefties could provide significant production for your entry. Crawford is in the middle of the best offensive season of his career by hitting .310 with 10 home runs and a .373 OBP. He has also recorded a .376 wOBA against righties.
Jorge Polanco vs. Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Target Field
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,000
Polanco has missed most of this season due to suspension and his return is probably too late to help the Twins make a push for the playoffs. He quietly had a very good campaign last year when they earned a Wild Card spot, hitting .256 with 13 home runs, 74 RBI and 13 steals in only 133 games. Polanco logged his first multi-hit game Wednesday and could provide value at this dirt cheap price on both sites considering Cashner has 1.57 WHIP.
Others to consider: Manny Machado and Andrelton Simmons
OUTFIELD
Nicholas Castellanos vs. Yovani Gallardo, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Comerica Park
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $5,000
Gallardo actually had a strong performance in his last outing by allowing three runs and recording seven strikeouts in 7.1 innings. It did come against the White Sox, though, so he didn’t exactly face a tough opponent. The Tigers lineup isn’t great either, but Castellanos has been a bright spot by batting .309 with 14 home runs and 54 RBI. Gallardo has finished with an ERA of at least 5.42 in both of the last two seasons, making Castellanos an excellent option despite the lack of a platoon advantage.
A.J. Pollock vs. Eric Lauer, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,900
Pollock was off to a great start this season before landing on the DL with a thumb injury. He has shown the ability to put up big numbers, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy in recent years. He’s still looking for his first hit since being activated, but this is a matchup to exploit since Lauer has allowed a .387 wOBA to righties.
Wil Myers vs. Shelby Miller, Arizona Diamondbacks
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $4,300
Myers had his own injury issue that has left him to play only 22 games this year. He was coming off of two straight seasons where he finished with at least 28 home runs and 20 steals, but that streak seems likely to end with only half the season left to play. He’s starting to heat up by hitting 8-for-27 (.296) with a home run and six RBI in his last seven games and is another Padre to consider with Miller on the mound.
Others to consider: Eddie Rosario and Justin Upton
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/1/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
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After a quiet night that included a rainout Thursday, baseball is loaded with 15 night games Friday. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Chris Sale vs. Houston Astros
Stadium – Minute Maid Park
FanDuel = $11,000
DraftKings = $11,000
Sale is coming off of his worst start of the season after allowing six runs in 4.1 innings against the Braves. The Braves have the highest OPS against left-handed pitching (.827) in baseball, so it wasn’t a favorable matchup, to begin with. Even with that blowup, Sale still has a 2.76 ERA, 2.94 FIP, and a 0.96 WHIP this year. He has continued to be one of the best strikeout pitchers with a 12.5 K/9 while also posting a career-high 15.9% swinging-strike rate. The Astros lineup is no cake walk either, but Sale is still a great option with his strikeout upside.
Nick Pivetta vs. San Francisco Giants
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $8,200
DraftKings = $10,000
Pivetta has been dominant in his last four outings, allowing three runs to go along with 32 strikeouts in 24 innings. He only issued four walks and gave up just one home run during that stretch as well. After pitching poorly in 26 starts last year, Pivetta has made significant improvement overall this season, resulting in a 3.26 ERA and a 2.75 FIP. He has been working ahead in the count, throwing a first-pitch strike to 65.7% of the batters that he has faced. Add that to his 10.4 K/9 and a much improved 2.2 BB/9 and Pivetta has an excellent 1.09 WHIP. This will be his second start of the season against the Giants after he held them scoreless while recording seven strikeouts in five innings during their first matchup. The Giants have struck out the third-most times (528) in baseball, leaving Pivetta with the potential for another valuable performance.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Jesus Aguilar vs. Hector Santiago, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $4,300
Aguilar has been mostly limited to facing left-handed pitching in his career but was forced into an everyday role this year with both Eric Thames (thumb) and Ryan Bruan on the DL at the same time. He played so well that he is still starting even though Braun has returned. Not only did eight of his nine home runs come in May, but he is also hitting .307 overall this season. His average will likely fall once his .355 BABIP normalizes, but he is a great source of power. With a career .360 wOBA against lefties, Aguilar might be able to do a lot of damage against the struggling Santiago.
Greg Bird vs. Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,900
Bird has been limited to four games due to injury this season, logging at least one hit in each of his last three contests. He has a ton of talent, but injuries have really hampered his career after bursting onto the scene with 11 homers in 46 games in 2015. Including this season, Cashner has allowed a wOBA of at least .378 to left-handed hitters in three of the last four years. Bird won’t destroy your budget either, making him a viable option to consider.
Others to consider: Anthony Rizzo (first base) and Wilson Ramos (catcher)
SECOND BASE
Javier Baez vs. Zack Wheeler, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,800
Wheeler has managed to stay healthy so far this season but has a 5.40 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. He only has four starts this year where he has allowed two or fewer earned runs, three of which came against bad lineups in the Marlins and Padres. Baez doesn’t struggle against right-handed pitching as he has a .378 wOBA against them this season, making him one of several Cubs who could have a big night.
