This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Thursday's seven-game main slate doesn't leave much meat on the bone for pitchers below the highest price range, but we can find at least one cheap hurler whose DraftKings results have been much stronger than his ERA. The imbalance makes for a few strong stack targets, as well as some nice value plays.
Pitching
Hyun-Jin Ryu, TOR vs. BOS ($9,700): Ryu's profile is about as strong as any pitcher in the game this season and features a 3.19 ERA to go along with a 58 percent groundball rate and 33 strikeouts in 31 innings. The Red Sox come into the contest as a middle-of-the-road team against lefty pitchers but should be made a bit easier for Ryu thanks to the 46 percent groundball rate they have kept in 2020.
Kevin Gausman, SF vs. LAD ($6,400): Gausman's tough schedule continues to see him priced towards the bottom of slates, but the veteran has done quite well so far, scoring at least 16 points in games against the Padres, Rockies (at Coors Field) and Dodgers (twice). His third matchup with Los Angeles should provide us with enough points to make Gausman a profitable play due to the 32 percent strikeout rate and 2.92 xFIP he has logged in six games (five starts).
Top Hitters
Juan Soto, WAS vs. PHI ($5,900): Few starters have struggled as mightily as Spencer Howard in 2020, as evidenced by the 6.17 ERA he has logged in 11.2 frames. What really stands out about Howard's year thus far, though, is the fact that lefties have walloped him to the tune of an .846 slugging percentage in five innings. Soto has enjoyed more success than most against right-handed pitching this year, logging a .357 ISO and .524 wOBA in 42 at-bats.
Nelson Cruz, MIN at DET ($5,700): Cruz is almost a must-roster player against mediocre lefties at this point due to the .520 ISO and .592 wOBA he has logged against southpaws in 25 at-bats. Matthew Boyd has looked better of late but still holds a .647 slugging percentage against right-handed hitting.
Mike Brosseau, TB vs. BAL ($4,700): Brosseau may not be a household name just yet but he should be a name on the lips of DFS players when he is facing a left-hander, as he has notched a .433 ISO and .479 wOBA in 30 at-bats against southpaws. Meanwhile, John Means has allowed a .392 wOBA and four home runs against righty hitters in nine innings.
Best Values
Teoscar Hernandez, TOR vs. BOS ($4,300): Hernandez's explosion of power against both sides of the platoon in 2020 has been something to behold. He will enter Thursday's contest sporting a .333 ISO and .406 wOBA in 75 at-bats against same-handed opposition. Chris Mazza has struggled in his cup of coffee with the Red Sox this season and logged a 5.51 ERA in 16.1 innings with the Mets in 2019.
Robinson Cano, NYM vs. MIA ($4,000): Cano is a perfect veteran value bat for a short slate, as he has logged a healthy .233 ISO and .447 wOBA in 43 at-bats against right-handed pitching. Manager Don Mattingly said recently that Sixto Sanchez would remain in the rotation, but he will likely need to prove himself to make that situation permanent. Sanchez had a strong minor league career but got tagged for three runs (two home runs) in his major league debut, so it may be worth lining up a few bats to check his chin.
Matt Joyce, MIA at NYM ($3,600): Joyce has been given the opportunity to see regular playing time in Miami and hasn't disappointed, logging a .376 wOBA and 36 percent hard contact rate against righty pitching in 51 at-bats. Robert Gsellman's arm likely isn't built up enough to throw more than 50 or 60 pitches, but that seems like enough time to exploit the .533 wOBA he has allowed to righty hitters. While the sample size is tiny (two innings), prospective owners should note that Gsellman kept a 5.26 xFIP in 22.1 innings against lefty bats in 2019.
Stacks to Consider
Nationals against Spencer Howard: Juan Soto, ($5,900) Asdrubal Cabrera, ($4,200) Adam Eaton, ($3,200)
Those who stack against Howard will mainly want to focus on left-handed hitters, and while there is no other lefty bat on the Nationals with even close to as much firepower as Soto, we can snag a nice value bat in Eaton, who owns a .211 ISO and .373 wOBA in 71 at-bats against righty arms.
Twins against Matthew Boyd: Nelson Cruz, ($5,700) Miguel Sano, ($4,900) Ryan Jeffers, ($2,400)
As with our previous stack, there is a clear leader in the clubhouse with regard to who can do the most damage, but we can offset his cost a great deal with an unsuspecting option like Jeffers. While he hasn't done much since being recalled as a replacement for Mitch Garver, Jeffers logged a .392 wOBA in 87 at-bats at Double-A Pensacola in 2019.