Joey Wendle vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Safeco Field
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,400
Wendle has played his way into a starting role with the Rays, batting .295 with a .344 OBP. Even though he doesn’t have much power, he does have at least one hit in 11 of his last 12 games. Leake is not an overpowering pitcher, but he’s been even worse this season with just a 5.3 K/9. If you don’t want to pay up for Baez, Wendle is a cheap option who could provide value.
Others to consider: Gleyber Torres and Scooter Gennett
THIRD BASE
Mike Moustakas vs. Frankie Montas, Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $4,400
Moustakas has followed up his career season last year by hitting .280 with 12 home runs in 55 games. He only had 85 RBI in 2017 despite hitting 38 home runs, but he’s already chipped in 39 RBI this season. With a .390 wOBA against righties this year, he could put up big numbers against Montas, who has a 5.77 ERA and 1.65 WHIP for his career.
Pedro Alvarez vs. Sonny Gray, New York Yankees
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,400
With a rainout Thursday, Gray will be pushed back a day to start Friday. He’s been terrible in his 10 starts, recording a 5.98 ERA and a 1.71 WHIP. The Yankees have tried making Austin Romine has personal catcher since they have had some success together in the past, but Gray has still allowed five runs each in two of his last three starts. Alvarez is only batting .190 this year, but he has a lot of power and a career .341 wOBA against right-handers.
Others to consider: Justin Turner and Yairo Munoz
SHORTSTOP
Manny Machado vs. Sonny Gray, New York Yankees
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = 5,200
Machado has loved hitting at home, posting a .362 average there this season compared to a .296 mark on the road. 10 of his 16 home runs have also come at home despite having 23 more plate appearances on the road. With the way Gray has been pitching, Machado could be in for a huge night.
Andrelton Simmons vs. Bartolo Colon, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,400
Simmons is on a nine-game hitting streak where he has hit 14-for-36 (.389). He is batting a robust .337 on the season overall, but he could experience some regression since his .339 BABIP is 57 points higher than his career mark. That may not start Friday, though, considering he is 12-for-26 (.462) in his career against Colon.
Others to consider: Chris Taylor and Jean Segura
OUTFIELD
Mike Trout vs. Bartolo Colon, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $5,400
DraftKings = $6,000
It’s not hard to argue for playing Trout regardless of who is taking the mound. He has a tremendous combination of power and speed and has also hit .302 with a crazy .444 OBP. He has absolutely destroyed Colon in his career, hitting 10-for-18 (.556) with three home runs. Don’t be afraid to pay up to get him into your entry.
Nicholas Castellanos vs. Jaime Garcia, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Comerica Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,300
Castellanos only has five home runs this season, but he already has 18 doubles and three triples. He is also batting a career-high .332, but that has largely been aided by his .410 BABIP. He is crushing lefties with a 197 wRC+ against them this season and gets to face the struggling Garcia, who has a 5.52 ERA and 1.51 WHIP.
Ben Zobrist vs. Zack Wheeler, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,900
Zobrist only hit .232 last year and entered this season in a fight for playing time with the Cubs having so much depth. He’s doing his best to show his poor performance last year was just a fluke, batting .291 with a .379 OBP so far. He has hit righties particularly well with a .382 wOBA and should be a part of any Cubs stack at this cheap price.
Others to consider: Brandon Nimmo and Khris Davis
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/5/18
Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 4/5/18
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There aren’t many elite starting pitchers taking the mound Thursday, so this could be a night where offense is plentiful in DFS. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Robbie Ray vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Busch Stadium
FanDuel = $9,600
DraftKings = $11,700
The night slate of games is really lacking star power in terms of starting pitchers, especially if you play on DraftKings where the Yankees and Rays game is not included. Ray stands out as the best starting pitcher available, even though he gave up six earned runs in five innings in his first start of the season against the Rockies. He still had eight strikeouts in that game and has excellent strikeout upside after posting a K/9 of at least 11.3 in both of the last two seasons. Ray was also very good on the road last season, posting a 1.86 ERA and 0.99 WHIP away from Chase Field. He’s certainly not cheap, but with unappealing options on the night slate, it might be wise to pay up to get him into your entry.
James Paxton vs. Minnesota Twins
Stadium – Target Field
FanDuel = $8,800
DraftKings = $9,600
Paxton was limited to just 136 innings last year due to injury, but he was excellent when healthy, posting a 2.98 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 10.3 K/9. His FIP was even better at 2.61 and he only allowed 0.6 HR/9, leaving him with big expectations heading into 2018. His first start of the season did not go as planned, allowing six earned runs in 4.2 innings against the Indians. He walked four batters in that game, which is out of character since he had a BB/9 of 2.4 or lower in both of the last two seasons. He has strikeout upside, making him someone to consider Thursday.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Joey Gallo vs. Daniel Mengden, Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,300
Gallo has been about what you would have expected from him heading into the season, batting .214 with 10 strikeouts in seven games so far. He’s provided power with two home runs and a double and should continue to be a good source of homers this season. He’ll face a righty in Mengden on Thursday and Gallo crushed righties last year, posting a .364 wOBA and hitting 34 of his 41 home runs against them. This could be an excellent matchup to take advantage of Thursday.
Ian Desmond vs. Joey Lucchesi, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,800
The Rockies will face the lefty Lucchesi on Thursday who struggled in his first start of the season, allowing three earned runs in 4.2 innings to the Brewers. He didn’t issue a walk, but he only struck out one batter. The Rockies have some hitters who have very favorable splits against left-handed pitching, including Desmond, who has a career .280 batting average against them. This would be an even better matchup for Desmond if this game was being played in Coors Field, but he can still provide value for your entry.
Others to consider: Gary Sanchez (catcher) and Jose Martinez (first base)
SECOND BASE
Robinson Cano vs. Kyle Gibson, Minnesota Twins
Stadium – Target Field
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $5,200
Cano is off to a great start this season, batting .500 with a hit in every game. He has yet to hit a home run, but he does have three doubles and six runs scored. He’ll face the righty in Gibson on Thursday, which is great news for Cano considering he posted a 138 wRC+ against right-handers last year. He also has good numbers against Gibson, batting .296 in 29 plate appearances in his career.
Yoan Moncada vs. Jordan Zimmermann, Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $4,200
Moncada does have a hit in four of his first five games this season, but he doesn’t have a multi-hit game yet and already has seven strikeouts. He’s been a much better hitter batting from the left side during his brief career, posting a .348 wOBA in 2017 compared to just .283 from the right side. Zimmermann struggled against lefties in 2017, allowing a .376 wOBA. Moncada could be in line for his best game of the young season Thursday.
Others to consider: D.J. LeMahieu and Chris Owings
THIRD BASE
Nolan Arenado vs. Joey Lucchesi, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = $5,400
Arenado has yet to have a big breakout game this season as he has only one home run, but he has recorded at least one RBI in three straight games. Like Desmond, Arenado gets the benefit of facing another left-hander on Thursday. Arenado had a staggering 220 wRC+ against lefties last year, which was third-best in baseball.
Matt Chapman vs. Martin Perez, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $3,700
Chapman played in just 82 games with the Athletics in 2017 but has established himself as their third baseman of the future. He batted only .234, but he showed plenty of power with 14 home runs and 23 doubles. He’s off to a hot start this season, batting .385 with two home runs and a .448 OBP. Perez is tough against lefties but allowed a wOBA of at least .341 to righties in both of the last two seasons.
Others to consider: Rafael Devers and Brandon Drury
SHORTSTOP
Didi Gregorius vs. Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = NA
Gregorius is sometimes forgotten in a lineup that includes Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gary Sanchez, but he is a very important part of the Yankees success. He’s moved into the cleanup spot against right-handed pitchers, a role he excelled in for the Yankees last season by driving in 40 runs in 42 games out of that spot. He’ll face Cashner on Thursday, who doesn’t have overpowering stuff with just a 7.0 K/9 for his career.
Xander Boegarts vs. Yonny Chirinos, Tampa Bay Rays
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $3,400
DraftKings = $5,000
Boegarts batted only .273 last year, but a lot of that had to do with injuries and an abnormally low .281 BABIP in the second half of the season. He’s off to a hot start this year, batting .357 with a home run and five doubles. Chirinos is the “starter” for the Rays on Thursday, but this is one of their planned bullpen days and he might not pitch that deep into the game. Their bullpen isn’t lights-out to begin with, which could lead to a big game for the Red Sox offense.
Others to consider: Jean Segura and Addison Russell
OUTFIELD
Giancarlo Stanton vs. Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = NA
After receiving boos because he struck out five times in the Yankees home opener, Stanton mashed a home run that brought the stadium to their feet Wednesday. He only has five hits so far this season, but three of them have been home runs. With Cashner not having overpowering stuff at this point in his career, don’t be surprised if Stanton gets a hold of one again Thursday.
Nicholas Castellanos vs. James Shields, Chicago White Sox
Stadium- Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $4,900
Castellanos has yet to leave the park this season, but he does already have three multi-hit games. He set career-highs with 26 home runs and 101 RBI last year, so expect him to straighten things out in the power department soon. Thursday brings an excellent opportunity to do so against Shields who allowed 2.1 HR/9 last year and isn’t much more than a journeyman starter at this stage of his career.
Hunter Renfroe vs. Tyler Anderson, Colorado Rockies
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,000
The Padres had a crowded outfield heading into this season, but some playing time has now opened up with Wil Myers (arm) on the DL. Renfroe is going to get his chance to shine and he just might do that Thursday against the lefty Anderson as Renfroe had a .439 wOBA against lefties in 2017.